My Adriatic Adventure: Dear July 2024, You’re Hot
Omiš, Croatia
I wrote this piece about the heat during year one of living in Croatia and this piece about it during year two.
And now, here’s my third installment dedicated to the heat.
July 2024 in Croatia. It was a hot one.
One of the ways I beat the heat in July: By going for a walk at 6:30am
The Heatwave + The Hot Flashes
There was a heatwave in July throughout Southern and Central Europe.
In Dalmacija, the days were hot.
The nights sometimes felt hotter.
During the day, a dip in the Adriatic Sea provided much-needed relief.
During the evening, I beat the heat with the AC.
And it helped - except when it didn’t.
Here’s the thing…
My body is going through changes (cue Changes by Black Sabbath).
Changes that include hot flashes.
Yup. The perimenopause/menopause kind.
Even with the AC on, there were nights when I could not beat the heat.
I am in no way ready to write write about it. Yes, double-’write.’
I have tried.
The writing feels inauthentic.
It is as if I am trying to make it sound okay. As if I am okay.
When, in fact, it is not okay. Nor am I okay (insert melodrama, but not really).
My body is telling me that my friend, since the age of 13, will soon leave me. Forever.
And that’s been difficult to process.
Some women tell me they can’t wait.
Not for the hot flashes but for the end of their period.
Good for them.
I am having a hard time processing this ending.
Sigh.
*I had a hot flash while writing this part of the post.
The Drivers + The Flat Tire
Kudos to the thoughtful drivers who tried to tell me that my rear tire was losing air.
One driver kept high-beaming me, and I had no idea what he was trying to tell me.
Is there a universal car signal for ‘you’ve got a flat tire?’
I kept looking into the rearview mirror, exclaiming: WHAT!? (I live in a country where some drivers believe speed limits are optional and then travel 2x the speed limit. Anytime a car high beams me from behind, I think they are telling me to hurry up/pull to the side so they can pass - hence the: WHAT?!).
Eventually, a man on a motorcycle pulled up next to me and motioned to my rear tire.
I quickly pulled over to see what he was pointing to.
Thankfully, the tire just needed air.
A young man at the gas station filled the tire with air.
Yes, I imagine I could have done it myself. But I was hot.
Who let the air out?
Was it the heat?
I don’t know.
All I know is that three strangers were kind to me while I was hot and bothered, and I am ever so grateful.
The Novel: Let’s Go Home, Son. By Ivica Prtenjača
Let’s Go Home Son (Sine, idemo kući), Ivica Prtenjača
I read the English translation of Let’s Go Home Son by Ivica Prtenjača instead of the original Croatian version because it was hot, and I couldn’t concentrate on reading a novel in Croatian while it was hot. I kid you not.
Here’s a short piece about the novel:
‘A father is dying in a hospital a long way from the home he built and the family he raised with his wife and their relatives. His last wish is to return home, a journey complicated by easily understood medical obstacles and the social convolutions caused by the COVID-19 lockdown in Croatia.’
The novel was touching, beautiful, and sad.
While the translator did a good job, I knew I was missing something—the Croatian version of this story.
Now, I need to read it in Croatian. To get the full experience.
But in the winter.
When it’s not as hot.
The Adriatic Sea
In July, I spent a lot of time swimming in the Adriatic Sea.
More so than in previous years.
Probably because of the hot temperatures (outside and inside my body).
It was a great way to beat the heat.
The Watermelon
I ate an obscene amount of watermelon in July.
Luckily, my goddaughter loves watermelon as much as I do, maybe even more.
So we indulged in watermelon. A lot.
Watermelon. It’s a great way to beat the heat.
Watermelon=Lubenica
Watermelon = Lubenica
The Fires in Croatia
This note about the heat is much more serious than the others. And requires much more of a write-up.
But for now, this is what I’ve got.
As I type this, there are fires in multiple spots throughout Croatia, including one in Tučepi, next to Makarska.
Check out the article, video and IG posts below for more information.
These firefighters are dealing with a lot.
There’s an IG post at the bottom if you’d like to help (by donating to Vatrogasci Tučepi).
Croatia reports its toughest day for firefighters as Balkan nations battle wildfires in a heat wave
