I remember someone introducing me to Zie one spring night on Manhattan. There was a bunch of people, we were having a pregame at someone’s apartment on The Upper West Side. I don’t remember much from that night except that he radiated, and talked about art. We went out and danced the night away. We instantly became friends. Even though we partied a lot he wasn’t just one of those ”party friends” that you call only when you want to go out. Well, I guess he was my first real friend in the city of 13 million souls. I felt like he knew everyone in New York, and I was just a new girl in the City that had zero friends. He 
introduced me to his group of people and showed me around. He would make us spicy dinners in his cool Brooklyn apartment, he became my photography partner-in-crime that knew every good spot in the City, he became a person that I could call whenever I felt like I needed someone to talk. I learnt so much from him, and his art continues to inspire me.
I welcomed him in Dubrovnik in summer of 2014, and tried to show him what my hometown is all about. I thought that it’s going to be very difficult to show the real New Yorker a good time in a small place like Dubrovnik, but I was wrong. It’s 2016 and my friends still talk about him, my mom still wants to cook for him (he sends her flowers), my dad misses the long conversations about history with him, and I just wish that this amazing person wasn’t an Ocean away.
I asked him what are the three things he loves about Dubrovnik. His answer could easily be the best marketing for this place.
Zie: Well, It’d be too difficult to just list only three things that I love about Dubrovnik. The city is the very essence of what paradise might look like. The never ending sound and scent of the ocean for one was heavenly. If I had to list a couple of things, I’d say the vast and rich history of the city is number one. I had the unique opportunity to spend many dinner nights at a table of an avid historian. As an artist who considers himself a history buff, this was gold. Typically, I’d get my dose of chronological records of important events that had occurred in the city. This was everything! Another thing that is really attractive for me about Dubrovnik, is the energy of the Dubrovnik itself. The city is alive like no other. There’s this sort of perfect harmonic energy that hangs in there. Vibrant enough that people stay productive and relax enough for them to stay afloat. It’s like magic witnessing it. Spending a night out in the Old Town is also effortless. As someone who’s somewhat social but but at the same time very relaxed and tolerant in my approaches, the energy of the city was fitting and brilliant. Besides the energy, history of the city, and the visible cultural attributes, I personally also loved the food culture. A late lunch being the main meal of the day was very new to me. But it was welcomed though! We’re certainly not accustomed to that in The States. All in all, there are many things I miss and love about Dubrovnik, I could go on and on.
