kubitsky.net

I’ve been to Croatia 4 times in the past. But each of those were just short visits, between 10 and 20 days. I’ve been here for almost 16 days now and the realization is setting in that I have about 124 more to go. Zagreb is my new home for a little while. It’s no longer feeling like a visit. So here are some things that I miss already

My Washer and Dryer
We have 1 small washing machine that holds only a third of the laundry from mine in Philly and it runs three times as long. It’s not a bad washer. It’s standard, like most other househholds that I’ve seen here.

Clothes dryers are not popular. When you look at shopping ads for appliances, there may be only 1 dryer (a washer dryer/combo) offered on sale and 10 washers. We must hang-dry our clothes inside on a rack. It takes about a day for them all to dry. Clothes dryers make your clothes soft and warm and smell like dryer sheets. Hang drying them can make them stiff and stretched out.

Microwave
Almost everyone has a microwave in Croatia. It’s a very common kitchen appliance. The microwaves here are super small, though. They remind me of the size you buy for college kids in dorms. We don’t have a microwave here and I don’t see any sense in buying one just for the added convenience. But it would be easier to reheat food and make quick stuff.

Living Space
I didn’t spend that much time in my new condo when I was in Philly. We only had it for about 3 months before I left to come here. But, nonetheless, it is my home and I miss it. I miss my bed, my home computer, the 1200 sq ft. The apartment we have in Zagreb is about 400 sq ft.

Personal Space
There’s really no sense of personal space when in public areas here. If people want to ride the tram downtown, they pack in like sardines and then some. When in line at the store, you can feel the breath of the person behind you. People bump you when walking and most don’t say excuse me. You’re lucky to get into a tram without being trampled. People don’t wait for folks to get off before getting on. I prefer to walk the semi-decent distances :)

But most of all I miss my family and friends.

One thing I don’t miss:

Getting up early for work
Although I enjoy the walk I had to work when it wasn’t raining, I never liked getting up early. With the time difference here, I start work at 2pm. Isn’t that nice ;) Now I get up around 9-9:30am and sip my coffee while watching TV. Then I can decide what I want to do for the rest of the morning. I could go out for a walk, watch movies, go to the store, explore the city, visit a museum or park, go running, anything really.