Why I didn’t move back to NYC…
In high school, I was surrounded by kids who were from all over the world. Koreans, Indians, Turkish, Brazilians, Colombians, Irish, Croatians and the list goes on and on. It was fascinating and while I always liked different, that experience probably left a bigger impression on me than I was aware of. As I grew older, I noticed I liked experiencing different cultures and learning about their traditions so I guess it’s no surprise I would end up traveling to almost 40 countries and living far away from home.
Although, I never ever saw myself doing so or even dreamed about it! It just sort of happened...
So here I am, living out of the USA since 2017 and living in Croatia since 2019. Even though so much time has passed since living in the States, people still ask, “Why don’t you come home? What are you doing there?”.
In the beginning, my answer came easily with bright big eyes, “To travel and explore. I want to see the world” but as I outgrew that statement, I didn’t have a concrete answer and kind of just shrugged my shoulders.
So, since I love introspection and to discover what is driving me to do what I do, I sat with those questions and a very interesting answer arose. I realized that as much as I love introspection, I also love growth and development and where’s the best place for growth and development?
Well, it’s in that space that is outside your comfort zone! And typically living in a foreign country, specifically Croatia, is outside of anyone’s comfort zone making it a great place to learn about yourself and be awkward most of the time. So friends and family, that’s what I got - I’m a sucker for growth and development in the DISCOMFORT ZONE!
So far in my DISCOMFORT ZONE, I have learned:
- About Croatian culture Ex. They make rakija, which is made by distilling fermented fruits, nuts or plants.
- That I’m an entrepreneur at heart.
- That I was probably European in a past life.
- That I’m here to empower others.
- My soul is a wild spirit and when I don’t listen to her “katastrofa je!” (this is Croatian for, “it’s a catastrophe!”)
