Dubrovnik, Croatia

The bus ride from Split to Dubrovnik provided some spectacular views - mountains on the east and sea on the west. But I was unprepared for Dubrovnik's beauty. Dubrovnik used to be it's own city-state, which was able to fend off nearby powerful Venice. It took a huge beating by the Yugoslav army during the Bosnian War but it has largely been rebuilt. It's hard to describe Dubrovnik, so I'll just show you a picture:

From Dubrovnik, Croatia

In Dubrovnik I CouchSurfed with a German traveler named Stefan who lives in his truck. The story of this truck is pretty amazing. He bought it for 500 Euros and pimped it hardcore. He put in insulation, wood paneling, lighting, a fold out bed, a couch (my bed), an oven, stove top, fridge, a wood-burning stove for heating, cabinets, a shower, a toilet, and a solar panel for electricity. Basically he built a motor home from scratch. He doesn't bother with expensive trailer parks, so all the electricity he has is from solar power, and all the water is carried in a (grueling for me) 20 minute uphill climb from the city center.

From Dubrovnik, Croatia

He works a little here and there when he has to. His main expenses appear to be gas for his truck, some food from the grocery store for himself and his dog Flitch, and beer. His plan is to drive to India over the next few years. He moves slowly because gas is expensive. He doesn't plan to ever stop traveling.

From Dubrovnik, Croatia

Surfing with Stefan was an eye opening experience. Growing up in the suburbs in America, it's drilled into you that you go to University, get a good job, and pretty much work forever. If you work hard, you're rewarded with a few weeks a year (if you're lucky) of "vacation" where you get to do what you want to do. Stefan lives an inverse life where he "vacations" for the entire year and works a few weeks to sustain himself. His lifestyle proves that you don't really need money to live. OK, before my parents start to panic, I'm not suggesting that I'm going to follow in Stefan's footsteps. Nor am I convinced that living out of a truck and traveling for all eternity is necessarily a path to utopia. But it makes you realize that the "normal" approach to life is really just one choice of many.

On a completely different subject, I've been wearing an Obama pin ever since it was kindly donated to me by Beth's roommate. I've been getting shout outs from random people ever since - always positive. I'm hoping it will neutralize some of the "I hate America / I hate Bush" comments that I've gotten pretty tired of. I've been reading that Obama is going to use executive orders to immediately undo some of the absurd Bush policies like forbidding California to impose fuel efficiency standards. Pretty exciting :) I feel like after eight years in the dark, America is finally back on track.