– STORY PROMPT
“Do you think we might be going the wrong way??” I shivered, shouting over the wind and rain.”
At least I brought my jacket. I couldn’t help but think, eyeing Jake’s knuckles gripping the handle bars, wind-whipped and splotched pink and white.
As the rain began to fall even harder, I began to question whether or not our little electric scooter was actually going to make it up the looming in front of us.
Which is also the moment we realized… we should arrived in the city of Hvar, by now…
But, there was not a person, let alone city, in sight. Where were we? Did we miss certain landmarks, along the way?
By the time we breached the top of the mountain in front of us. I was on foot, and we knew for certain:
We were lost.
Pulling into the first off-road turn we could. As if a sign from the heavens, sunlight to began to beam through the clouds
We sloshed ourselves off the scooter, saturated, and stood to face its warmth.
Soaking up its rays, like lizards in the sun. We took a breath, and took in our surroundings.
As the rain fully cleared and our bodies began to warm, a mist began to slowly creep along the valleys and sea.
We turned to roam around and explore a bit, while drying out.
When we realized, lost and perched upon the top of this hill, we had stumbled upon a small, ancient village.
We warmed our bodies wandering through a small path leading down the center of tiny stone homes scattered along each side.
The golden grasses brightening the cool grey stone homes and walls, seemingly made of a form of layered slate.
At the end of our small walk, we gazed down upon the sparkling sapphire sea and the hills around us bathed in the now beaming sunlight.
I stood in front of Jake, leaning my body back into his as he bear hugged his arms around me. Taking in the beauty around us, my smile broadened. And, as I took a mental picture. It was in that moment that I knew.
We may be wet and lost in a different country. But, this would be one of those treasured moments we would remember, forever.
We had gotten lost. The moment was caused by such a simple, common, accident. Taking a wrong turn
And after a big storm, much of the power was out in the country and we only had a physical map to rely on for directions.
Looking back at that trip to Croatia, we were intentional. We had created amazing experiences for ourselves.
We wandered around the ancient walls of Dubrovnik, swam with swans at the crystal clear Krka waterfalls, stayed in Diocletian’s Palace in Split.
But that these memories, the fumbles, the accidents, the unexpected, are the ones we reminisce upon, share, laugh about, and truly treasure, the most.
A Few Highlights From Our Trip to Croatia
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Written by Mackenzie Lombardo.
Last updated, June 25, 2026.
Last updated, September 4, 2024.
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