Mojca’s Story: Going Back to Slovenia After Years Abroad

Slovenia is a small country in the middle of Europe between Italy, Austria, and Croatia. It is a beautiful country with plenty of activities and possibilities. It is also a great place to move to. Mojca is a Slovenian citizen, and she has lived in Slovenia most of her life. However, after living for a few years abroad, she decided to go back to Slovenia and stay here.

If you are thinking about moving to Slovenia for work, to relocate, or just because you are looking for some fresh air, Mojca’s story can be a great way to see if Slovenia is the country made for you. She will give you some tips to have the best Slovenian experience and inspire you with her story.

Her journey will help you see the differences between Slovenia and Italy and discover life in Slovenia from a Slovenian perspective. Let’s take a look at Mojca’s life, life abroad, job, and thoughts on Slovenia.

Mojca’s Journey in Slovenia and Italy

Here in Slovenia, Mojca is a personal trainer and coach. She has been working on her own for twenty years. She explains it was difficult initially because she had to establish herself in a specific area and find clients. When we did her interview, it was the time of CoVid-19, so work was a bit more complicated than usual. Still, otherwise, Mojca says Slovenia’s services sector offers a lot of employment opportunities.

She was born in Ljubljana, and lived in Slovenia most of her life. When she met her husband, she moved to Florence, in Italy. She stayed there for five to six years and started raising her daughter Nina in Italy. When Nina was three and a half years old, in 2011, they decided to move back to Ljubljana.

When living in Slovenia, Mojca always lived in Ljubljana, the capital, and she is not planning on moving out. Mojca enjoys living in Ljubljana and is not thinking about going back to Florence.

According to her, living in Ljubljana is better because: “there is less bureaucracy, the environment offers more, education is better, the healthcare system too.” The only downside is that food and culture are better in Italy than in Slovenia, but everything is better for the rest. She only regrets the fact that Slovenians do not have as strong personalities as Italians! After living in Italy for a few years, Mojca noticed that Slovenians are not as outgoing as Italians can. “Italians tend to go all over the place. We are just different”.

Life in Slovenia: Work, Health, School, and Politics

Mojca recommends living in Slovenia to foreigners because it is an excellent place. It has some disadvantages, but even more advantages. It offers a lot of opportunities for traveling and daily trips from Ljubljana, for example. In two hours, you can switch from the seaside to the mountains. Here, life is easy. People from abroad can easily make all the necessary arrangements to live in Slovenia.

Working in Slovenia is heaven compared to working in Italy in terms of working conditions. The fact that Slovenia makes it a country with plenty of opportunities, and she explains that when you become an expert in a specific area of work, it is easier to find a job in Slovenia.

Speaking about politics, Mojca explained she is not very interested in Slovenia’s political situation. However, during the pandemic, she says that the situation is particular. They never witnessed this situation in Slovenia and Europe before, and according to her, whoever would be in the top government position would struggle right now. Generally, she thinks that Slovenia’s politics do not change much for an average person, whether it is a left or a right government. 

Raising a daughter in Slovenia and speaking about the Slovenian school system, Mojca says: “the system, especially on primary and secondary levels, does not offer the knowledge that the children would need later on. There are no courses in problem-solving, persuasion skills, empathy, and social skills: like in most countries. The training is still very factual. There is a lack in these areas.”

For her, school is too much focused on teaching facts, sciences, etc., instead of the skills used in daily life.

After living almost her entire life in Slovenia, Mojca says that the healthcare system works well. “It is 90% public, so almost everyone can have access to it”. However, she still recognizes that the system has its setbacks when you have an urgent problem or need higher levels of service because there are few availabilities. 

During her life in Slovenia, Mojca bought an apartment, and according to her, it was “pretty easy to buy.” The real estate market is easy to understand even if you are a foreigner, and the paperwork is not a problem at all. In terms of prices, Ljubljana is not very expensive: “it’s not Rome!” however, thru the years, it is true that the prices has increased and everything became a bit more expensive, than it used to be.

If you are not staying for too long, she also recommends renting with Airbnb: “Many people have good homes through Airbnb.”

Generally, the cost of living in Slovenia is reasonable. Despite, the fact that prices might have gone up a bit, Slovenia “is still really competitive.”

Mojca’s Advice for Moving to Slovenia

If you are thinking about moving to Slovenia, Mojca would advise coming and living in the country to discover the country how it is. She says: “it is not so hectic, Slovenians have a pretty easy-going lifestyle, especially in Ljubljana compared to other big cities in Europe.”

Slovenians are pretty tolerant, according to Mojca. They will welcome people from all over the world. For the past 20 to 30 years, there has been more immigration in Slovenia, and Mojca feels like it is a great thing. Slovenians can be friendly and should have no issue with immigration and foreigners living in the country, especially in Ljubljana.

It can be a surprise for many people, but the best upside of Slovenia is that “you will be treated very well by the people who already live here.”

As a future immigrant living in Slovenia, it is essential to know if the language spoken in the country is necessary to talk and if it is challenging to learn. According to Mojca, it is not needed to speak Slovenian when moving to Slovenia because people here speak many languages.

As long as you speak English, you should be okay. If you still want to learn the language, which can be useful to work in Slovenia, you should know that “it is a difficult language to learn, a very particular one” But nothing is impossible to learn of course!

Discover Other Stories

Mojca’s thoughts teach us that it is nice and worth it to decide to stay and live in Slovenia, even for Slovenians who have experienced life abroad. Slovenians are very welcoming and tolerant of immigrants; there are excellent healthcare and educational systems, providing very reasonable living costs.

Slovenia is the perfect country to raise children and discover nature. Although it is a small country, you will never cease to be surprised by its numerous opportunities and excellent living standards. After living abroad, Mojca decided to come back to Slovenia, which is the sign you should go to! Even after seeing the world, Slovenia stays the best.

Wanna read more about other expats (and locals) who decided to live in Slovenia? Our testimonials might give you some more points of view! Let’s discover these stories together!