Trip to Croatia much more than stereotypical spring break for PFW students

Most college students heading off for spring break are just looking for warmer weather and a good time. This March, a group of 17 Purdue University Fort Wayne students also found life-changing experiences in the small European country of Croatia.

Led by Hal Odden, chair of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, the students said they had no regrets about their choice. They all got something different out of the trip, and a few said they will definitely go back.

“It was fun, it was entertaining, it was educational,” said Bree Felger, a junior majoring in anthropology and history. “It was an educational trip, but it did not feel like that. We were learning for 6-7 hours a day, and Professor Odden did a phenomenal job organizing it.”

Felger turned down a jaunt to Mexico with friends for this trip, but it allowed her to make an important decision. She had been debating a career as a Latin American or Balkan historian.

“This trip really helped me clarify that my heart is in Croatia,” said Felger, who was on her fifth trip to the country. “It was just beautiful, and I was in awe the whole time. I had been to Zagreb and I had seen the Adriatic Sea, but I think being able to walk about Split and Dubrovnik—there are no words to describe how safe and fulfilling it feels to be there.”

Everyone had different reasons for going. Junior Sabene Rizvi said she wanted to learn more about Balkan culture, and she’s already trying to convince a friend to return with her this summer. The trip was not only a great way to study another culture, but it also served as an opportunity to make friends with new acquaintances from PFW, Rizvi said.

“Politics to me have always been about culture, so I wanted to learn more about Croatia,” Rizvi said. “I was really interested in learning more about how the religion and culture played a part in their modern-day politics.”

Croatia had to fight for its independence from Yugoslavia, starting with a war in 1991. Tourism now accounts for 20% of the country’s gross domestic product. With a population of just under 4 million, Croatia welcomes 17 million tourists annually.

Highlights of the trip included visiting Dubrovnik’s city walls. That hike required a bit of courage, Felger said, because of the height, but the sights were breathtaking. Several key scenes from Game of Thrones were filmed in Dubrovnik.

Old Town in Split was another favorite spot after a 3½-hour bus ride.

“It’s that one place you want to get lost in,” said AC Chaudhary, a freshman who’s majoring in computer science. “It’s a conventional European old town, and it’s got narrow alleys, gorgeous architecture, and a few statutes that seem to pop up out of nowhere. A few minutes later, you are walking onto the waterfront, which is also the commercial district.”

Most days started at 9 a.m. with history lessons from Odden and the tour guides, but the associate professor of anthropology usually allowed students to experience their own interests by early afternoon. During one afternoon, Odden led them to the home of a native couple who cooked traditional dishes.

While in Split, the party also toured Diocletian’s Palace.

Though some were taking part in their first international trip, several students said they felt completely comfortable and safe, even when visiting a pub in the early evening after dinner.

Chaudhary said the experience helped change his outlook to better understand situations from the shoes of those affected, encouraging him to realize he needed to work on his compassion for people.

“I had really started to become indifferent to some things,” Chaudhary said. “The eureka moment for me was the Yugoslavian War Museum. It really did raise the question of how terrible people can really be to one another. I’m looking at horrors, systematic oppression, and how freedom of thought was being oppressed.

“Maybe it was a good wake-up call for me. I have restarted empathizing with people more.”