HELLO TO SUMMER FROM ŽNJAN SPLIT, CROATIA!

 Welcome, Summer! I greeted the start of this Summer in a hospital this year. Not the first time that has happened either. I've had many hospital stays in my life and many of them at the start of Summer. Autoimmune illnesses will often hit you as the seasons change. I'm out of the hospital now, and back at work. It would have been nice to have had a few days of rest, but resting is not realistic in this world we live in, is it? On the brighter side, at least I'm still quite fit despite being chronically ill and unwell. My work definitely keeps me fit as it is extremely active. Plus, I have wonderful colleagues, so at least something, right?

These photographs I'll share today were taken before the official opening of this beach that was set on the first day of Summer. My husband and I took these photographs while it was still Spring (albeit it felt like Summer) and I had a day off, so we strolled the unfinished beach complex together. How long ago it has been? A few weeks or perhaps even a whole month ago. Anyway, for some reason it feels like ages ago. I do like these images and I feel like they capture the spirit of Summer. Žnanj has always had a special place in my heart, but you'll have to wait a bit before I capture its new rebuilt version with my camera. All I have for now is a few images taken before all the works were completed. 

If you want to see photographs of Žnjan beach, you can visit some of my old posts HERE, HERE, HERE , HERE, HERE , HERE AND HERE. See how Žnjan evolved and changed with time. Split remains the force and inspiration behind my artistic drive, and Žnjan as well. You might remember that I even painted Žnjan in a seascape. Moreover, I illustrated quite a few neighbourhoods and locations in Split city. Do you remember any of those posts? A girl that loved the sea loved painted the seaside. No surprise there. It would be odd if a painter from Split city didn't paint Split city. It's a stunning city indeed. I posted about Summer 2024 in Split city, outfits I wore and even about the transitional ones (Summer to Autumn). As you could see and read on my blog, last summer I had the opportunity to spend some time in Split as I was not working part time during the Summer.  I wonder what Summer 2025 will be like, and how much time I will manage to spend in Split seeing that I work near Trogir (and that's not far). 

SEE HOW I ILLUSTRATED AND PAINTED SPLIT BEFORE

  MATEJUŠKA, SPLIT CITY (CROATIA) // ZENTA MARINE, SPLIT CITY (CROATIA) / ŽNJAN BEACH, SPLIT CITY (CROATIA) // A SEAVIEW FROM A PARK (SPLIT, CROATIA) // PHOTODIARY: EN PLEIN AIR SKETCH// OIL PASTELS VS. WATERCOLOUR PENCILS (SPLIT, FIRULE ) // FASHION AND LOCATION ILLUSTRATION (SPLIT) 

WE HAVEN'T ATTENTED THE OPENING, SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE FINISHED ŽNJAN YET

So being in hospital and all, I missed the grand opening of the new beach complex in Split. My husband was also in Split, but he didn't feel like going to the opening and celebrating while I was in the hospital. For approximately 18 months, the Split largest beach complex was under construction. Only one beach was open to the public during this long period, all the other beaches were filled with construction materials and the construction was under way so you couldn't get in. So, naturally people were very impatient to see this huge beach area finished.

As I explained, I haven't seen it myself yet. Truth be told, I found the fact that the opening ceremony was held while there were Summer fires and people lives in danger in immediate vicinity odd. Have people lost their empathy completely? If there is a fire near you, then you cancel the ceremony and go and help the people in danger. That's how things would have been done in the past. I guess times are changing and people are showing less empathy. I sometimes feel like we're losing our traditional cultural Slavic values with the development of tourism. Tourism can be a double edged sword. It brings you something, but it takes something away from you as well. 

THE TEXT IN ITALICS IS QUOTED FROM SPLIT CURATED SITE: 

Žnjan Beach Complex, Split’s largest beach area, has finally reopened after an extensive 18-month transformation that the city had been waiting for decades.  The reopening follows a major revitalization project of the artificially made plateau first created for the visit of Pope John Paul the Second in 1998. The project, which reportedly cost around 43 million euros marks a new chapter for one of Split’s most popular coastal destination. 

The redevelopment has completely re-imagined Žnjan’s seafront. The area now features an expansive landscaped zone with over 800 new trees and 13,000 shrubs, providing a refreshing backdrop for sunbathers and leisure seekers. A modern promenade stretches along the beach toward Trstenik, complete with scenic lookout points and shaded seating areas that invite both locals and visitors to enjoy long, leisurely walks by the Adriatic Sea.

Family-friendly amenities have been a major focus of the project. New playgrounds, basketball, football, and beach volleyball courts, a splash pad, climbing frames, and even an open-air amphitheater offer engaging experiences for children and adults alike. The upgraded infrastructure—which includes new cafés, shops, public restrooms, showers, and changing rooms—ensures that visitors have access to all the conveniences expected of a modern beachfront. Huge underground garage replaces the former gravel parking, but the question of its pricing has already rustled some feathers among the local residents who were used to the free parking.

MUSCLE MEMORY IS REAL

Sometimes fit and healthy are used as synonyms, but the truth is that you can be fit even if you have some or even a lot of health problems and issues. If you work out regularly and eat well, you're probably going to have good fitness levels. The fact that you have some serious illness doesn't necessarily have to get in way of your personal fitness. The chances are that if you liked sports before your diagnosis, you'll like it afterwards as well and find ways to do it. Plus, there is such a thing as muscle memory. That explains how I can be in bed for a week or two, and then resume with sport and fitness activities. If I wasn't fit before I ended up in the hospital, that obviously wouldn't be possible. But muscles remember. Muscle karma is a thing. 

IT IS NATURAL FOR OUR BODY TO MOVE

Years ago, I had a big mental shift in my head. There was a show on Croatian television where they interviewed a lady that ran ultramarathons. When the anchor asked the doctor how it is possible that this lady runs ultramarathons (and doesn't even prepare for it as she says she moves enough working as a waiter in her own restaurant) he said that the anchor was asking the wrong question. The doctor said that the lady running ultramarathons is only doing what is natural for her body to do and that is to move. The question the doctor said is how your body can handle something that is unnatural and that is sitting for hours. So, the doctor's conclusion was that the body is made for movement and if you don't move, you're harming your body. You won't harm your body with marathons, but with sitting down for hours. The modern sedentary way of life (sometimes nicknamed the sitting illness) is more dangerous than we sometimes realize. 

I DIDN’T POST MUCH THIS SPRING AND MANY POSTS ARE STILL IN MY DRAFTS

When I started blogging, I used to post quite frequently. There was even a time when I posted every day. It was like a job honestly. Nowadays, such a blogging schedule is not possible for me. Plus, I actually prefer not to spend too much time online. The slower blogging pace suits me just fine right now. I post when I feel like I really have something to say or add. Not that I didn’t do so before, but as one gets older there are often more duties and responsibilities. Blogging becomes a luxury when you’re short on time. I suppose it’s a mixture of factors that makes me blog less frequently. I have concerns about many things: AI, about how much we all spend online, and so on. There are so many tragic things going on in this world and so much reason for concern. I feel a need to spend the majority of my time ‘in the real world’ if you know what I mean. Not that blogging isn’t real as well, but you know what I mean. Blogging is wonderful, and you can form true friendships through it but sometimes everyday life has to come first.

Lately, I feel like I have done quite a few things wrong in my life. Maybe it’s all the apocalyptic type of events and situations that have happened lately but have been in progress for the last ten years or something? Maybe it is just something that comes with age, the need to reflect on our life.  I guess we all feel like that sometimes, and it doesn’t have to be a wrong thing. Am I trying to reflect on my life now? Perhaps I am, even if I’m quite busy with work and stuff. I’m taking it easy with blogging and writing. I still have a million ideas to write about and posts to publish, but some of them will likely stay in the drafts until I have some time off work. Over the years, I have posted thousands of times and written so many articles. I don’t think it makes a difference if I post less frequently. If someone really misses my writing or blogs, they can just browse my archives. 

A collague of selfies and photos taken with my husband

MY SPRING JUST FLEW BY AND SUDDENLY IT WAS SUMMER

I started a new job at the end of April. I also tried to do some freelance work alongside this new job, but I only managed to do some tutoring occasionally because this new job was so energy draining. I mean it was also interesting and I feel like I learnt a lot on this seasonal job. One day, however, I got quite ill as I had a relapse with my immune illness. Honestly, I’m still recovering from that. So, time has been moving with the speed of light- expect for my stay in the hospital, that felt like ages. 

MY COLLEGUES TOOK ME TO E.R AND STAYED WITH ME FOR FOUR HOURS

When I suddenly felt intense pain, my colleague insisted for me to go to the hospital, and another colleague dropped me there. It took hours before I was admitted, and by that time I was in so much pain, I didn’t know where I was. My colleagues stayed with me for four hours despite the fact they had to work the whole following day- without much sleep. Some of them even took a cab after their shift ended and took a cab from one city to another just so I wasn’t alone in the ER. Isn’t that just the most unselfish thing? People can be wonderful. When I think of the jobs I have had over the years, people and friendships are the things I’m most grateful for. Of course, I'm also grateful for my husband, who came as soon as he could. As he was driving our car broke down, so he had quite an adventure getting to Split.  

I SPENT EIGHT DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL AND I STILL FEEL EXHAUSTED

In total, I spent eight days in the hospital. I was on antibiotics and by day five, I was so exhausted from not getting any sleep, I cried for no other reason. Hospital stays can be rough, especially if there are a lot of people who are unwell in your room, and you're unwell as well. However, hospital can also be a place where you make friendships in hard times. As I did. I’m still in contact with the ladies I shared the room with. One of them died, and I think of her as well. As you get older, you encounter more and more death. You have a wider circle of friends, and often you lose someone. Sometimes I feel like I don't even have the time or the energy to process it all. For example, recently a friend of ours died and I wasn't able to go to the funeral. I feel like I haven't even managed to process it with so much going on. Sometimes life is like that. It just throws stuff at you, and you're trying to balance the chaotic events.

Anyway, once I was discharged from the hospital,  I got fever. I stayed home for two days, and my body managed to fight the fever on its own somehow. After that, I got back to work and have been working ever since. I love it when people say- just work less or don't work. Like that is a possibility for most people. I know it is for some. However, the majority of people work to cover the basic expenses not luxurious. Not everyone has the option of not working or of taking a break. Sometimes you just have to work hard, and that's how it is. I mean it's alright for me, because I adapted to it. However, it is really not normal how much people in general are working today, and how they are forced to have two jobs just because every day life is so expensive. I mean, I'm fine, I'm very used to it all- job changes, having an immune illness and all that. For me, it's all good. What I'm trying to say is that it's really not alright when it comes to the bigger picture. The world economy is in a state of chaos. We will all have to work more for less, and it is really not a good thing.

TO END THIS POST ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE.... i THANK YOU ALL!

I really am beyond blessed to have so many lovely and well meaning people in my life. Through my job changes, I met and made so many friends. Most importantly, those friendships are still very much alive. I'm still friends with all of my ex-colleagues from the schools I used to work with. We are all still in touch and we talk regularly. Recently, a group of my ex-colleagues had a get together. After I quit my job, they all also left and found new jobs. I joined them on a video call as I wasn't able to make the meeting, being in the other country and all that. It was such a pleasure to see them all, and talk to them one on one. I made some new friends in my new job as well and I'm very thankful for that. 

I feel like I have so much genuine human connection in my life. It's like I'm finding it easier to connect with people. Maybe it is all the things I have been through. Maybe they are what is helping me to connect with my fellow humans and find meaning and purpose in true friendship. When it comes down to it, human connection is what matters. I'm also grateful for all my blogging friends and all the meaningful discussions and talks we have had over the years. Here is too many more! I also want to thank you for your comments and visits. My readers and fellow bloggers are also precious to me.

I took some time to put together this post this morning. Truth be told, I didn't get much sleep as I have to pack and relocate today. They're sending me to another hotel to work, and I didn't even get a day off for the transfer. I have to work the morning in one location, and then whole afternoon and evening in another! Anyway, here's the story of my outfit.

THE STORY OF MY OUTFIT- ALL ABOUT THOSE SUMMER VIBES

THE POLKA DOT DRESS- second hand. See how I styled it in this recent post from island Hvar where I also wore this red bag. 

THE RED MINI CROSS OVER BAG  (gifted)

1) In 2025, I styled this red bag with a maxi green knit dress, biker boots and a beige coat. 

2-3) In this post, I styled this red bag with two ferry outfits.

THE PINK NIKE SNEAKERS- NEW! I bought them for work.

Thank you for visiting! My post today was a bit more personal, as  I did soul searching lately. I guess the moral of my post is that the world is a cruel place and we should pretend it's not. We all have to find what meaning within that we can. Genuine friendship and connection is what often matters most  in the end. Life passes by so quickly, one day we're here and another we're not. So, let us think about what really matters to us!