December 20, 2021 - As the festive family holidays approach, will it be a lonely one for digital nomads? Not in Croatia - a look at how nomads spend Christmas holidays in Croatia.
When I did my last major trip back in 2001, I hardly met anyone on the road in 9 months, apart from the many people who hosted me on the road. I spent a lot of time alone, which is fine as I really like my own company.
Often I would arrive at a destination, spend 2-3 days there, look around and not speak to anyone apart from the hotel reception and restaurant waiter.
I had no phone and no camera, and this was an era before Wordpress, Facebook and Instagram. Google was just 3 years old.
I kinda liked it that way.
I have spent a lot of time with digital nomads in the last 12 months, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute. But I don't think I could be a digital nomad myself these days, I just find the whole thing too exhausting.
What fascinates me the most, especially compared to my travel 20 years ago, is the sense of community and the need to connect on a daily basis. Each to his/her own, and this is obviously the new reality.
But what happens when it comes to family times like Christmas? How do nomads spend Christmas and the holiday season when the rest of us gather in families? I was a little concerned for our December Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador, Anna Maria from Poland, and how she would spend the last week in December.
I need not have worried, for she has a far better social life than I have ever had in Zagreb. Here she is, with a group of nomads yesterday having drinks after they visited the Museum of Broken Relationships yesterday.
Zagreb Special Guest Ambassador Steve Tsentserensky would have joined too, but he was halfway up a mountain with another group of nomads.
According to the Nomad List 2021 survey, which placed Zagreb 5th in the most liked cities in the world, hiking is the number one activity for nomads.
And there are not many international cities which offer such hikeable views from the city centre as Zagreb does.
The community is growing nicely in Zagreb, Split and other cities in Croatia, and one of the best community builders of all, Zagreb's September Ambassador, Dean Kuchel, is coming back to Croatia to spend Christmas and New Year, mostly in Dubrovnik.
"I will be in Zagreb for 18 hours on the 25th, Paul, so let's meet and have an event."
"Everything will be closed Dean, nothing will be open."
It made me wonder what nomads will be doing. And I realise that I do not need to worry about Anna Maria being lonely.
Or any other nomad in Croatia. For it seems that there is a lot happening in the major nomad hubs. Without scanning too hard, here are a few options to meet locals, expats and fellow nomads over the festive season.
The Daltonist in Split is offering an authentic Irish Christmas tale this evening, one of a number of events over the festive period, including Christmas Day - more of their Facebook page.
Sunset Beach in Dubrovnik is the place to be on Christmas Eve for a festive nomad catchup. Check more on the Facebook event page.
But make sure you get in shape first, with the 10k run starting from Gruz, Dubrovnik on December 24.
The Expats and Digital Nomad Christmas Eve party is already proving popular. Sign up here.
I was curious if Dean would find something to eat in Zagreb, but that man knows how to fill his stomach. A Nomad Pot Luck Christmas Dinner on December 25 in the Croatian capital is already oversubscribed, so I will not post details.
Advent in Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik continues throughout the month of course, as well as the Dubrovnik Winter Festival, so plenty of options to catch up with other nomads.
See in 2022 in Zagreb with a Nomadic News Year's Party organised by December Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador, Anna Kochanska. More here.
As for nomadic New Year's Eve fun, you could do worse than join this man. You can join Dean's party here.
There will likely be several other options that I have not featured, and the best place to follow the latest is the Digital Nomads Croatia Facebook page, which is growing nicely - now at 8,300 members.
The community is growing, and 2022 will be an epic year for the digital nomad community in Croatia. You can follow the latest news and features on the dedicated TCN section.
