We are excited to welcome Coni to our Expat Life Interview Series as she talked about her expat experience in Croatia – the similarities, the cultural differences, and her everyday life as an expat.
Booking.com
About you
Q: Where are you originally from?
A: I’m from Santiago, Chile
Q: In which city and country are you living now? Did you move there alone or with a spouse/family?
A: I moved to Split, Croatia.
Q: How long have you lived there and how long are you planning to stay?
A: I’ve been living here a bit over a year, and I plan to stay indefinitely.
Q: Why did you move and what do you do?
A: I moved to my Croatian boyfriend. I work on research, and I have a travel blog, so – luckily – I can live anywhere in the world as long as I have an internet connection.
Living Abroad
Q: Moving from Chile to Croatia, what was your first impression?
A: I was amazed at how similar the cultures are. As a Mediterranean country, Croatia is not too different from Latin America.
Q: What do you enjoy most about Croatia? What were some of your favorite experiences?
A: Definitely the weather. I live on the coast, where we have long summers, which is amazing! I work from a café by the beach, so being able to enjoy the views and get a tan while working is the coolest thing.
Q: What do you miss most about home?
A: My family and friends. It’s hard sometimes to be away, but Skype helps a lot. I think it was hard on them too when I left, but they realized that now they have a place to crash in Croatia, so they’re really supportive, which makes it easier on me. I also miss manjar, a Chilean take of caramel. A few jars are a must for everyone that visits me 🙂
Q: What has been the greatest aspect of your expat experience so far? What are the adjustments you had to make when settling into expat life there?
A: The language has been a tough aspect. It’s a Slavic one, so it doesn’t have anything similar to any of the languages I speak. In the touristy areas, everyone speaks at least a bit of English, but everywhere else they don’t, so it’s a constant struggle. Learning a bit has been a huge help!
Q: How would you rate the quality of life compared to your home country, in terms of cost of living, public transportation and healthcare system?
A: Strangely, it’s quite similar. South America is known for being a cheap destination, but Chile is a huge exception. Croatia is expensive during summer on the coast, but for day-to-day items, I see no significant difference.
Q: What are the best things to do or places to visit in Croatia?
A: The Dalmatian region is heaven on earth! Home of a thousand islands, you’ll always find a spot to enjoy paradise in the Croatian coast. The best part is that it has a ton of history too. So you get sun, beaches, nature, and culture too!
Meeting people and making friends
Q: Tell us about your typical day as an expat in Croatia.
A: I live close to the sea, so I usually go to a café by the beach to write. From there the day has many possibilities: meeting friends for a drink, sunbathing, go for a stroll in the Adriatic. If I don’t have to work, my boyfriend and I try to escape the city and go hiking to any of the gorgeous mountains that Split has in the background.
Q: Was it easy meeting people and making friends? Have you made friends with locals or do you mix mainly with other expats? Did you feel you fitted in culturally?
A: It was really hard. Still is, I’d say. Locals are friendly, but without knowing the language is complicated to get them engaged in a conversation. Even the ones that speak English quickly switch back to Croatian. Among the expats, I’ve made some friends, and I can call some of my boyfriend’s friends mine too. Culturally, fitting in is easy.
Working Abroad
Q: Did you have a problem getting a visa or work permit? Did you tackle the visa process yourself or go through an agency?
A: Bureaucracy is one of the main issues I encountered in Croatia. Getting a visa on your own, without the help of an agency or a local is practically impossible. No one in the office that deals with foreigners speaks any English. Fortunately, I have my boyfriend to help me sort everything out.
Q: How does the work culture differ from home?
A: The laid-back Mediterranean lifestyle is manifest in Croatia. During weekdays you see cafés full of people all day long. You go to an office and workers are always on ‘pausa’, the local word for break. I’m not saying that people in Chile have a crazy work ethic, but I do think in general that they work harder. The point that I give to Croatia is that people have a life outside their job. Almost everyone finishes their workday at 4 o’clock, so they have most of the afternoon free. As cities are smaller, there’s no time lost in commuting. Back in Chile, you’re lucky if you have less than an hour to get home, and we work until at least 6 o’clock, so the day is mostly spent at the office. It might be less efficient, but the Croatian way is much more humane!
And finally…
Q: What are your tips or advice for anyone looking to live and work in Croatia?
A: Be patient. Moving to Croatia is challenging in many aspects, but it’s also rewarding. It’s an incredibly gorgeous country, where I feel super safe, but the mentality hasn’t caught up to the 21st century. If you learn the language and make friends, the shortcomings become less important. Focus on the amazing scenery, and I assure you, you’ll be happy here! 🙂
Thank you, Coni, for taking the time to be part of our Expat Life Interview Series! Coni has wanderlust, so she created a travel experiences bucket list to guide her journey – the 201 most interesting things this world has to offer in one awesome list. If you’re looking for inspiration to start traveling or to travel more, follow her adventures!
Follow her journey on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook
*All photos are the sole property of the author. They were provided and used with permission for this interview only. Any unauthorized use of these photos is prohibited.
The Expat Life Interview Series was created to know more about the country, not just from a traveler's perspective. We hope to help others who are thinking of working abroad to know how it is to live and work with the locals. If you are living and working abroad even for only a few months or several years and would like to be featured on Wellington World Travels, please Contact Us so we can send you the questions and you can share your expat life experience.
Disclosure: Wellington World Travels uses affiliate links and paid advertisements. That means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Read more about our Disclaimer & Disclosure Policy for more details.
Comment Policy:
Comments are welcomed and encouraged on this site. However, comments may not contain advertisements, profanity, potentially libelous statements, language insensitive to other religions, or comments not relating to the topic. Please see our full comment policy for more details. We reserve the right to edit or delete any comments submitted to this site without notice.
Thank you on a detailed impressive guide! Saved your post for the future ?
Nice reading the interview. This post inspires me to plan my trip to Croatia soon, which is high on my bucket list.
Lovely interview!! Tales and life of bloggers inspires me to travel more and become a full time blogger myself
We have visited Croatia twice by cruise ship. But both visits had shown us that we really want to return. I can certainly understand why the weather is a big draw to staying in Croatia. I did not realize there were thousands of islands on the coast. So much to explore!
Working from where you can see the sea must be an amazing experience! Coni truly is having the time of her life.
Great series! I love how the Croatian mentality is work to live- I would love to be able to get out of work at 4, and not have to worry about commuting! I hope to visit Croatia one day and spend a lot of time on those gorgeous beaches.
I dont know what EXPAT means, yet, I think she’s enjoying her lif there in Croatia