With a few days left in our break in between semesters over here, some friends and I have hopped a bus to the Croatian coastal town of Dubrovnik. Situated on the Adriatic, it’s a bit warmer that Sarajevo, which is welcome. Unfortunately, it shares a similar history with Sarajevo: it was, for a time, under siege by the Yugoslav People’s Army (a largely Serbian force) after it declared independence in 1991 amid Yugoslavia’s collapse. It is so well preserved and restored, you would think you were on set filming something medieval with kings, queens, and the like.
Personally, I knew I was some place special when we entered the heart of the fortress city and I saw banners honoring St. Blaise. He’s the city’s patron saint, and for those not as familiar with Catholic saints, he is known for interceding for those with afflictions of the throat.
Why do I care about that?
I was quite susceptible to strep throat as a kid and during my time at Marquette. For me, October became synonymous with playoff baseball and trips to an otolaryngologist. And if you think about it, this entire bet I placed on myself back in 2005 could be characterized as an attempt to find a more authentic voice. And really, isn’t that the challenge for many of us?
While we’re on the topic, what does your authentic voice sound like? Put another way, amid everything we “have” to do in life, what actions or endeavors are an authentic expression of your highest self? Just something to think about for now.
I’m going to keep this one short because there is a lot to see here. We drive up to Split in a few days to take a ferry back to Italy and begin the second semester. It’s currently Carnivale in Venice and there are murmurings of heading up to catch it. More to come.
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