I can relate to a lot of what you say, although I'm older (now 64). I failed the 11+ and that made me the dunce of the family as both parents and my older brother had passed. Nobody seemed to have any confidence in my ability to ever amount to much until I started work as a lab technician in an engineering factory. My boss there initially required me to do 3 evenings a week at college for the first 2 years. He then gave me day release so college was now one day and one evening a week. After 4 years of that he persuaded the firm to sponsor me to do a degree course in materials technology. He had been the first person to see any potential in me to achieve anything. I'm British but now living in Croatia.
Fantastic, I love to hear the underdog story as it can show others whats possible. Im only sad for the people who dont get given a chance in life and just believe the story they get told for the rest of their days. Well done and hope youre living a great life over here!
Hi mate, I’m glad you’ve found your happiness and I honestly hope you’re happy. Hopefully you enjoyed your time with us all in the start for us at college, and was a relief after high school. You was & are a great bloke. Keep well 😗
Sharing takes courage...kudos to you. I'm glad you've found your special place where you are free to be yourself. Super important. My childhood was different than yours but l made some poor choices. We all do. But we have no regrets about leaving Canada for Croatia! Definitely where we want/need to be, though some family members and friends don't understand, not even a bit. They think we're selfish but we feel it's necessary for our mental health. So many have dreams and most don't pursue them. We pushed and pushed and pushed...we must still go through the arduous residency process each time but to us sanity is priceless and worth sacrifices! We experience reverse culture shock when we must return to Canada, a very difficult and painful thing. When we're here we don't miss Canada but when in Canada we're desperate to get back here. Home. Brilliant. Thank you.
Good for you for doing it! My wife and I are in Vancouver Canada. She’s Croatian, dying to move home. We have two 9 year old girls. We’re at the stage where everyone is telling us we CANT do it. Canada doesn’t feel like home, doesn’t feel normal, doesn’t feel safe, etc. Croatia feels like home for us. My job and pension are really good. Hard to pull the plug but we know we’re not truly happy.
@UlsterPaddy1 Wow! What a story! If we can do it, you definitely can! We have zero ancestral connection so it's particularly challenging. But I no longer recognize the Canada I loved. It's almost like a foreign land to us now. Living here is one of the best decisions we've made. Yes, it was tough leaving family (read about expat guilt!) but our hearts are here. Istria is such a great fit...almost like God hand crafted it for us. We live much more simply and are ten times more fulfilled. Make that a thousand! If you possibly can, please for your sakes strongly, strongly consider it. YOU. CAN. DO. THIS. Paperwork is a pain but that's quickly forgotten. The more experienced you become the more you discover how things work. But oh, the rewards!!
Good for you. You be you, 100%. Left the UK (Scottish) 14 years ago. Used to return twice a year, then once a year, now it's been a few years. Living smack bang in middle of Europe, a fraternity with common lifestyle and outlook I could never imagined growing up in the UK. The 9-5 rinse and repeat I had in the UK fills me with horror now.
@@Dusan.Grujic Neka si se ti vratio svojim Hrvatskim korijenima. Kako bi se reklo kod nas "Nije Krv Voda", Zivjeka nam Hrvatska i ti u njoj. I ja se planiram vratit iz Chicaga..
Community is almost dead here in the UK. You still find good people, and people trying, but they feel more and more like the rarity. It's all about what you can get, not who you can be.
I think that all of us in the diaspora grow up with the feeling that we don't belong where we were raised. Something is off and even as a small child, we feel it. It's only going back to Croatia when we feel that we are finally with our clan, our people. It's literally palpable. That feeling when my plane touches down on Croatian soil, I exhale and breathe a sigh of relief. Everything that you shared about the UK, your feelings, I have the same about the US. I am so glad that you had the courage to make the move and become your authentic self. It's too much work and stress to be anything but. You're one of the fortunate ones who has figured it out. Most people spend their entire lives walking through life as chameleons. You're right, if certain people don't like your authentic self, so be it. You be you - 100%. Many of us in the diaspora are following right there behind you, returning to Croatia. I hope to meet you in person in Cro in the future, have a coffee, be our authentic selves and share laughter at our respective journeys. I;m up in Istra. I do get down to Zadar. In the meantime, I look forward to more of your videos. Pozz i sve najbolje.
Hey Claudia, Thanks a ton for your awesome message! It's truly heartening to witness more and more of our diaspora realizing the call to return home, where we truly belong. It's like an instinct, ingrained within us, akin to a bird's innate sense of direction. Our roots tug at us, and I believe our energy resonates most profoundly with this soil. Until we make our way back, it feels like something's missing. thrilled to catch up when you're in town! Just give me a shout, and we'll make it happen. Pozdrav!
@@Dusan.Grujic Yes, you nailed it - 100%! There's a restlessness within us and a compass pulling us in the direction of "home". I will definitely shout out when I get down to Zadar. Another Cro-American friend of mine has a summer home in the Zadar area and dear local Croatian friends of mine have a place in Tribunj, so we get up to Zadar every summer for nice evening walks, etc. Be well and enjoy your beautiful family! Looking forward to more from you! Pozz! 😃
Great Video, I can certainly relate to what you are saying. Hope to get to Croatia next year. You live your life to make you happy not everyone else. Regards from Australia
First of all hvala ti for sharing your personal story. When I started watching your videos I would never expect that you went through all this shit. As a matter of fact, I thought that you were very confident guy, but I think you grew out of your old personality, and that can only be seen as a compliment. I had a very good childhood and still have some old friends from back then, but your right about the train and people jump on and off along the way, even with family (in my situation). Sometimes I wish I could live my childhoods time forever, I was more happy with myself and the world then I’m today. You live your life now how you like to live it and your doing more then ok. The past is the past, you’re still young (younger then me 😊) and you’re gonna achieve a lot in live in Hrvatska Dusan. Pozdrav
Thank you for the nice comment, Im glad you had a great childhood and for sure that is something to be grateful for :) What could be one thing that you could bring in your life right now which brings out your inner child? Could you paint a picture, orgaise something with friends? Its very easy to just remove that part of our life but it is equally as important :) Yes I imagine alot of people may see me as confident now, but I was really the total opposite before. As Elton John said “You gotta kill the person you were born to be to become the person you want to be.” and this is exactly that. I didn't like anything about myself or my life and I had to Completely reinvent everything I had. Hey well sometimes swapping trains you find some new friends, I sure did here. :) People come and go, sometimes its hard to let go.. Pozdrav
Thank you for this video. We have a lot more in common than I thought. Keep being you & i’m going to try and start being me 👍🏼 Giving my best regards as a 21 y/o in the U.S who also has family from Croatia
Hey Zack, this really is the best advice. When you become your true self and ignore the crushing expectations of everyone around you. You will find a new found freedom. I just wish i knew that earlier. all the best Poz
Another great Video Dušan. I too feel that where I was raised is basically toxic! Not to mention the belly of Babylon. I am truly excited that Croatia feels like family to you and your family!
Pozdrav Dušan you are Great leave the past behind we only have one life to live you have a beautiful family now that some people can only dream about it you can't count on friends here today gone tomorrow wishing you all the best in life be happy be in peace.🙏💤🍁
Since moving to Croatia my confidence has gone up 10x. Life is controlled by my steering wheel now and because of so many new experiences my confidence grows with each day. Thanks for the comment!
I also get mad at some of the decisions I've made when I was young but they did help me get where I'm today. Trying to live a debt free and free life! Can't get anywhere without failing unfortunately.
I think its impossible not to cringe sometimes at our past lives. even year by year I change so much that something I thought before could be very much different to what I believe in the present day. Heal the boy and the man will appear - Tony Robbins
Sometimes putting distance between our blood family is the healthiest move. I know it has been for me. Negative people are living vampires to be around.
Yes ofcourse, sometimes the closest of family can even be the most toxic and worst for you. But the hardest to distance yourself from at the same time. Find your positive tribe and stick with them :)
great video mate, yeah it is true i have never felt home here and especially never fitting in with the majority but the minority always end up leading and innovating anyway.
@@Dusan.Grujic yes bud still thinking of bulgaria or croatia and i think its better sooner than later at this rate. just all price dependent but i would prefer Croatia if i can find a good priced house
@@Dusan.Grujic i will be on the hunt soon, could always pop over to croatia if i have a base house in the balkans somewhere. save up and eventually get to croatia. im only 28 so still have time
I can relate to a lot of what you say, although I'm older (now 64). I failed the 11+ and that made me the dunce of the family as both parents and my older brother had passed. Nobody seemed to have any confidence in my ability to ever amount to much until I started work as a lab technician in an engineering factory. My boss there initially required me to do 3 evenings a week at college for the first 2 years. He then gave me day release so college was now one day and one evening a week. After 4 years of that he persuaded the firm to sponsor me to do a degree course in materials technology. He had been the first person to see any potential in me to achieve anything. I'm British but now living in Croatia.
Fantastic, I love to hear the underdog story as it can show others whats possible. Im only sad for the people who dont get given a chance in life and just believe the story they get told for the rest of their days. Well done and hope youre living a great life over here!
Hi mate, I’m glad you’ve found your happiness and I honestly hope you’re happy.
Hopefully you enjoyed your time with us all in the start for us at college, and was a relief after high school. You was & are a great bloke.
Keep well 😗
Hey Luke good to see you here!
Thank you, you guys were a breathe of fresh air for me 😄
Sharing takes courage...kudos to you. I'm glad you've found your special place where you are free to be yourself. Super important.
My childhood was different than yours but l made some poor choices. We all do. But we have no regrets about leaving Canada for Croatia! Definitely where we want/need to be, though some family members and friends don't understand, not even a bit. They think we're selfish but we feel it's necessary for our mental health. So many have dreams and most don't pursue them. We pushed and pushed and pushed...we must still go through the arduous residency process each time but to us sanity is priceless and worth sacrifices! We experience reverse culture shock when we must return to Canada, a very difficult and painful thing. When we're here we don't miss Canada but when in Canada we're desperate to get back here. Home.
Brilliant. Thank you.
Good for you for doing it! My wife and I are in Vancouver Canada. She’s Croatian, dying to move home. We have two 9 year old girls. We’re at the stage where everyone is telling us we CANT do it. Canada doesn’t feel like home, doesn’t feel normal, doesn’t feel safe, etc. Croatia feels like home for us. My job and pension are really good. Hard to pull the plug but we know we’re not truly happy.
@UlsterPaddy1 Wow! What a story! If we can do it, you definitely can! We have zero ancestral connection so it's particularly challenging. But I no longer recognize the Canada I loved. It's almost like a foreign land to us now.
Living here is one of the best decisions we've made. Yes, it was tough leaving family (read about expat guilt!) but our hearts are here. Istria is such a great fit...almost like God hand crafted it for us. We live much more simply and are ten times more fulfilled. Make that a thousand!
If you possibly can, please for your sakes strongly, strongly consider it.
YOU. CAN. DO. THIS. Paperwork is a pain but that's quickly forgotten. The more experienced you become the more you discover how things work. But oh, the rewards!!
Good for you. You be you, 100%. Left the UK (Scottish) 14 years ago. Used to return twice a year, then once a year, now it's been a few years. Living smack bang in middle of Europe, a fraternity with common lifestyle and outlook I could never imagined growing up in the UK. The 9-5 rinse and repeat I had in the UK fills me with horror now.
I feel you! Glad you made it out!
You'd be insane to return back here.
Yeah I agree, never again…
@@Dusan.Grujic Neka si se ti vratio svojim Hrvatskim korijenima. Kako bi se reklo kod nas "Nije Krv Voda", Zivjeka nam Hrvatska i ti u njoj. I ja se planiram vratit iz Chicaga..
Community is almost dead here in the UK. You still find good people, and people trying, but they feel more and more like the rarity. It's all about what you can get, not who you can be.
That's a helluva video, Dusane!
Props to you man!
As you said, you have a family now.
That is your main thing in life now.
Nick
Thanks Nick! Appreciate the support!
I think that all of us in the diaspora grow up with the feeling that we don't belong where we were raised. Something is off and even as a small child, we feel it. It's only going back to Croatia when we feel that we are finally with our clan, our people. It's literally palpable. That feeling when my plane touches down on Croatian soil, I exhale and breathe a sigh of relief. Everything that you shared about the UK, your feelings, I have the same about the US. I am so glad that you had the courage to make the move and become your authentic self. It's too much work and stress to be anything but. You're one of the fortunate ones who has figured it out. Most people spend their entire lives walking through life as chameleons. You're right, if certain people don't like your authentic self, so be it. You be you - 100%. Many of us in the diaspora are following right there behind you, returning to Croatia. I hope to meet you in person in Cro in the future, have a coffee, be our authentic selves and share laughter at our respective journeys. I;m up in Istra. I do get down to Zadar. In the meantime, I look forward to more of your videos. Pozz i sve najbolje.
Hey Claudia,
Thanks a ton for your awesome message! It's truly heartening to witness more and more of our diaspora realizing the call to return home, where we truly belong. It's like an instinct, ingrained within us, akin to a bird's innate sense of direction. Our roots tug at us, and I believe our energy resonates most profoundly with this soil. Until we make our way back, it feels like something's missing.
thrilled to catch up when you're in town! Just give me a shout, and we'll make it happen.
Pozdrav!
@@Dusan.Grujic Yes, you nailed it - 100%! There's a restlessness within us and a compass pulling us in the direction of "home". I will definitely shout out when I get down to Zadar. Another Cro-American friend of mine has a summer home in the Zadar area and dear local Croatian friends of mine have a place in Tribunj, so we get up to Zadar every summer for nice evening walks, etc. Be well and enjoy your beautiful family! Looking forward to more from you! Pozz! 😃
Yeah you are spot on. 😅
I am also from ex Yougoslavia. Have experienced life in a very similar way to Dušan. ...
Great Video,
I can certainly relate to what you are saying. Hope to get to Croatia next year.
You live your life to make you happy not everyone else.
Regards from Australia
Absolutely! And good look with your travels in the future!
First of all hvala ti for sharing your personal story. When I started watching your videos I would never expect that you went through all this shit. As a matter of fact, I thought that you were very confident guy, but I think you grew out of your old personality, and that can only be seen as a compliment.
I had a very good childhood and still have some old friends from back then, but your right about the train and people jump on and off along the way, even with family (in my situation). Sometimes I wish I could live my childhoods time forever, I was more happy with myself and the world then I’m today.
You live your life now how you like to live it and your doing more then ok. The past is the past, you’re still young (younger then me 😊) and you’re gonna achieve a lot in live in Hrvatska Dusan.
Pozdrav
Thank you for the nice comment, Im glad you had a great childhood and for sure that is something to be grateful for :) What could be one thing that you could bring in your life right now which brings out your inner child? Could you paint a picture, orgaise something with friends? Its very easy to just remove that part of our life but it is equally as important :)
Yes I imagine alot of people may see me as confident now, but I was really the total opposite before. As Elton John said “You gotta kill the person you were born to be to become the person you want to be.” and this is exactly that. I didn't like anything about myself or my life and I had to Completely reinvent everything I had.
Hey well sometimes swapping trains you find some new friends, I sure did here. :) People come and go, sometimes its hard to let go..
Pozdrav
Sretno i super odluka. Obozavan gledati tvoji video jer me podsjecaju na moje djetinstvo .moja familja je iz Benkovca ❤
Hej, hvala na komentaru! Benkovac je moj grad. super je
Ja san sa Dugog Otoka ali moj tata je iz Benkovca . Preko praznika smo uvik Isli posjetiti dida I babu I ostalu rodbinu tamo.❤️
I just found your channel. I am your new subscriber. Love your channel!
Wonderful to hear! Thanks for joining my journey
Thank you for this video. We have a lot more in common than I thought. Keep being you & i’m going to try and start being me 👍🏼
Giving my best regards as a 21 y/o in the U.S who also has family from Croatia
Hey Zack, this really is the best advice. When you become your true self and ignore the crushing expectations of everyone around you. You will find a new found freedom. I just wish i knew that earlier.
all the best
Poz
Another great Video Dušan. I too feel that where I was raised is basically toxic! Not to mention the belly of Babylon. I am truly excited that Croatia feels like family to you and your family!
Thanks David! Cheers for the support
Ti si dobar momak, želim ti sreću u Hrvatskoj! Pozdrav iz Zg!
Hvala vam puno! Pozdrav iz Zadarska Zupanija!
Bravo! Dušan je dobar i pametan momak i jako iskren i ja se pridružujem tvojim željama.
Pozdrav Dušan you are Great leave the past behind we only have one life to live you have a beautiful family now that some people can only dream about it you can't count on friends here today gone tomorrow wishing you all the best in life be happy be in peace.🙏💤🍁
Thank you, Sending all my best to you and your family!
Good video wow man so much stress in Life we get😊
Tell me about it hahaha.. thats Life!
@@Dusan.Grujic wait until you hear my story
Would love yo try abroad. Somewhere. No skillset. 45yrs. Small mortgage, still a mortgage though. Corporate life with it's bull.
Maybe you're struggling with confidence, but you'll gett there. Your new environment is helpful. Sretno i uzivaj u Hrvatskoj, dobar si ti, uspeces.
Since moving to Croatia my confidence has gone up 10x.
Life is controlled by my steering wheel now and because of so many new experiences my confidence grows with each day.
Thanks for the comment!
I also get mad at some of the decisions I've made when I was young but they did help me get where I'm today. Trying to live a debt free and free life! Can't get anywhere without failing unfortunately.
I think its impossible not to cringe sometimes at our past lives. even year by year I change so much that something I thought before could be very much different to what I believe in the present day.
Heal the boy and the man will appear - Tony Robbins
Perception creates reality you live in, one way or the other eventually.
Btw, Loktar'Ogar. :D
🤣🤣
Sometimes putting distance between our blood family is the healthiest move. I know it has been for me. Negative people are living vampires to be around.
Yes ofcourse, sometimes the closest of family can even be the most toxic and worst for you. But the hardest to distance yourself from at the same time.
Find your positive tribe and stick with them :)
Yeah
yeah what?
great video mate, yeah it is true i have never felt home here and especially never fitting in with the majority but the minority always end up leading and innovating anyway.
Any plans to move away?
@@Dusan.Grujic yes bud still thinking of bulgaria or croatia and i think its better sooner than later at this rate. just all price dependent but i would prefer Croatia if i can find a good priced house
@@joerubyred4552 Bulgaria and Serbia are super cheap.
Croatia is pretty expensive near the coast but you can pick up very cheap property’s up north.
@@Dusan.Grujic i will be on the hunt soon, could always pop over to croatia if i have a base house in the balkans somewhere. save up and eventually get to croatia. im only 28 so still have time