Dear Unsealers.

It’s been three days since I’ve arrived back home from Croatia.

I’m trying to get myself back into the normal swing of life, as I’m back to work today.

But as I step out on this cold morning here in NYC, I can’t help but miss where I’ve been. As my suntan still attests to today.

It was a magical ten day trip across the Atlantic, to the shores of the Adriatic Sea. Enough to make me forget that the trip didn’t get off to the best of starts, with a delayed departure out of NYC, a long line at passport control in Munich and missing my flight to Zagreb.

This trip is the one I take every year, joining an escorted tour group. Often, I do so as the only solo traveler on the bus and this time was no exception among 38 fellow travelers.

From Zagreb’s capital charm, to Split’s coastal wonder, Hvar’s serenity off the mainland and Dubrovnik’s independent streak, each place had it’s own distinctive identity. A new city every two days, with the opportunity of wanting to stick around in each place for longer than I did.

Then, there was the group itself. Everyone was so kind to me and willing to help me out given that my legs aren’t working as they should due to having cerebral palsy. And even, helping me fish one of my hiking sticks out of the Plitvice Lakes National Park waters.

There was our tour manager, Nikoleta. She took a bit of a liking to me, saying that I was an inspiration for traveling on my own given my difficulties. I wouldn’t call myself an inspiration, though. As I was in the midst of launching the paperback version of my first book of poems, “A Poetic Journey, Staying At Home”, I showed her my book and she was impressed with what I wrote. To the point that I read a poem during the farewell dinner last Friday night.

I had a great time in Croatia the last ten days. I miss everyone that I traveled with.

Who knows, maybe our paths will cross again someday.