Welcome to the West! Episode 01. Eva from Croatia!

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To promote inclusivity and the beauty and wonder that is Westport, we at The Middle Way spoke with people from over the world who have decided to make Westport and the West of Ireland their home!

 

Below is our first interview with Eva from Croatia!

welcome to westport-Episode Eva Malija from Croatia

Our first interview is with Eva Malija from Croatia who moved to Westport Sep 2019.

We asked her why she decided to give Westport a go and how does it compare it to her home country.

In Eva's Words:

I knew the Irish were warm and open, but I was still surprised by how much it was true. It is incredibly easy to start a conversation with anyone you meet on the street, in the shops or in the pub. 

The quality of the food here is also amazing. Ireland produces most of its own food, which in addition to quality, guarantees that food is placed on shelves as soon as possible. Prices are nearly lower or the same as in Croatia, but products in Croatia are of much less quality than here in Ireland. 

I love how I can buy locally produced and organic food here in Ireland and it is not that much more expensive than regular produce.

When I decided to buy my plane ticket and come to Westport I only had a hotel job waiting for me, accommodation and one suitcase of items. 

But after only a few months I knew I had made the right decision and some dreams of mine are already coming true with bigger dreams now seeming achievable.  

My initial plan was to simply work my six month contract with the hotel and try and save some money.

In Croatia, I worked as a freelance author but I was struggling to make ends meet. I was travelling a lot, had no time for myself and it was common for me to work more than 80 hours a week. 

This began to take a toll on my mental and physical health and I knew I had to change something. 

There’s a lot of pessimism in Croatia. You feel like your hard work is not rewarded or recognised. Here I feel appreciated for what I do.  

After only a few months in Westport Eva decided to stay: 

Two months after I arrived in Westport I realised that Westport was a place I felt good in and was somewhere I wanted to be. The town is a perfect size and has everything one might need. There is no stress and rush and this dynamic has encouraged me to start doing the things I love again like cooking and blogging 🙂

Q. I also asked Eva did she experience any silly little Irish anecdotes so far?

She told me she has experienced numerous acts of Irish kindness and honesty but one, in particular, stands out to her which made her feel she was in the right place.

On a night out in Waterford, I lost my purse which contained all of my documents, cards and money! The purse found it’s way back to me the very next morning and everything was inside, as I left it. There are not many places in the world where this would happen and amazingly I seem to have found  the one place it does – Ireland 🙂

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