In Canada they had everything except peace; they returned to Croatia for their son

Although her parents and brother remained on the other side of the Atlantic, Nela says that it was only through returning that they found what they had been missing – peace, security, and the feeling of finally being home.

"Our hearts are happier, our souls are more at peace," these are the words Nela Janković uses to describe the decision that changed her family's life. After years spent in Canada, where she built a career with major airlines, she decided to return to Croatia with her husband and son.

Nela Janković, born in Sisak, shared her life story in the "Stranci u Hrvatskoj" (Foreigners in Croatia) segment of the show Dobro jutro, Hrvatska (Good Morning, Croatia). She was only 12 and a half years old when her parents decided to leave Croatia and move to Canada. They started their new life in Mississauga, and adapting to a completely different world was not easy.

"I finished my education in Canada, and I started my first jobs in Canada. In a way, I grew up quickly in Canada, ahead of my time," Nela recalls.

Leaving was especially difficult because she and her brother had to leave behind their friends, school, and familiar surroundings.

"Suddenly, your parents say, 'We are packing up, selling everything we have, and moving to the other side of the world.' Of course it was a shock, but I had the support of my parents and brother," she said.

Nela and her then 15-year-old brother arrived in Canada without knowing English. The Croatian community provided tremendous help during those first months.

At school, they were paired up with children of Croatian descent to help them get around more easily. However, Nela admits that living within the community had another side – fewer opportunities to use English on a daily basis.

Because of this, she and her brother even decided to cancel the Croatian television channels in their family home to encourage their parents to learn the language faster.

Over time, she adapted, completed her education, and built a successful business career. She worked for Air France, KLM, and Air Canada, where she spent the last five to six years before the pandemic.

A special part of Nela's story involves her husband, who was also born in Sisak.

They knew each other as children and met for the first time during a summer vacation at the seaside. Later on, life took them to different parts of the world.

Because of football, he lived in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany, while Nela grew up in Canada.

Years later, they reconnected thanks to social media.

"Since I worked for Air Canada, I could just get on a plane after work, fly to him in Munich, or pick him up at the Munich airport and fly back to Canada on the very same plane. So, quite simply, it was destiny," Nela recalls.

After starting a family, Nela and her husband faced a major decision – where should they continue their lives and raise their son? They could choose between Canada, Germany, and Croatia.

"We have a five-and-a-half-year-old son who was born in Canada. And we had options: Canada, Germany, Croatia. In Germany, we would be alone again. In Canada, we simply didn't see a future. We felt it was time to come home and raise our son at home, just as our parents raised us," she explained.

Despite the fact that her parents and brother stayed in Canada, the decision to return to their homeland was the right one for Nela and her husband.

"Our Hearts Are Happier, Our Souls Are More at Peace"

When asked why they returned to Croatia, Nela has a simple but emotional answer.

"Our hearts are happier, our souls are more at peace. When we wake up, we no longer have that pit in our stomach: what now, what next, will we manage to buy real estate, will we manage to go on a trip."

She explains that their life in Canada had turned into constant work just so they could spend at least a part of the year in Croatia.

"Somehow, life in Canada was all about nine months of non-stop work, from morning until night, just so we could come to Croatia for three months, a month, or whatever. And we simply said 'no' to that kind of life," she said.

Today, Nela works for the City of Sisak, and her husband works in the judicial police (prison system). Both are employed and, as she points out, satisfied with the life they have built since returning.

Although she spent a large part of her childhood and youth in Canada, Croatia remained the place to which Nela wanted to return.

After years of living between two countries, Nela and her family decided to build their future exactly where their story began – in Croatia.

Source: HRT