“Why Croatia, Gillie?”

Even though I get asked this question every time I meet someone new, it’s never unwelcome.

It’s a good question, and to be honest, there are times when I’ve asked myself the very same thing.

It wasn’t the obvious place for a disgruntled Brit to suddenly uproot and embark on a new life. I’d always thought it would be France, or maybe Portugal.

Had I realised just how many versions of the letter “C” there are, and how few vowels there seem to be in some words, perhaps I’d have given it a bit more thought, but luckily, I didn’t really have the chance to think it through. I just did it.

There are days like today, however, and the answer to this question is glaringly obvious.

We are enjoying a day in Plitvice Lakes National Park. It’s on special offer for their birthday celebration, and there’s not a cloud in the sky. Our multi-national group are already in great spirits even before we arrive.

We realise we’ve lucked out.

It’s the beginning of April, and after less than two hours drive from Zadar this Sunday morning, temperatures are already up into the 20s.

Many of us haven’t been before, but one of my local friends Marina has joined us on her day off. She’s the perfect guide with all her insider information on how to get the best out of the day.

I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s one of my favourite experiences of my time here in Croatia, and it’s yet another confirmation of why I made the decision to come and live here.

I could just post a few photos and you’d probably get the rough idea, but there truly is no camera in the world that can capture the intensity of the live experience.

It’s not a view, it’s not a sound, a smell or a taste.

It’s a feeling.

The most powerful of all the senses – our “feeling” sense, also known as our “interoception ”.

Not as widely known as the other senses, for it cannot be seen, it’s the most important guide we have.

Our interoception, our ability to perceive and interpret signals coming from within our own bodies, is what makes us human.

We are not machines, we are plants, bio-intelligent organisms, constantly interacting with our environment. So when we are in places of such pristine nature, we feel amazing, even if we don’t really know why.

Simply put, like plants, we thrive in the right conditions. Our complex nervous system is being positively impacted, we are receiving all the good energy and vibrations of the surroundings we find ourselves in.

So here we are in Plitvice Lakes, Croatia’s largest National Park, a treasured UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a nature lover’s paradise.

I feel like Alice in Wonderland, there’s magic at every turn, and there are moments where the sheer beauty of it all almost makes me cry with gratitude.

There’s only one problem….

My body is confused as to why I’m witnessing some of the most inviting beautiful clear water I’ve ever seen, and I’m not jumping straight in.

It’s for the protection and preservation of the park, so I understand why. It’s not a real problem; we’ll be back in the sea soon enough. I just need to reassure my body of this fact.

As we leave the park, I see a quote on a sign. It’s from the one and only Nikola Tesla:

“If you don’t know how, then observe the phenomena of nature, they will leave you clear answers and inspiration”.

It’s perfect, and I think we all felt it.

I left with the clear answer to the question, “Why Croatia?”, and fresh inspiration to write again after a period of feeling blocked.

Nature is the answer. For we are nature.

Being in the right environment, our body knows – when it’s good for us, and when it’s not. We feel it in every cell of our being.

We just need to slow down enough to tune in and sense it.

It’s the same in our movement practice, our food choices, and our everyday decisions. It’s not about what it looks like, or what anyone else is saying we should do.

We instinctively know.

As long as we are paying attention.

As I spend more time in nature, I feel tuned in to my intuition, the inner guide, the body’s wisdom.

So when asked the question: “Why Croatia, Gillie?”.

The answer is really simple.

My body knew.