From March 03, 2018 to March 10, 2018, I was given the opportunity to travel to Croatia for my Agnes Scott Journeys trip and visit the cities of Zagreb, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, and Trogir. Although this was one of my first choices of travel destination and was an amazing experience for me, there are many things that I discovered during my trip that I wish I would’ve known before I traveled there. While my experience in the country was enjoyable overall and I was able to see so many new and beautiful things, there were many shocking things that I learned about the country during my time in Croatia that I wish I would have known about before the trip. In some cases, surprises are a good thing, but this is rarely ever the case when traveling abroad to an unfamiliar country. If I had known then what I know now, I would have been much more prepared for what I was bound to face.
Photo Credit: Brianna Walton
First of all, knowing what treatment I would face as a Black tourist in Croatia would have definitely removed one of the biggest shocks I faced in the country. One of the most uncomfortable situations that I faced in Croatia was constantly being stared at by locals. I assumed that this was more than likely due to the fact that I was one of the very few black people in a predominantly white country. While I did not experience any acts of racism besides the staring, it is definitely something that I wish I would’ve known about before I traveled there. Before traveling to Croatia, I had assumed that I would have no problems since it was a fairly popular tourist destination and they would be used to seeing people from different cultural backgrounds, but I was wrong. While I cannot confirm that the staring was solely due to my racial background, my White peers were not stared at to the degree that I was at all. Since I was lucky enough to be from such a diverse place, I forgot about what I might await me in countries that are not as diverse as Atlanta/ Decatur or Yonkers (my hometown).
Next, I wish I would have known more about the cultural norms in Croatia. The first thing I noticed when I was in Croatia is the difference in how Croatians interact with one another compared to how Americans typically interact with one another. For the most part, everywhere I have been in the United States, I’ve noticed that people are typically friendly and will smile at or greet strangers as they walk by one another. Not to say that everyone always does whenever they pass someone but it is not an uncommon occurrence; however, in the week I spent in Croatia, I noticed little to no interactions of this type. People there seemed much more serious and tense than people usually do in the United States.
Photo Credit: Brianna Walton
Another thing I feel would have been important to know about before I traveled there is proper dining etiquette. Before almost every meal in a proper restaurant setting, our group was served a basket of bread, a few tomatoes, a slice of lettuce, and a few slices of cheese. Occasionally, we’d also receive olives or a bowl of soup with our meal. My group had very different interpretations of what we should do with the food. Were we expected to make a sandwich out of the ingredients? Were there any expectations to do anything with the food at all? We wanted to get the full Croatian experience but we did not know what the common dining practices were. It was not only this that confused us but there was also confusion about how we were expected to eat other meals as well, especially deserts. While some people ate certain dishes with forks and knives, other people would simply use their hands. Although this is not as big of an issue, I wish I would have known and been able to practice common dining etiquette in order to be respectful to the culture.
To add on, I should have looked into what foods were their specialties. As a pescatarian, I found some of the few group meals were not really my taste. I prefer to not eat fish with bones in it, but, with the exception of one, all of the fish meals I was provided had bones. If I had been more familiar with the types of foods that were served in Croatia as well as how they were served, this would have been more prepared for the types of dishes that I would have received. I also would have been able to prepare myself to be able to scout out foods that were more to my taste. Overall, I missed American food.
Finally, I wish I would have done more research about the Croatian weather patterns. Since the professor said to dress warmly because it would be cold in certain areas, I did not think about the fact that some areas will not be as cold as others. Luckily it worked in my favor since I brought clothing for various temperatures. This was not a big issue for me, but it is crucial to look into the typical weather patterns of the location you are visiting.
Photo Credit: Brianna Walton