I finally crossed off Goal #48 from my 100 Goals List: visit a country in the Balkan region.

The country I chose was Croatia, and more specifically, the beautiful coastal city of Split.

The trip came together almost accidentally. I had a business trip to Budapest, and instead of simply flying home afterwards, I saw the perfect opportunity to extend the journey. I hopped on a bus from Budapest and made my way south, all the way to the Adriatic coast.

And I’m so glad I did.

Split turned out to be exactly the kind of place I needed — beautiful, sunny, full of history, and surrounded by the sea. I spent my days exploring the old town and its ancient streets, joining a few sea excursions, swimming and snorkelling, and simply enjoying the feeling of being somewhere warm and completely different from my everyday routine.

But perhaps my favourite part was that I didn’t make the trip only about sightseeing. I also deliberately carved out time to sit down with my laptop, find a quiet place, and write. There was something especially inspiring about working on my book while being surrounded by sunshine, palm trees, old stone buildings and the sound of the Adriatic.

It was a lovely reminder that travelling doesn’t always have to be about rushing from one attraction to another. Sometimes it can simply be about changing your surroundings, slowing down, and giving yourself space to create.

One more goal crossed off. 48 down, 52 to go. 🌊