Between Two Homes

An ending, a beginning, and two cities to love

Photos from Croatia and Serbia

For 22 months, Zagreb has been more than the city on my temporary digital nomad residency permit. It was my first home outside the United States—the European capital city where my lifelong dream of living internationally became an unexpectedly delightful reality. I am not leaving because Zagreb no longer feels like home. I am leaving because my permit is expiring, as I always knew it would. This does not make saying goodbye any easier.

I was drawn to Croatia while traveling through Europe during an uncertain chapter of my life. In my neighborhood of Trešnjevka, home meant errands done on foot, children playing and neighbors walking their dogs in the square across the street, trams carrying me into the city center, and caffe bars where people remember what I order every time I visit.

Zagreb meant friends, colleagues, and strangers who welcomed me, helped me, included me, and reminded me kindness here is not just a gesture—it is normal part of the culture and everyday life. I will miss the city’s beauty, charm, history, markets, parks, leisurely coffees, cuisine, and safety, but most of all, I will miss its people.

To those who said they would visit me in Zagreb but never did: I wish you had. But you have not missed your chance to visit this amazing city and country. Come to Zagreb and stay long enough to experience it beyond its landmarks. Sit in a caffe bar without keeping track of the time, ride the trams, wander through the neighborhoods, eat štrukli, shop at a farmers’ market, and notice the juxtaposition of history and modernity. Continue beyond the capital to Croatia’s stunning Adriatic coast and islands, the hill towns and flavors of Istria, the underrated plains of Slavonia-Baranja, and many beautiful places in between.

Photos from Croatia

Zagreb taught me that an unexpected place can become home. Belgrade gives me hope that this goodbye leads to an exciting new beginning. After four visits, Belgrade is not an unfamiliar place or a blank page. It is the city that kept returning: first through Wine Vision by Open Balkan and winery visits, then through friendships and professional connections, and finally the place that made sense for my next home. In Belgrade and elsewhere in Serbia, I have encountered the same qualities that made me fall in love with this part of Europe: kindness, generosity, humor, and safety.

Belgrade has its own energy—a combination of beauty and grit, tradition and reinvention. From breathtaking views overlooking the Sava and Danube Rivers to lively neighborhoods, markets, restaurants, and cafés, the city is vibrant and alive. Serbia’s rich cuisine and warm and welcoming hospitality mean no one feels like a stranger. And Belgrade is only the beginning: Novi Sad, Fruška Gora, and other lesser-known corners of the country are all waiting to be explored. When you visit, come hungry, thirsty, and ready to meet people who make you feel immediately at home.

This will be the 16th home of my life, but my first move from one international home to another. I am excited to grow as a preduzetnica (entrepreneur), strengthen friendships and professional relationships, explore more of Serbia, and discover new stories to tell.

I depart Zagreb feeling both sadness and gratitude, carrying the lessons learned and everything it gave me to my next chapter. Belgrade is not replacing Zagreb—it is the next step in my journey.

Photos from Serbia