Journey Justified

“Do you know what this is?

This is a water tower. It is made of wood and uses gravity to provide water to the entire town.”

When I had envisioned Croatia, this was not what I had in mind. Here I found myself sitting in an ancient Citroen AX with two locals who spoke little English, driving aimlessly around the Slavonian countryside. We were supposed to be “sightseeing” but as time wore on, the only sight I was seeing was the inside of my eyelids. Apparently, our guide held a much greater appreciation for public utilities, straw statues of livestock, and old farm equipment than I did.

How did I end up here?

Everything can be looked at from multiple perspectives. What seemed like a total waste of time was also an interesting learning experience. Sure, the private wine tastings and freshly cooked Croatian food were better than an afternoon in a rust bucket, but these are the moments where you learn the most about yourself and the people you are with. While I may not treasure the time spent at many of the sites I saw that day, the experience led to great interactions with Croatian locals and a unique glimpse into life in Southeastern Europe. In those few days in Osijek, Croatia, I was invited to stay with a family I had never met, enjoyed dessert and wine around the largest dinner table I had ever seen, tasted the finest whites and reds in the region in a free private winery tour, and met Croatian farmers who didn’t speak a word of English. If the price to pay was merely a head-scratching sightseeing fiasco, I think it was undoubtedly worth it.

As I approach the end of my round-the-world trip, I can’t help but laugh at some of the moments along the way. Beyond that day in the Croatian countryside, I have found myself feeding calicoes with a hotel concierge in a cat lady’s apartment, eating dinner with a racecar driver in Argentina, speaking Spanish with two Germans in Brazil, getting guided through Venice Beach by a junkie, and hitchhiking with an Olympian. Seeing Big Ben is great, but these outlandish moments breathe life into a trip, transforming pins on a map and passport stamps into a unique and unforgettable journey.