Happy New Year, Zagreb
Some 20 years passed since mankind invented a memory card. Nice little thingie that memory card. What once took a whole room worth of data, now fits on my fingernail. It won't be long until the whole history of mankind can fit on my fingernail. But somehow, I can't really put my finger on it, somehow we never figured out how to deal with data loss. I can carry all of Library of Alexandria in my wallet but, somehow, I can't put my finger on it, somehow, the ten New Year Eve's photos I took got deleted and my memory card got corrupt. We landed on a comet in 2015, but I can't keep ten photos more than a day. Nice little thingie, that memory card.
And there I was - holding this 64GB thingie, wondering what I'm supposed to do now. I was supposed to write about how I spent my New Year's Eve in Zagreb. What was I supposed to say? Oh, I had loads of fun but, unfortunately, my New Year's Eve went CORRUPT? Luckily, something struck me and I quickly realized - well, it's not like my New Year was anything special and since I am already handing out wishes to anyone, why don't I write my New Years wish to Zagreb? It's been five years since I moved here. I think Zagreb deserves it. Problem solved.
Image credit: P. Macek, Zagreb Tourist Board
My Zagreb story started some five years ago when I came here as a college student. Before coming to Zagreb, I studied in Zadar and I was obsessed with the city and its way of living. I studied every nook and cranny of the city. Three years felt like a lifetime, and I was more than glad to learn about its history and culture and locals were more than willing to share their stories. I always liked Zagreb, so after deciding to move there, I figured out I might as well learn about Zagreb as much as I learned about Zadar. Extremely curious by nature, it didn't take long for me to learn a lot about Zagreb in no time. Needless to say, it didn't take long for me to fall in love with it. I am no longer a college student and I don't have the same amount of free time to stroll around aimlessly like I used to, but I still love the feeling of putting my headphones and taking a walk, just to feel the street vibe. That feeling has been present since day one, and I doubt it'll ever disappear. And, just like I have been saying from the day one, Zagreb is magical when you take your time to become a Zagrebian.
This is a city that invites and this is a city that gives. I read a lot of reviews from foreigners saying that Zagreb is a great tourist destination in a sense that it becomes really, really good once you become low key and join the crowd. Don't look for spectacle. Don't look for flashy sensations. What's the point of that? Sit, drink a coffee and enjoy the sun. Take a hike. Barter with an old lady over a kilo of tomatoes. Find some rollerblades and go to Jarun. Once you do that, you'll realize what makes it so special. It's the relaxed atmosphere inside a big city - something that's an extremely rare sight these days. It worked for me, it'll work for you.
Image credit: P. Macek, Zagreb Tourist Board
Five years have passed. Not a lot, but enough for me to consider this place my home. Why is this so, it's hard to tell. Sure, I do have a job here and my friends are here, but there's something that often feels larger than that. There is a specific spirit that is tied to Zagreb. It looks like ordinary Middle European city, but it's not an ordinary Middle European city. Sure, it is not far from Mediterranean, but it has little in common with it. It's so wonderful in its uniqueness that you can't help but to appreciate it, even if you just arrived in Zagreb and you are talking to a waitress in a local bar. It has a bit of Vienna's class, a bit of Milan's street vibe and beauty, a bit of London's openness, a bit of Edinburgh's sturdiness and a whole lot of Croatian spirit in it. Zagrebians are proud of Zagreb, sometimes too proud. While it might seem arrogant at times, try talking to a cute Zagrebian in front of Croatian National Theatre during a sunny spring day and you'll see why it's so. It's a paradise, at times, I'm telling you.
Five years have passed and Zagreb is everything they told me it would be. It's full of life. It's vibrant. It's cosmopolitan. It has a long tradition of culture and well-mannerism. As the clock was ticking towards midnight, I couldn't help thinking about how satisfied I am at the moment. Sure, it has a lot to do with me, but also with Zagreb as a whole. It welcomed me with open arms and I encourage everyone to have the same attitude in Zagreb. Only then will you see what all the fuss is about. New Year has passed and Zagreb remains as beautiful as ever. The spring is coming and, trust me, you'll wish you were here when it comes. Join us.
Happy 2016, Zagreb - don't you dare to change.
Image credit: P. Kurschner, Zagreb Tourist Board
Header image credit: Julien Duval, Zagreb Tourist Board
Author: Marko Pačar