John and I just returned from Croatia where we attended an out-of-country meeting with fellow tour operators of USTOA (United States Tour Operators Association.) Many of us had never been to Croatia and we all loved the cities of Dubrovnik, Zagreb, and Rovinj as well as the local villages along the Adriatic.

What impressed me was the cleanliness of the country and the extreme friendliness of the people. The Croatians just could not do enough for all of us! We also could not believe how much we got for our travel dollars in Croatia. They really wanted us to love their country and we did. We learned that northern Croatia was part of Italy at one time, and that flavor still remains.

All of us have traveled around the world and it is pretty hard to show this group of fellow tour operators anything NEW. So, speaking of NEW, on comes the Museum of Broken Relationships in the capitol of Croatia, Zagreb.

Yes, you read it right - the Museum of Broken Relationships. Inside this Museum, there were many personal written stories and memorabilia from people writing about relationships that did not work out. Can you believe that there is an entire museum devoted to broken relationships? One story that was on display was by a lady who met the man of her dreams while she was wearing red high heels. Her display in the Museum consisted of a letter she wrote on the broken relationship and this pair of shoes she wore when she met him. The story was typical. She met Mr. Wonderful at a party and fell for him instantly. They dated and she thought the relationship was solid and would last forever. Well, it didn't and it broke her heart. The Museum was packed with guests who were smiling and relating to so many stories on broken relationships from their teenage years to their mature years.

What I learned is that there are so many surprises when you travel. When you stay home it is comfortable yet you would never have had the opportunity to experience the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia.

Travel adds so much to your life - please spread the word.