I was born in Canada in the ’70s. My Croatian parents decided on giving me the name: Marijana. When you hear it, in Croatian, it sounds like this. Probably not the way you said it to yourself, right? Like many Canadians born to immigrant parents of that time, people changed…

Over the last 10 months, I’ve been navigating an identity issue. One I’ve never had to navigate before. Nothing serious but interesting enough to make note of, at least here. Am I an ex-pat? Am I a digital nomad? Am I a local? I will just skim through these parts…

One year ago today, I started posting on Medium regularly. And without planning to do so, on the one-year mark, I plan to pivot. On October 14, 2021, I posted this piece: Me, Myself, and My Inner Child I had a Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) a few weeks ago. UFE is a treatment to destroy or shrink uterine fibroids…marijanacuvalo.medium.com The piece was about a uterine embolization, some tears, and, well, I guess, release.

I thought yesterday was the first day of Fall. Fail on my part. Today is the first day of Fall. It doesn’t matter, except that I thought the fourth season of my Adriatic adventure started yesterday. I was a tad premature. …

I am not a doctor. Doctors did NOT prescribe these ‘cures.’ If you have low iron, by all means, enjoy the story but talk to a health practitioner. Also, I would never recommend drinking boiled wine and screws. My body likes to remind me, now and again, that something is…

A few weeks ago, someone asked me: Where is home? I looked at him without skipping a beat, pointed to myself, and said: home is here. I’m sure I had been asked the question a thousand times, maybe more. But this time, for the first time, I pointed to myself. …

So I Decided To Put Them On A List Of Two Things I Would Like To Accomplish In This Lifetime. Recently, Sara Burdick wrote this piece: Five things I would regret if I did not accomplish them in this lifetime The goals you set for yourself are personal; they do not have to be a massive production.saraburdick.medium.com She asked the reader: "…I would love to know what is one or two things you would like to accomplish if you knew the date of your death."

I've been living in Makarska, Croatia, for nine months. That's three seasons. I'm in Season Three (Summer) of the Marijana in Makarska show. Except, get this, it's not a show. It's real life. It's my life. Anyway, here are nine random notes reflecting on my nine months. Summer has been…

This might end up being my shortest post. Why? Because it’s so hot right now in Makarska, and I have very little energy. It’s 9:30 pm, and it’s 29 degrees celsius. Tomorrow’s forecast: hot and a high of 37 degrees celsius. I get it; the world is on fire. I’m…