A short walk away from the city

It’s become something of a tradition to share my state of mind with you at the end of a trip.

Just kidding—I should have titled this post “My Moods in Dubrovnik.”

For my last day in this fabulous city, I decided to head to the opposite side of the Old Town: Lapad, Dubrovnik’s newest neighborhood.

Lapad is home to the largest hotel complexes around the bay, as well as some truly unique bars. Like the Cave Bar More, a very touristy bar set in a cave!

I turned left as I left my accommodation! I explored this part of the city, which features a small valley and buildings clinging to the hillside. I wander around for a good hour before settling down on a bench facing a peaceful landscape, with no sound except for the water. It’s at that moment that I realize I’m truly better off alone, far from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Lost in my thoughts, I briefly look back on the time since my return from Peru, and I realize just how much it’s time for me to take a new step forward in my life—and, above all, to stand firm more than ever in my choices, both in my personal and professional life. I feel like I’ve been treading water for a long time. Dare I say I’ve been moving backward over the past few years?

Yet this feeling keeps echoing in my head! I’ve been mulling it over, wondering why I’m in this place. Why have I wasted so much time since my trip to Thailand? Aside from my career progression, nothing in my life has really had an impact or felt meaningful, despite all the traveling. I was often far from who I really am. I wasn’t myself anymore. That won’t happen again! I stand up as if I need to physically affirm this moment, as if I need to mark this “never.”

It’s as I continue on my path that I realize, after all, that my way of thinking has evolved, and that even though I brooded for half an hour, I brushed that moment aside because I’ve “grown” thanks to my experience. Every difficulty becomes a moment of realization in my life. Every wound strengthens me at the same time. Didn’t Nietzsche once say, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”? Didn’t he also speak of surpassing oneself after a situation that would have completely crushed us morally? This ability to push one’s own resilience even further and to become resilient by coming to terms with one’s inner chaos? Life is a succession of chaos, and it’s up to us to find the strength to emerge from it greater and stronger, like a warrior. I’m not saying without scars!

We alone place mental barriers within ourselves!

I continue on my way, but a sound pulls me out of my deep thoughts. This sound calls to me, draws me in, and my legs carry me toward a bar. The shimmering colors of the armchairs, the sound, and the view make me want to settle in there. It starts to drizzle, so I look for the densest tree to shelter from the rain.

Only two couples have taken a seat in this bar at this time of day. What was supposed to be just one drink quickly turns into two or even three cocktails. I’m hungry, yet I don’t want to leave here; I feel at ease here, the music soothes me and brings me back to the world of the conscious.

I stay there for over two hours before resuming my walk toward a bay, and that’s when I really start to feel hunger gnawing at me! The area is full of restaurants, bars, and resorts. I settle into the only restaurant that’s still willing to serve me at 3 p.m.

After regaining my strength, I find the trailhead on the map that will take me to the top of the cliff on the left, through the forest.

In the end, what would have been just a simple stroll turned into a hike of over 20 km through the woods, with breathtaking views of the sea. My hike ended late; I was exhausted, freezing, and soaked because the rain had gotten heavier and heavier during the last hour. I don’t regret this hike—it did me a world of good and allowed me to recharge before heading home.