Questions Croatia has me asking

Frances Vidakovic (Photo: Private album)

By Frances Vidakovic

Every time I come to Croatia, something shifts. It’s not just the scenery that impacts me – though the beautiful sea, cobblestone streets, and endless summer sunshine certainly help.

It’s the way people live here. Slower. Fuller. More connected. 

And every time I return to Australia from the island of Korčula, I’m flooded with questions. Not just about this place – but about the pace, priorities, and the way I live my life back home.

Here are some of the questions I find myself asking while in Croatia – unfiltered, honest, and still unraveling in my heart.

• How do Croatians stay so relaxed – surely things must sometimes be chaotic here too?

• Why do things move slower here… but somehow still get done?

• How do Croatians balance work, rest, and social time so naturally?

• Do they ever feel rushed, or is that just a foreign concept here?

• How do they still find the energy to go out after working all day?

• Why does it feel like everyone knows everyone, even in the bigger cities?

• What would it be like to live in a place where you bump into familiar faces every day?

• Why does coffee here feel like a ritual, not just a caffeine fix?

• Do they know how special it is to have that kind of tight-knit community?

• How do they always make time to sit and talk with each other – and really mean it?

• Why does it seem like no one is ever in a rush to leave when they meet for coffee?

• How do Croatians manage to keep lifelong friendships alive and close?

• Do they realize how rare and beautiful it is to have multigenerational families living nearby?

• Why do strangers here feel more open – like they’re not suspicious of connection?

• Do they ever stop to notice the color of the sea, or the way the light hits the mountains?

• Do they walk past the old stone buildings and olive trees without blinking – because it’s just “normal” to them?

• What does it do to the soul to live in a place this beautiful?

• How do they stay so present – so here, in the moment?

• Are they more content because they’re not constantly chasing “more”?

• What would happen if I let go of urgency the way they seem to?

• Have they mastered the art of simply being, rather than always becoming?

(Photo: Private album)

• Do Croatians know how deeply rooted and strong their identity is?

• How do they manage to hold on to tradition without getting stuck in the past?

• Why does their sense of pride in their culture feel so grounded – not boastful, but calm and confident?

• What is it like to grow up in a country where your heritage is celebrated so openly?

• Do they realize what a gift it is to live this close to nature, the sea, and history?

• How does living in a slower, simpler environment shift your values over time?

• Do they think the rest of the world is crazy for how fast we live?

• What would happen if more people lived like this?

• Why don’t Croatians seem obsessed with productivity or side hustles?

• How do they define success, if not by how much money they make?

• Do they think we’ve got it backwards – working to afford life, but forgetting to actually live it?

• Are they struggling underneath the surface, or just more resilient in hiding it?

• Are they grateful for what they have, or do they – like us – sometimes only see what’s missing?

• Have they become immune to the beauty they’re surrounded by?

• What do they dream about – do they wish for something else, or are they already home?

• How would they see my life through their eyes?

• Why does it seem like they value living over achieving?

• What do they know about life that the rest of us have forgotten?

• Are they truly happier with less, or does it just look that way from the outside?

• Do they envy our fast-paced world… or feel sorry for us?

• How can they make do with so little… and still seem so content?

• Do they actually budget, or is life just naturally more minimal here?

• How do they afford all the long coffees, lunches, and drinks out?

• Is it that they prioritize joy over things?

And then come the questions that have less to do with them – and everything to do with me.

• What does it say about me that these questions keep swirling in my head?

• Am I longing for something they have – or something I’ve lost?

• What can I take home with me, besides souvenirs?

• What if this is the life I want – but I’ve just been too busy to notice?

(Photo: Private album)

And finally, a practical mystery…

• Why do cars never, ever stop at zebra crossings?  Seriously, I ask myself this question every time I visit.

Maybe this is what travel is meant to do – not just show us new landscapes, but hold up a mirror to our lives. To gently wake us up to what we’ve forgotten.

To remind us of what really matters. And to ask us, quietly but firmly:

Are you living the life you truly want?

Because sometimes, the most valuable souvenirs aren’t the ones tucked in our suitcases, but the questions we carry home in our hearts.