My experience in Croatia as a Black woman

I spent the last 8 days sailing from island to island in Croatia so I thought I would share a little bit about what my experience was like. I'm doing a get ready with me. I was in Croatia for something called Yacht Week. Starting business school in September and classes every year. The students go on a sail cruise essentially with the Harvard Business School students who are also starting that September. There about 400 of us and it was a great time. But color Croatia, the best place to visit. So I'll share a little bit more about that experience. I spent my first day in Croatia in Split, which was one of the major cities besides Dubrovnik. The first thing I noticed got everyone staring at me. It was very disconcerting for me because I had not researched what Croatia might be like as a Black person. I didn't choose Croatia, this is just the trip that happens every year. So I was just excited to meet my classmates. But I spent my first day alone in Yacht. Five day was going around Split. I tried a new brunch place. I had city beautiful. Um, but yeah, wherever I went people would kind of stare at me. Not just, you know, look, stare. They would literally make eye contact with me as I was staring back at them. And not even, you know, thinking, is it that none of them have seen because I did not see a single the day and a half that I was in Split. I wasn't sure tourists typically was situation. You know, if it was kind of like an Italy situation, which if you know, Italy is notoriously a horrendous place for Black people to visit. I have personally experienced it as well. But I would not say anything. Croatia was anything like the animosity and hostility I saw in Italy in many Black people have experienced in Italy. It was still disconcerting to be walking down the street and to not, two year old children, grown women, elderly, literally every single person come turn stare at you, make direct you at not would smile. Small that's you do. Kids, they're harmless. They smile back at me. Their faces were blank. Like that. Most experiences had my verged downright hostile. There was a night that I ended up crying to my classmates was so overwhelming, you or you grow up or you spend time in the US. And you travel over countries in five continents, you know, and you try to understand what looks more systemic. Say, I would say in Croatia, not in individualistic. And when I say that, I mean, had upwards encounters, 30 encounters a day. I was there for eight of microaggressions, whatever you wanna call it. And was 30, 45 minutes when I was out outdoors. I just don't experienced rate hostility. The in the US. It's definitely in at least in California where I live. A lot frequent. That event that I ended up crying to my classmates was when we had all just gotten separated. We were watching beautiful live performance late at night in city, believe in Tomizana, which we got separated from each other. And I was kind of just looking around trying to identify my, really see. Three. Um, were moving literally that I had had group after first really my only recommend going black if alone in group. Havana was just a lot. Remember diverse. I remember I saw a black person every minutes. Every city, honestly, saw person last remember experiencing was think called island vish around for use bathroom. Known use there. Two were nice. Go restaurant to bathroom. People that had allowed they patrons even what I forgot what happened that day but I went different asking bathroom. The one like and crazy those little kindness legitimately cry because I was like, wow, someone like me. My experience that kept constant reminder that I was seen as less than human and only brief reprieve to be reminded of my humanity. Though, I will say though, Croatia was incredibly beautiful. And I loved every second that I was there. The hosts that, you know, helped us on boats were great. Change in reflection. Kind in. I traveled to a lot of European cities. So I know unfortunately so unfortunately of course Europe progenitor of racism and colonialism. That I'm not that shocked. Would stuff travelling abroad. The is shocking, hurtful experience in though. I mean, I've traveled to a lot of European cities. So I know unfortunately, so unfortunately of course Europe progenitor of racism and colonialism. That I'm not that shocked. Would stuff travelling abroad. The is shocking, hurtful experience in though.