When I complain about anything in Croatia, my friends tell me that it would be best for me to leave the country. Indeed. My only tie to Croatia is my beloved. And she is tied to it by family and work. Thus I keep complaining about this country rather than leaving it. But, as I like to tell anyone willing to listen to my ravings, if anything happens to my beloved and me, I will be out of the country within days if not even hours. Never to return, it goes without saying. I can already see myself mothballing my house, leaving the keys with a lawyer, packing only a few essentials, and heading for the nearest airport. Ah, the liberation!

Addendum I (July 4, 2016)

So many years later, liberation has a different meaning for me than this piece suggests. Entirely different, as a matter of fact. It has nothing to do with leaving Croatia, it goes without saying. After many a twist and turn in my practice of yoga, I have learned to abandon thought at will for as long as I wish (“No-Bullshit Enlightenment,” January 18, 2016). This is liberation as I now understand it. The liberation, to be a bit more precise. By now, complaining about this country is beyond me. And so is complaining about anything else under the sun. It is entirely in vain, anyhow. In other words, I have withdrawn from this world for good. Whoosh!

Addendum II (March 5, 2017)

The first addendum is wonderful to come across on one of my uncharted journeys through my writings. Having reached liberation early last year, I relished it for many a month. Wonderful, indeed. But Croatia is a tough nut to crack. As well as a lasting test of my liberation. Day after day, I come across untold challenges of my prowess, some of which are well beyond my ken to this day. To be sure, it takes a miracle to survive all the horrors of this pitiful country. And pitiful it undoubtedly is. The best I can do under the circumstances is to turn everything around, as ever. If Croatia is a lasting test of my liberation, it should be celebrated as such. Even more, it should be cherished for its mind-boggling challenges. Anyone who can carry on unharmed in its midst is a yogi to cherish far and wide. The yogi, no less.