Don't Worry. Be Happy. "Did you try Turkish coffee?" "Yeah." "Is it similar to anything you've tried before?" "Uh, yes. Crack." - Anthony Bourdain I've pretty much got the routine here down. Every morning I wake up around 6:30 or 7, wash my face and make myself a cup of coffee (because, really, one more cup a day won't kill me). I spend the next hour trying to get a wireless signal, and the hour after that (provided I've found said wireless signal) checking my ...

Herd Immunity "Croatia, as a nation, doesn't seem to recognize how good they've got it and what it is about themselves that's so wonderful that other people will want." - Anthony Bourdain Tuesday I finally began to venture out and reclaim some of my independence. Alan had gone back to Zagreb (where he and Iris lived for most of the year) for work for a few days and with Iris house-bound with the kids, I had to find other ways to keep myself occupied. Iris' fri...

The Pack "I woke up one morning thinking about wolves and realized that wolf packs function as families. Everyone has a role, and if you act within the parameters of your role, the whole pack succeeds, and when that falls apart, so does the pack." - Jodi Picoult (Lone Wolf) I am wired all the time here. I'd asked Iris as we pushed Jakov's stroller past tiki bars in Opatija whether Croatians drink alcohol or coffee in the afternoon. "Coffee," she'd responded, wi...

The Pack "I woke up one morning thinking about wolves and realized that wolf packs function as families. Everyone has a role, and if you act within the parameters of your role, the whole pack succeeds, and when that falls apart, so does the pack." - Jodi Picoult (Lone Wolf) I am wired all the time here. I'd asked Iris as we pushed Jakov's stroller past tiki bars in Opatija whether Croatians drink alcohol or coffee in the afternoon. "Coffee," she'd responded, wi...

Lungomare "When I was tiny, the county fair came through town. Our parents took us, and got tickets for the rides, even though I was scared to death of all of them. Edward was the one who convinced me to go on the merry-go-round.... Even when I started to get dizzy or thought I might throw up, the circle would come around again and there he was. After a while, I stopped thinking about the horse being magic, or even how terrified I was, and instead, I made a game...