This is what I miss the most. I moved to the US 12 years ago, also from Croatia, and while I have friends here, the lifestyle there is just conducive to spending time hanging out with people.
It's really like a different reality.
Coffee before work? Sure thing.
Another coffee after work? Absolutely.
Drinks in the evening? Definitely.
The thought of not seeing your friends for a month or longer is just absurd over there. If you don't see them regularly they're not your friends. The whole culture is built around spending time with people, and I only realized that after I left.
I enjoy living in the US, but man, I do miss having such a social life.
I moved to the US in 1992, also from the Balkans. America has an entirely different way of life. I have been "best man" at 5 weddings and have christened 11 kids. I hardly see any of them. Everyone is "busy" running around, work work work, then errands etc etc... in most of Europe this would be unheard of, there is higher value placed on social aspects of life. Hence the myriad of studies and stories and... about general loneliness in America (these studies often include people that are married and have children).
Another personal example - my sister is highly educated, has two PhD and I consider her the smartest person I know. Years ago we were discussing something and I mentioned that one of my dear friends is seeing a psychiatrist. My sister scoffed... And I was taken aback to say the least. How can someone that smart and that educated dismiss someone who is basically a Doctor and spent years educating themselves in this field. After talking through it I realized that if you have robust social life, myriad of friends, different friends to talk to about different things (as well as family) you just might not need a psychiatrist to talk to... Just an entirely different kind of life/existence...
It's really like a different reality.
Coffee before work? Sure thing. Another coffee after work? Absolutely. Drinks in the evening? Definitely.
The thought of not seeing your friends for a month or longer is just absurd over there. If you don't see them regularly they're not your friends. The whole culture is built around spending time with people, and I only realized that after I left.
I enjoy living in the US, but man, I do miss having such a social life.