So I had started to write a post about Croatia, but I got bored writing it and I figured if I was bored writing it, you would probably get bored reading it. As I have been traveling, I have been thinking a lot about the form of the "travel blog" in which people tend to just write "then we went here and it was great" sort of posts. I really hate that. So anyway, we went to Croatia and it was great . . .

About travel in general: Travel is hard work. This is the first time in my life (or since I was a kid, I guess) that I have ever had such a long period of time with no responsibilities whatsoever. This in itself is strange and I tend to feel like I should be doing something . . . My biggest worries each day are getting from one place to another and finding food. Other than that, I have nothing real to do. It's a bit strange. But somehow, travel feels like work sometimes. You have to get up early (some days earlier than I ever did working) to catch buses and trains or get a jump on the museum traffic. You have to do a lot of reading and research.

About travel buddies: I have been traveling (since COS) with Alexi (a fellow G11er). This is the longest that I have ever traveled at one time and the longest I have ever traveled with another person besides my family. I think that finding a good travel partner is hard. If the fastest way to ruin a friendship is moving in together, then the second fastest way to do it is to go out on the road with someone for a few weeks. People travel in so many different ways, that it can be a real crap-shoot. Sometimes someone you are really close to would be the worst person to travel with. Although we have known each other for two years, I wouldn't say that Alexi and I were close during our service. For one thing, we lived on complete opposite ends of the country. We shared a room together at the COS conference and started talking about this trip. I was really happy for the prospect of having someone to travel with for at least the first bit. Things with Alexi have been great. We get along well, we travel well together, we have similar interests. She is a bit more subdued and introverted than I am, but that has not really been a problem. And having a travel buddy has so many benefits- someone to watch your bag when you go to the bathroom, someone to split a double room with, someone to talk about the museum/church/monastery/park that you are visiting. When Alexi leaves in a bit, I will enter a new phase in my trip- my solo/peace corps couchsurfing phase. It will be weird to be traveling without her . . .