People are always asking me this question: Where can I escape from the summer crowds in Croatia? Here are some off-the-beaten-path recommendations, from my latest piece for AFAR:

AFAR, May 29, 2018: “Where to Escape the Summer Crowds in Croatia”

I sinned and made ‘little God-cheaters’ at a monastery in south-west Germany — for BBC Travel:

BBC Travel, February 2018: The naughty meat dish served during Lent

I wrote about my travels in Dalmatia, the sublime state of fjaka, and my engagement to Jaidev Shergill in Dubrovnik for BBC Travel:

BBC Travel, January 2018: Dalmatia’s fjaka state of mind

I discovered some incredible teas, including tumeric, dandelion root, mushroom and matcha. Find out more about their healing properties:

Organic Spa Magazine, January/February 2018: “TeaTherapy”/p. 19-21

My debut in The New York Times, a moment I have been working towards for years. It was such a pleasure to write about an incredible restaurant in my home state of Minnesota:

New York Times, December 2, 2017: “In A Minneapolis Suburb, French Tradition, Cuisine and Charm”

Cheese and chocolate…two of my favorite things in life, married in this crafty confection from my favorite Croatian island, Pag. Check out the link below for the story–plus a recipe!

Culture Cheese Magazine, Autumn 2017: “Cheese Meets Chocolate…in Croatia”/p. 16-17

Here’s my first piece about my home state of Minnesota, for BBC Travel. I met some pretty special people up north, in an orphaned piece of the state called the Northwest Angle. Here’s their story–and their home.

The US land lost in Canada

Anchored on the banks of Belgrade’s rivers, around 300 rafts (called splavs or splavovi) lined the waterways – a mix of restaurants, bars and clubs. Each splav tends to have a distinctive personality, and finding the right fit is akin to selecting appropriate attire. There are fashion-forward splavs blasting international pop music, where you come to see and be seen and spend large. There are casual splavs that play Serbian folk music, designed for lazy drinks and river dips. There are hipster splavs with underground music for cool alternative folks. There’s something for everyone.

Read more of my article on BBC TRAVEL:
Belgrade’s floating river clubs

The novelist and painter Momčilo “Momo” Kapor, a longtime Belgrade resident, said it best: “In rakija is the essence of the Serbian being—first joy, then celebration of taste, then anger, compassion, the feeling that the world is good and that all those who drink it are friends.”

Check out my latest piece for Wine Enthusiast Magazine:

Rakija-Hopping Through Belgrade

So thrilled to share my fiction–back to my literary roots! “Barren” was long listed for the Cosmonauts Avenue Fiction Prize, and appears in the June/July issue.

Kristin Vuković | Barren