Phillip Cancar was asleep when the earthquake hit.
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Here the Young Socceroos defender was, in lockdown in Croatia for the past three weeks due to the COVID-19 threat and now the ground is shaking violently.
Suddenly it's safer to be outside.
As if the situation wasn't anxiety-inducing enough, Cancar was also due to fly back to Australia the following day, to be home with his family at Unanderra.
"Everyone sort of forgot about the virus at the time," he said. "I woke up and everything was shaking, it felt huge.
"So you're just worried about the walls falling in and everyone is outside trying to check what's going on, it was pretty scary. I was nervous the airport would be shut, but thankfully it was still open for me to take my flight."
As a result, Cancar was able to celebrate his 19th birthday in Wollongong last week, the first he'd had at home for three years.
Cancar emerged through the Wollongong Wolves system before signing with Sydney FC, winning junior titles at each club along the way.
At 16 he took the giant leap to move to Croatia, joining Lokomotiva's program in Zagreb, before moving to second division club Hrvatski Dragovoljac.
The club's name translates to Croatian Volunteer, in tribute to those who fought in the wars which ravaged the region in the 1990s.
Now Cancar is pursuing a professional career on the highest football stages.
The teenager has thrived in a technical, physical environment in Croatia, breaking into Hrvatski Dragovoljac's first team at centre back.
"It's very different to playing in Australia," he said.
"It's very technical, quick and tough, a very old-fashioned style, they talk a lot of smack at you.
"When you make certain tackles at training, if it was in Australia, they'd be telling you not to, but over there, the aggressive style is encouraged, they praise it.
"That was how I played growing up anyway, I was always a bigger boy and I'm sure anyone at the Wolves or Sydney FC would agree that I always liked it."
Hrvatski Dragovoljac was a similarly ruthless environment after a slow start to the season led to a change of manager, which opened the door for Cancar to become a first-choice player.
He became part of a dramatic overhaul which helped the club push towards a potential promotion play-off spot to move into Croatia's top league.
And then COVID-19 hit and with it, Cancar's blossoming career has been in a holding pattern since.
"We had a run where we went eight or nine games unbeaten," he said.
"So promotion was definitely the goal, there was a real feeling like we could do it. Then it just stopped suddenly, we were preparing to play the next day when everything was shut down.
"Croatia changed pretty quickly, it wasn't extreme compared to other countries like Italy and France.
"Though like in Australia, there restrictions were in place about what and how much you could buy."
The first division is set to resume next month, with Croatian powerhouse Dinamo Zagreb, who played in Champions League this season, runaway leaders.
But the second-tier could yet be cancelled.
Complicating the situation for Cancar, is the international crisis has hit as he's about come out of contract.
So while he's training twice a day and staying fit, Cancar is also contemplating where his destination will be when he boards the plane to Europe again.
Cancar has extended family in Croatia - his aunty helped look after him, particularly during the early days after his dad had returned to Australia - but the temptation may be too great elsewhere in Europe.
"I've got a few offers there, I'm not sure what I'll do just yet," he said.
"Most of my family is over there (Croatia) and the club has been great to me, I've grown up and learned to be independent.
"But there may be an opportunity for me to take the next step in my career."
With a willingness to take on higher levels in Europe, Cancar is also ready to take on the world, at least at under 20s level for now.
Assuming sport resumes to normal in a post-COVID environment, Cancar will be a key role in the Young Socceroos qualifying for next year's U20 World Cup, to be held in Indonesia.
One step closer to his dream of playing for the Socceroos, it would be a chance to prove his class on the international stage.
"Words can't describe what it would mean to be play at the World Cup for Australia," he said.
"We're supposed to have a camp in October before qualifiers, so I'm just taking it step by step.
"To qualify for the (U20) World Cup would be amazing. Hopefully one day I can do it for the Socceroos too."
