From the US to Croatia: ‘Croatia has an energy you can’t describe’

Sara Dyson moved to Croatia from the US back in 2011 (Private album)

Croatia, the land of breathtaking coastal cities, crystal clear waters, and a rich cultural heritage, has always been a popular tourist destination. 

However, in recent years, an increasing number of people have been deciding to move to Croatia to live. Whether they are seeking a better quality of life, a change of scenery, or simply a new adventure, more and more people are drawn to the country’s charm, energy, and vibrant culture.

One of those who made the move was Texas-native Sara Dyson.

“From the time I was a small child, I always wanted to live in Europe.

I didn’t have a particular country in mind. I just felt like this was the continent I was supposed to live on,” Sara told the All Things Croatia podcast.

Sara got her first taste of Europe after spending a year living in Amsterdam. Upon returning to the States and with a strong desire to head back over to Europe, she decided to do some research, and that is when Croatia hit her radar.

Not knowing anything about Croatia, she decided to visit for a holiday and loved it.

“When it was clear that Amsterdam wasn’t going to work out, I was like, OK, what if I just go to Croatia? I’ll start freelancing and doing my own business and see if it works out. And if it doesn’t, then I’ll retreat back to the States and figure out something else. Within six months, I just absolutely fell in love with Croatia. I didn’t ever want to leave,” she explains.

Sara in Zagreb (Private album)

11 years later, Sara is still here and still in love with the country.

“I think Croatia is really special. I think we can all agree that Croatia is super special. It has this energy that you just can’t really describe. And I want to so much capture that for people who haven’t experienced it and try to explain, she says, before expanding.

I love the strong community. I love the culture. I love the rocky. I love the sea. I love the nature. I love all these different things, the quality of life. But you say those, and people can’t really understand it until they’ve experienced it. So it’s hard for me to communicate it when someone hasn’t seen it.”

Today, Sara runs the website Expat in Croatia, which helps expats with things like citizenship, healthcare, and daily life. 

Sara is the founder of the Expats in Croatia website (Private album)

On the podcast, Sara reveals more about why she moved to Croatia from the US and what her experience has been like after more than a decade of living here. 

She also talks about common expat problems as well as dealing with the ever-tricky Croatian bureaucracy and even trickier Croatian language.

You can watch the full interview below.