Scary

by DonnA Devillez (United States of America)

A leap into the unknown Croatia

Travel can sometimes be scary. REALLY scary, like the first time you jump off the high diving board. Once you overcome your fear, you are thrilled and anxious to do it again. In spite of being an introvert, my favorite part of travel is the people I meet. I have found their presence makes my journey all the more memorable. A bit of fear and a lot of excitement is how I felt as my first trip to Europe approached. I didn’t have anything to worry about, because I was joining three great friends. My family tree led me to Slovenia and I was beyond excited as the train started to climb towards the Italian border. When we arrived in Ljubljana, we headed directly to the train station bar, so I could order a Slovenian beer. Much to my surprise I met Franc, who was the splitting image of a cousin back home. He couldn’t speak English and I couldn’t speak his language. We settled on smiles and beer as the universal language. The highlight of Slovenia was meeting distant cousin Jana and touring the town of Nova Vas, where my ancestors made their home. On the morning we were to meet, I asked her what she looked like. She said “Ellen Degeneres” and I said “me too”! It was an honor to walk quietly through their church and cemetery where my maiden name littered the grave stones. Zagreb was our next stop, where I met an angel named Zdenka. She was working at the front desk of our hotel. I was on a mission to find my 94 year old friend, and Zdenka worked a miracle to help me. She used her negotiating skills on the nursing facility to allow me to visit outside their normal visiting hours. It was suggested that I walk to the train, then take a bus and finally a taxi to reach my friend. I inquired about renting a car and found an agency within walking distance. I got an early start walking to the agency to rent the car. I was pleased when my GPS quickly programmed my 50 mile route. I was smiling as I made my way through the city traffic and onto an expressway…until I came to a toll. I couldn’t read the signs so I approached the popular lane, until the worker exited the booth and yelled at me. He motioned me and everyone behind me to back up. I cautiously approached another booth only to discover the fare was 12 Kuna and I only had 10. I sheepishly asked if they accepted credit card or Euro. He accepted the Euro and harshly advised me to keep the change in Luna for my return trip. IN an hour, I arrived in Ivanic Grad and the facility where she lives. We had a visit while watching a stork nest. She hadn’t forgotten her English and I shared photos of her farm in the United States with her. When I made it back to the hotel, I took a moment to pen a thank you note to the hotel manager thanking Zdenka for her excellent hospitality. Later that afternoon, Zdenka found me and was crying tears of joy. She shared that she was new to the role and my words were very encouraging. Plitvice Lakes National Park, is where I met my final friend. The park is filled with a series of board walks around abundant waterfalls. As we explored our way through the park, we took a break to wait for a ferry. It’s there that I noticed a Michigan State t-shirt being worn by a young woman. We introduced ourselves and she was relieved to visit in English. Her name was Ann and she explained her semester of study abroad and how she took advantage of every weekend to Explore Europe. We ended up enjoying her company for a few hours. I’m open to suggestions for my next adventure. No matter where the compass points, I’m sure to meet new people and hear their interesting stores, which are the best part of travel.