TRAVEL|GLOBETROTTERS

How Rijeka, Croatia Reminds Me of Seattle, Washington

The views, the weather, the love and more

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and moved to Seattle, Washington for the first time in 1996. For a nature lover like me, who still wanted the perks of living in an urban environment, it was ideal.

Rent was inexpensive in those days and the jobs paid much better than Philly. I was in heaven and ended up staying in Seattle for the better part of 8 years. I went back and forth to Philly. I visited Spain for a month.

I lived in Argentina for 3 months and NYC for 3 months as well, but I maintained residency in Washington state and considered it my home until I moved to St. John, Virgin Islands in 2003.

After leaving in the fall of 2003, I did not visit Seattle for 8 years, largely due to money. I struggled to make ends meet while working as an artist and doing independently contracted work.

The wedding of one of my closest friends is what finally propelled me back to the gorgeous Pacific Northwest. I had just started massage school and could only stay for 6 days, but I was so glad I went. I forgot just how much that part of the world means to me.

I promised myself that I would never let that much time go by again without visiting. I have stayed true to that promise for the past 10 years.

Since 2011 I have visited the Seattle area at least once a year until last year. I had a plane ticket for mid-May, 2020. It was supposed to be a celebration of my graduation from college, a best friend’s birthday, quality time spent with another friend and the first time in 7 years that I would be in Seattle during the late spring or summer.

I was set to permanently move to Europe in mid-June and was really looking forward to that trip before leaving. Then COVID-19 derailed everything.

I still moved to Europe in August instead of June, but I have yet to make it back to Seattle. I spent 8 months in southeastern England, 2 weeks in Dublin, Ireland, 3 months in northern Italy and was in Croatia for 3 months during the late summer and early fall of 2021.

After staying on Krk Island, Croatia for 2 weeks and spending 6 weeks in southern Croatia, near Split, I finally explored Rijeka, the northern part, which unexpectedly turned out to be my favorite area in Croatia for various reasons.

Rijeka is a port town and is the second-largest city in this country, but the population is still relatively small- about 135,000 inhabitants.

It has some really nice beaches just to the north of the city- much nicer than I imagined. There are a few paths where you can walk along the coast right at the water. Ucka national park is just a 30-minute drive away and offers fantastic hikes with spectacular views.

It’s easy and comfortable to walk around and due to the hills, most streets have incredible views, which reminds me a lot of Seattle, as well as the fact that Rijeka has more to offer vegetarians.

Split does also, but it wasn’t easy to drive or walk there from where I stayed.

The picturesque view of the nearby islands, mountains and water from where I am in staying in Rijeka constantly makes me swoon. I love a nice view and hadn’t had one this spectacular from my home in quite some time.

In fact, the last time I had a view like that was before I left Seattle which had me reminiscing a lot during that time and smiling while being flooded with memories from those days in the Emerald City.

Even the cloudy and rainy days in Croatia are stunning, which I felt in Seattle as well.

It isn’t just the views either. It’s an overall vibe that I can’t quite explain. I’ve lived in places that have had nice views of nature. I stayed at an awesome place in Hastings, England that had a fantastic view as well.

There’s just something in Croatia, especially Rijeka, and in Seattle that seemed to touch me deeper.

I don’t know why.

My time came to an end all too quickly which made me savor it all that much more.

I already look forward to returning to Rijeka again, especially since it is a lot easier and closer for me to visit from anywhere in Europe than from America.

However, I long for the day that I finally return to the emerald gem that is the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle area, and breathe in its delicious air while my eyes feast on its vast array of horticultural delights.

It has been through substantial changes over the past 20 years, however, the parts that have places in my heart will always remain.