:): Summertime happiness and wintertime blues

Summer is a very big deal where I'm from. Croatia basically lives off of summer tourism for the entire next year. The so-called "Summer tourist season" spans from early June until late September. The exact dates being largely influenced by the weather. Croatia typically has a continental climate which means we have below-zero-snowy winter months and sunny-hot-dry summer months. Well, that seems like the best of both worlds. Is it though? For the most part, yes. The snow never comes when I would like it and when it's stereotypically expected, which is around Christmas and New Years, right? It usually falls in early December and late February. And then it falls like it is the last snow we will ever get. Literally blocks the traffic and causes mayhem. Why, snow?

Why? I don't need you then. I have to study for my exams, I can't enjoy your perks :( I don't want to come across as ungrateful, at least we have snow, I have friends who have never seen it in real life and I think they are missing out big time. It is just so calming to look at once eve
rything is covered in fresh snow! You can even ski in Zagreb. (That is a bit far-fetched as there is only like one track and it is a fairly beginner one, but we have been hosting FIS Ski World Cup slalom races for both men and women for the past 9 years). But that is not the main source of income for the country anyway. It is summer. Oh, summer! I feel like many Croats consider it a religion. They live for it. Have countdowns until it begins. Save money for it. Seems crazy, right? But we truly have such a beautiful coast it is no wonder it attracts plenty of tourists. I will honestly say I haven't really appreciated it quite enough before I travelled a bunch and saw what some other countries consider being "a beautiful coast" or where they spend their vacation. It is all very pretty and unique but Croatia is blessed with a vast territory of diverse natural sceneries along the coastline. I have also seen the majority of it and it is really pretty. I know I am easily perceived as biased just because I am a Croat after all, but my brother and I have had quite a few friends from various countries over at our summer house and they were all pretty amazed even though we were only able to show them a small piece of the coast. Anyhow, enough of the patriotism, I'm not even a patriotic type of person!