Why it is OK to go back to a place you already visited

With summer just around the corner for many of you who are in the northern hemisphere, I can imagine that you are already thinking about your next vacations and when planning this trip you may be faced with this question: Do I visit a new place or maybe I could go back to that city that I have enjoyed so much last year?

We are currently living in a society that is always looking for completing tasks on a list and sometimes looks like traveling has become one more task, in which we need to tick all the places in our bucket list but it doesn't have to be that way. That's why in today's post I would like to talk about the reasons why it is OK to go back to a place that you have already visited in the past and I'm going to share with you a little bit about my personal experience visiting Split for the second time last year. 

One may think that visiting the same place again it's pointless with so many beautiful spots on this planet but it doesn't actually mean that you are loosing of everything else just because you chose a city you already know. It could be a great opportunity to explore and discover more of a place you already love! That leads me to the first reason:

1- You can discover new things of that place

When I went to Split for the second time, I had the chance to explore a lot more because I have already visited the main touristic places (you can read everything about my first trip here) so, this time I went to a new beach, I tried different coffee places and restaurants and I even went up to the bell tower which was something I didn't do before and it was totally amazing. I also had the chance to take more pictures and to explore more of the area than during my first visit. That was the main reason why I wanted to go back to Split because I wanted to visit the islands that were close by (for example, Brač island and the amazing Zlatni Rat beach) and that allowed me to have a completely different experience while staying in the same city.

The beautiful Split Riviera 

2- You will experience a nice sense of familiarity

I know it's great to go to a place for the very first time and feel completely surprised by all the new things your eyes are seeing but when you visit a city that you already know you will get a nice sense of familiarity with the place. You will recall all the amazing moments you had there in the past and you will also feel super comfortable moving around there because you already know the place! So that's great!
In my case, when I was in Split again I remembered all the fun moments along with the great people I met there and that instantly put me in a great mood during those days. What's even better is that in the second visit I also had so much fun just like in the first time ;)

3- You can relax a lot more

This point is not so obvious but I think that is key. When you are visiting a place for the first time you are likely trying to visit all the main spots and do all the important activities in a few days, before moving to the next destination, which can make you feel a little bit stressful and in a constant rush. But, when you go back to a place you have already visited you can just relax and enjoy it because you already did all the main touristic things, you don't have to worry about how to move around the city, or about getting lost, you already know where everything is located. You are a little bit like a local there and that is a great sensation ;)

In this second visit to Split, I finally touched the feet of the Gregory of Nin Statue, people say it brings you good luck 

One of the gates to the Diocletian's Palace 

The incredible bell tower of Split's Cathedral

The Peristyle

So the point of this post is to show you that if you feel like you want to go to a place that you already visited last year and that you loved it, that's completely fine! If it makes you happy, just go and don't worry about missing the opportunity of going somewhere else. You will have plenty of opportunities to visit many incredible places, the important thing is to enjoy and do what feels right for you! 

I even feel like I loved Split more after I went the second time because I was able to establish a different connection with the city. In the first time, the days went by so quickly with all the activities I wanted to do that when I went there the second time, I felt like there was a lot I didn't saw because I was in a rush.  Therefore, I totally feel it's OK to go back to a place for the second time if you want to! In my experience it was great!

The amazing view from the bell tower 

But now I would like to know your thoughts on this topic, do you always go to a new place or have you visited a city more than once? How did you feel? I would love to know your experience ;) 

Exploring the Colorful Rovinj

I think I have already mentioned this in a previous post, where I talk about my trip to Pula, but one of the things I love the most about Istria region is that it has a very particular mix between Croatian and Italian culture, which makes it super interesting to visit. 
Each city in this region will have this characteristic, you will feel like you are being part of two countries at the same time and you will find this Italian influence in the architecture, in the road signs and, of course, in the food as well. So, if you are also looking to enjoy a delightful culinary experience this is definitely a region to consider for your trip.

In my particular case, I have decided to go back to Istria because I was very impressed with what I have seen in Pula, that stunning Roman architecture stole my heart and I was looking forward to discovering more of this region, especially a city which I have seen all over Instagram: Rovinj.

The pictures I saw of Rovinj reminded me a lot of Venice for some reason and when I was finally able to visit this city that impression was even stronger! Rovinj is a city full of colors, full of details and full of incredibly enchanting streets perfect to get lost. The Old Town is practically right by the sea so maybe this was what made me think of Venice, even though it doesn't have canals, the water is very present in this city. 

I have decided to do a day trip to Rovinj because I was staying in Rijeka, so I took the bus and in around two hours I was right there! The bus station in Rovinj is very close to the Old Town so I just walked by the coast and found it without any problems. I have to confess that I didn't have much information about what to see and do in the city but sometimes I enjoy doing this kind of trips because in this way I can be surprised by the destination. And this is exactly what happened to me with Rovinj, without even looking for them, I was able to find all the main spots and I also enjoyed getting lost in its streets. 

Firstly, I walked by the coast which is very nice because it's full of pretty restaurants where you can enjoy a delicious meal and also the lovely view of the Adriatic sea and the boats peacefully moving in the water. Then, I was able to find the city's open market, the perfect place to buy fresh fruits, some souvenirs, and many other things. I stopped right here to have lunch and, as I was in Istria, I decided to order a pizza, which was just perfect!

After lunch, I continued walking into the old town and I fell in love with all the beautiful balconies with flowers I was seeing in every single house. Also, I was able to find that cute little spot by the water that I used to see all the time on Instagram. I wished I would have been able to get a picture of myself sitting at that lovely table but there was a lady there, I think she was the owner of the store, and she was enjoying a coffee so I didn't want to disturb her. 

The most iconic Instagram postcard of Rovinj 

I continued my way up to find the Church of St. Euphemia, which has that tall tower you can see in all the pictures of the Old Town. The Church looked lovely and it's totally worth the visit. Also, you can get a very nice sea view from there because this part is a little bit higher than the rest of the city. 

Then I was able to find a few beaches, where there were people swimming and enjoying the sea. I didn't have a swim because I didn't have my towel that day, so I skipped the beach but I don't regret it because it allowed me to have more time to explore the city. I walked a little bit more on the seaside and I found more beautiful cafés and restaurants right by the water, which looked like the perfect place to have some drinks and enjoy the sunset view. 

Around 7 pm I had to go back to Rijeka but I was extremely happy that I was able to visit this incredibly beautiful city! You can see in this post that I went a bit mad and I took a lot of pictures because there were so many lovely details that I just couldn't stop! 
I hope you have enjoyed reading about my day trip to Rovinj and I hope you have found some inspiration for your future trips! I'm sure this would be a lovely place to visit during the Spring months, don't you think?