The first time I visited Croatia was right after the war ended, it was quiet and Croatians were standing next to the road trying to catch tourists to stay in their houses. We heard the sounds of war in Hungary in the South, it was a truly eerie experience. Right after the war, it was extremely cheap to travel there  and get an apartment for almost no money. We drove through Bosnia  and Herzegovina, spotting warning signs of landmines and seeing burnt down houses. I got out of the car to look around and I felt sadness, loss and loneliness all around. Arriving at Croatia was a relief.

Times have changed and I went back many, many times as I fell in love with the place. If you have ever visited this stunning country, you must remember the sound of cicadas during hot summer days, the first sight of the azure waters and the salty smell of the sea. 

I am Hungarian, so it is very easy to drive from Hungary to Croatia, within a couple of hours you can reach the beach...I always found it astonishing how close we lived to something so beautiful (just like in the case of Slovenia). Food is great, the nights are balsamic, Croatians are friendly and all in all, the atmosphere is just magical. Travelling to Croatia is celebrating life.

I experienced the biggest storm while over there. It appeared literally out of nowhere, the sky went all black and the water turned green, wind was blowing me off my feet while taking pictures with my tripod. Worried locals ran to me saying, I should have looked for shelter as it would hit me hard - yet, I was out there until the very last second to document this elementary force of nature. I admire and respect storms, somehow I am not scared of them (I may be dumb), rather they charge me, the electricity in the air, the drama on the sky happening correlate my own nature, wild and uncontrollable, rebelling against the law of man made, human structures. Our Earth, at its best.

Not sure what cicadas sound like? Check this out:

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