Born in Cairo, Egypt, Mohamed says the following about himself: “Since a very young age I used to travel and I realized how traveling can be very beneficial in developing one’s knowledge and intelligence. So I think traveling and working abroad can be a huge advantage for any person if approached properly.”

During our chat with him, while strolling on sunny Riva, we discovered that Mohamed initially came to Croatia to do his Masters in Digital Marketing at Algebra University College in Zagreb. He remembers Zagreb fondly as a city where his student days were spent very well.

He also immediately brought to our attention how people in Croatia are always very helpful and almost everyone speaks English and even those who do not are still friendly and will do their best to communicate with you and help you out.

Mohamed feels like there is a lot of beauty in our country and no shortage of things to do and places to visit.

That makes Croatia a perfect place for someone interested in exploring and traveling. When we spoke about his arrival to Croatia, he said it was a well-planned and thought-out move.

He wanted to go out of his comfort zone, while simultaneously broadening his knowledge and skills with a high-quality study program in the digital marketing field. His research resulted in his enrollment in Algebra University College and arrival in Zagreb, and his degree resulted in a job opportunity that moved him to Split in July 2021.

Mohamed currently works for SeekandHit as a Digital Analyst. When we asked him about his arrival to Split, this is what he had to say: “I connected with like-minded people from Split, people who have the same professional goals and interests.

They made me realize that Split is a great place to be and it has lots of potential and things to offer.

I was also attracted to Split because of the combination of good weather, its geo-location, the nature inland and out in the sea that is just unbeatable! I also think a big benefit of life in Split is that the work-life balance is very easily achieved here as there are numerous outdoor activities that can help in restoring one’s energy in the healthiest way.”

Considering Mohamed has been living here in Split for some time already, we were curious to find out about his favorite things to do, places to go, and things to enjoy: “Kava2 has the best coffee I tried here! However, I also sometimes drink coffee at random bars where there is a bit of a view. I like to grocery shop as much as possible at the famous Pazar farmer’s market, always searching for home-grown and homemade products.”

Mohamed’s resources of information on all things Split are primarily the locals as apparently, we know things better than Google does. That is why he thinks finding out things about Split and life here is not difficult. There is always someone willing to share helpful advice and point our international neighbors in the right direction.

The only struggle he had here was – you guessed it – bureaucracy and paperwork: “I wouldn’t say it’s too much of a struggle but doing the paperwork and dealing with all the red tape constraints here is a bit of a hassle.

However, all it takes is time and some patience!”

And while he finds life here easy and information accessible, Mohamed still had some advice to share regarding the possible improvements that can be made to make it even easier for the newcomers. After all, the friendliness and helpfulness of the locals only go so far.

Sometimes you might benefit from additional resources, especially if you are not yet in Split and cannot just approach a local and ask: “I think some sort of onboarding initiatives or orientations by the local government for both, digital nomads and internationals, regarding the information they need to make their work and life better would definitely make the whole transition to life here much easier.”

We also wanted to know more about Mohamed’s professional path, so we asked him to share some insight with us into what he does, how he works, and how moving here influenced the professional side of his life: “I am very much into marketing and data science, that’s why my job combines both.

I’m doing freelance jobs and full-time jobs to boost my experience in those fields, so I would have enough base to build upon my ideal working environment. When it comes to Split and my work, I don’t think coming here changed how I work too much.

It’s just that being in Split and its surroundings helps me restore my energy faster and this makes me more productive overall.”

And to have that work-life balance we live here, we also wanted to know what he does outside of work and is there something else he’s passionate about, aside from digital marketing and data science: “I love my work, but I do not work 24/7! I really like to enjoy my time and to relax. I also like to eat good food. I enjoy listening to music, and I love nature. I also have fun playing tennis, hiking, and swimming.

That’s why I love and enjoy being in Split and Croatia in general because my passions and interests are met here, it just makes sense to call this home! In my opinion, here everything is small enough and yet big enough. Tailored to citizens, actually.

Life here is peaceful and balanced and allows you to nurture everything truly important and meaningful.”

Before we parted ways, we had one last question for Mohamed regarding the things he loves about Split and its people: “The Adriatic Sea, the nice weather, the walkable size, the surrounding landscape, and Marjan Hill are things I love about Split. When it comes to people here, I love that you are all easy-going and friendly. And that you like to enjoy life, like to laugh, and appreciate good jokes!”

We hope Mohamed continues to have such a positive experience here in Split and Croatia. We wish him many more sunny days by the Adriatic Sea and a lot of success in his professional journey!

Photos by: Bruno Dubravec