As many of you already know, the Split Tech City community is full of interesting and hardworking companies, that are also full of unique and highly skilled humans. Each and every one of our “Humans of Split Tech City” has a fascinating story to share, and we’re happy to offer them the online and offline space to do exactly that.

This story you’re going to read now is about a love for travel and remote work combined with a love for Split and life in Croatia. Some might think that’s a bit of an oxymoron, but believe us – it is possible!

The name of our storyteller is Grgur and – we’ll just let him do the talking. 🙂

We were told you traveled all over the world, so we’d like to know what draws you back to Croatia?

“Life in Dalmatia attracted me. Its simplicity, the high level of overall quality of life, the proximity to the Adriatic Sea, and the temperament of the people.

Of course, being back for me also means that I still enjoy the option of being able to spend half the year traveling and living in other locations.”

Now we’d like to get the backstory – tell us a little bit more about yourself!

“I have traveled and lived through North and Central America, Europe, Southeast Asia, North Africa, India, various islands such as Canary, Azores, Madeira, Sri Lanka, Caribbean.

And, before embarking on my many travels, I finished secondary school in Trogir in the program for a computer technician, after that a Bachelor’s Degree at the Faculty of Science of the University of Split (PMF), and then a graduate degree in Informatics at the University of Pula.

My hobbies are photography, as well as sports like climbing, surfing, and snowboarding.”

And what exactly do you do now?

“I work for littlecode as a software engineer.”

So, what does your typical working day at littlecode look like?

“My working day at the office looks pretty classic. Morning work combined with meetings, coffee breaks with colleagues, and afternoon work – all this in a relaxed atmosphere with excellent colleagues.

My working day when I’m working remotely and traveling is similar, only my colleagues are a bit different then – composed of new people I meet in coworking spaces. I also surf before and after work or go to the local markets.”

What skills have you improved the most since working for littlecode?

“My communication skills improved, as well as my knowledge.”

What is the most interesting thing about the work you do at littlecode?

“I like that we always work with intriguing clients and on projects that are based on the latest technology.”

Aside from that, what else do you like about your work at littlecode?

“I really like daily challenges and our teamwork.”

What do you like about the littlecode team?

“The team that surrounds me consists of very high-quality programmers and other experts who, aside from being great at what they do, are also great people.”

Considering you moved back here, what is your general experience of living and working in Split?

“Split is a beautiful city that offers a great quality of life, the local community in the tech industry is growing, and many opportunities are present.

And, as someone who has used coworking as a workplace in Croatia and around the world, I believe that the coworking offer is fine, but that it can also improve here. For example, I’d like to see an offer with less sterile spaces that have more personalization and overall better quality.”

And what about outside of the office… any local favorites?

“My favorite place to do some work or just drink coffee would definitely be Caffe-Restaurant “Dvor” – it’s a great place with an awesome view and without too much noise and distractions.”

An odd question maybe, but if someone came to you from abroad and asked: “Grgur, I have two days to enjoy Split and its surroundings, take me to see all the most beautiful things!” – where would you take that person?

“I would take that friend of mine through Split’s city center, then via the southern coast of Split to Marjan. After that along the coast to Omiš and surrounding areas, then with a ferry to Hvar and… well a ton of other places!

Simply put, the majority of Split and its surroundings are really beautiful and we sometimes don’t realize how much!”

What is your favorite thing about Split and Croatia?

“I love the Mediterranean lifestyle and the omnipresent natural beauty here.”

Any plans for the future?

“I plan to spend the summer in Dalmatia on the sea, and in the office – advance professionally. The autumn I plan to spend in Bolivia and Colombia, and then the winter in Bali. The long-term plans… maybe open a coworking in Split.”

How important is the local tech community and networking in general to you?

“I think that the local community is very important here. We live in a beautiful place and still favorable for the European standard of living.

And, the more we push the local tech community forward, the better it will be for all of us – we can attract more people, more funds, more conferences, more meetups.”

If you had a magic wand and unlimited funds, what would you improve regarding the life and work of a young person in Split and Croatia?

“I would focus on tailoring the overall content and infrastructure of the city to young people who live here more, and not just to tourists who come here mostly during the summer.”

What advice or words of support would you give to someone who is thinking about coming or returning to Croatia?

“Depending on where this someone lives now, I would certainly say that life here is of high quality and very safe and that we also have a strong local tech community.

I would also advise to have patience for Croatian bureaucracy.”

And what piece of advice would you give yourself before packing your bags to return here?

“Have more patience with the bureaucracy!” 😀

Any curiosity about yourself you’d like to share in the end?

“I love remote work and the freedom of being able to work outside Croatia. In my opinion, it would be nice if there were a few more people in Croatia who live and work in such a way.

I would like to encourage them to go traveling on their own and temporarily live in other environments. This way they will break through that fear of the unknown and the security of their comfort zone, as well as expand their horizons.

Because people from all over the world are already doing it by coming to live in Split!”

We’d like to thank Grgur for this interesting chat! We also would like to wish him lots of further professional growth as part of the littlecode team, safe travels wherever life takes him, and to always find his way back to Split!

Photos by: Grgur Čulina