We’ve been in Croatia for about 4 weeks now, and I’m amazed that it’s already well into January! Though our transition has felt slow, we’ve come far in regards to settling in.  Before I go further, there are a few key pictures I’d like to share from December that I didn’t post.

            My family met for Thanksgiving in Massachusetts. During that long weekend my sisters, mother, and I took a trip to our old hometown of Cortlandt Manor to visit our old schools, home, and my father’s grave. It was the 10^th anniversary of his death and a time to reminisce on the years past and talk about the changes to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

      After Thanksgiving my younger sister Kari went back to New York, Jodie and Jeff (and kids) left to Maryland to prepare for their move to Vienna (they are there now), and we left for California. It was a sad goodbye because it is unknown to us all how our long distance family will look and strive to stay connected (we’re thankful to live in an age with computer cameras and vonage phones). I have many great memories from that holiday. 

            In California, Makayla and Brian housed us for two weeks as we intensely prepared to move to Croatia. During our time there we were shopping, visiting friends, finishing my final paper, and packing. With no time to spare our stuff was hauled off in a huge truck (of course there is a story with that too, but there’s no time to write), and I prayed a blessing over our belongings as it departed (praying to see it all again . Since then, our moving company has had complications and it has been delayed in LA, but we are told it will arrive in Croatia the first week of February. Overall, those two-week were uniquely crazy (similar to before our wedding), which made our friends even more invaluable to us as we shared those weeks with them.

 

           

 

 

 

 Makayla and Brian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      The climax of our stay in California involved my graduation ceremony. Hrvoje and I were a bit of a whirlwind to get up to APU in time for commencement, with our car loaded for the airport and Ema crowded in the back of our rental SUV… but we made it and I enjoyed sitting for an hour in my cap and gown, reflecting on my past years in graduate school. The moment walking across that stage was brief to get my ‘diploma’, but it was a ten seconds I was thankful to have because I had all but given up on the idea a year and half ago when Ema was born (see entry for Hrvoje’s graduation).

 

            After the commencement ceremony, we went to a hotel next to LAX since our flight to Croatia left early the next morning. The flight was long and difficult, particularly since we started the journey over-tired.  But now that we’re here it seems like a big blur and memory I wouldn’t mind forgetting….

 

        

 

    Once we arrived in Croatia we took several days to adjust to the time zone and reconnect with Hrvoje’s family. We were able to move into our apartment immediately because we had a bed and working bathrooms upstairs awaiting us (we didn’t have working kitchen right away so we ate with Hrvoje’s parents). Since we’ve arrived we bought some furniture and appliances, so the house is starting to feel more like a ‘home’. It was a wonderful moment for me to cook in my own kitchen, and I hope to never forget how I cherished something so simple that night. Here is a picture of the building we live in. We live in a two-floor apartment above the apartments of Hrvoje’s parents and his brother’s family (all three are joined by a stairwell in the back of the building). We share a common yard with a garden, grass, and large gated driveway. We’re in the suburbs between the cities of Split and Trogir, and we’re so thankful for the quiet neighborhood and our open, spacious apartment that was built over this past year!  

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 Lara and Ema

 

 

   Ema has loved playing with Lara (Hrvoje’s 9 year old sister) and Roko (our 2 ½ year old nephew), both who live below us. I want to introduce them to you now because they will surely be on this blog over the months and years to come….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

     After New Year’s we were sick and housebound for days, but we are all feeling better now. We have a car that we love, a silver Opel Astra, and I being able to drive around will add a new dimension to our lives. Looking back on these past weeks I know we’ve needed a slower pace and time to feel ‘normal’. Right now, in my apartment I’m feeling at home, but still am struck continually while we’re out that I’m in a foreign country. 

    My favorite part of Croatia, is of course the sea. We are about a five minute walk from the water, so here are some pics of us enjoying a sunny day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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