The Trip That Almost Did Not Happen
Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia
You will all see and read in a later blog why there was a very real chance I would not have been able to go on this trip – but that’s a story for another time. A few years ago, my parents began a tradition of traveling to a new European country each summer and exploring for at least three weeks. I can say with the utmost certainty that my love and desire for adventure and travel comes straight from them. Their first location that sparked this tradition was Ireland, followed by Greece, and this past summer Croatia. On their Croatia trip, they drove up and down the coast, stopping in cities such as Zadar, Split, and their personal favorite – Dubrovnik. Ever since hearing their Dubrovnik stories, and seeing my mom’s Instagram posts, it instantly became the number one place I knew I had to visit while abroad.
Funny enough – and this ties right back to that “late blog” story – my mom ended up joining my friends and me on our Dubrovnik trip. We flew in on a Wednesday afternoon (yes, we all skipped school) and left Saturday morning, much to our dismay. The trip overall was much pricier than we had anticipated, mostly due to our eating and spending time in the touristy areas, where meals ranged from 30 to 40 euro and drinks around 15. We quickly learned our lesson.
Because of an injury, I was not able to join my friends on their speed boat tour of the caves, so my mom and I decided to explore and do a guided tour of the walls. Yes… those walls – the ones featured in many scenes of the infamous Game of Thrones television series. Together, we climbed more than 600 steps, walking around the entire perimeter of Dubrovnik’s Old Town that is covered in orange tiles molded by the thighs of the women who once lived there. Although I am not much of a history buff, the history of the city was incredible, topped with my skyline view of the entire city to my left and sparkling Adriatic sea view to my right. It might have been one of the most touristy things to do, but it was truly incredible.
Visiting Dubrovnik, Croatia was not just another tally in countries I have visited, it was a dream-come-true. Despite being strapped in a medical brace, it reminded me and revived my love of travel and exploration.
BEAAMMS Was Born
Locals: Pile-Kono Mountain
Our Airbnb sat on the hill just outside Dubrovnik’s Old Town, meaning that every trip in and our required an uber. While talking to one of our drivers, he told us that he had his own business – a small company called Simply H. H – as he told us to call him – offered us a discounted tour of the three most beautiful photo spots according to Croatian locals. Given that there were 8 of us and one of him, we decided to take him up on his offer. After spending a couple hours exploring Old Town, we met him outside the Pile Gate and to begin our local tour.
The first stop made us a little skeptical. He pulled the car over on the side of the rode and gave us only a few minutes to take pictures of… a bridge; yes, a bridge overlooking the water. Was the view beautiful? Yes, but it was not considered a ‘local spot’ like we were expecting. The next spot filled us with more hope – a run-down barn with a small waterfall in the background. I have to admit, it was like nothing I had ever seen. The sun cast a bright glow over everything, creating the illusion of shimmering air, and the surplus of water made the plants lush and green, and the river alive with fish. None of us wanted to leave but had to in order to catch the sunset at our final stop.
Driving up a two-way road barely wide enough for one car, we arrived at the top of a mountain overlooking the entire Old Town city, the hill surrounding it, and the Adriatic bordering the entirety of Croatia. It was something of a painting with the island perfectly placed in the sea, the sky painted with hues of pink, purple, yellow, and blue, and a mountain covered in fresh plants and rosemary leaves. After taking the mandatory “I was here” photos, my friends and I stood in a line and took a moment of gratitude.
The weeks leading up to this trip had been a blur of hospital visits and doctor’s appointments, but that all seemed to melt away at that moment. I was joined by my best friend – my mom – and the girls I had grown closest to abroad. Everything was perfect at that moment.
It was there, on the Pile-Kono Mountain, that we came up with a word to describe something that simply cannot be described by ordinary adjectives. An acronym for all our names: Bridgette, Em, Alex, Avery, Maddie, Michelle, Sophie. Just like that, BEAAMMS was born.
DU Abroad 