Thinking of Emigrating? Why the Grass is Greener in Croatia

[@libertas5552]

I know about 10 second-generation Croats from the Toronto area who have permanently moved to Croatia. None of them are doing remote work. I hope to join them shortly.

[@PaulBradbury]

We interviewed a few of them in this returnee series kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3XZmnR-fNqnqcU

[@djubar1975]

dude...thank you so much...I am croatian and you give me totally new perspective...every croatian should see this video...regards from vukovar

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha, thanks very much and glad you enjoyed. Feel free to share so more see it

[@tour80]

It took me almost 25 years to visit Croatia after my last visit in 1997...and all I can think of now is when I can move my family there. Certainly planning to do so in the next few years and just like all others that return, we have our reasons.

[@PaulBradbury]

Good luck with the move

[@Lucas-wn5wm]

my croat friend tells me to consider to move to Croatia too and im from Singapore (chinese). im now looking in the data science field in Croatia@@PaulBradbury

[@Lucas-wn5wm]

im in Croatia right now (vacation)

[@francine895]

Dear Paul your comments and statements really make me happy.Lot of people left Croatia-"Neighbors grass is allways greener".

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha thanks. Well, Croatia certainly has its problems, but it doesn't hurt to reflect on the good things occasionally.

[@ghatt20]

Spent 5 weeks this past summer in Croatia, visiting my daughters boyfriends parents. What a beautiful country and loved our time in Zagreb, Slavonski Brod, Vir, Pula and Primošten. It was fun embracing the difference between Dallas,TX and Croatia. Cant wait to get back to get another full plate of chivapcici and cold beer. Your advise and talks are very informative. All ready planning our emigrating game plan. Not sure of the spelling but glad my bottle of homemade Rakia made it back with us.

[@PaulBradbury]

Great. It is a fab place to be.

[@kakudmi]

You have just described envy. When you cannot be content with other people's happiness. When you feel good upon other's failure. When you feel justified being envious.

[@charplenz]

Great video and information. We plan to visit next week!

[@PaulBradbury]

Enjoy and let us know how it went

[@mwoods1052]

I will watch more of your vids and hope to meet you one day. I’m on the road to becoming a citizen by descent. I am so incredibly grateful to have this opportunity and explore my roots in Croatia. To meet some relatives would be so cool.

[@Timo-qb1gf]

This way of focusing on the positive and living in your bubble is all good and maybe enables you to live happily. But I also find it very sad people have to be so diseganged and just ignore the negatives, instead of fighting for a change and improvement.

[@badWolf2033]

Thank you Paul, u make so much sense! A random guy from Slavonija living abroad. BTW walking in the rain is the best, no ur not strange😂😇

[@PaulBradbury]

haha

[@ZombiesJourney]

I'm craving to go on adventure and start my life abroad. I will certainly go to Croatia soon. Your videos helped to convince me to give Croatia a try !

[@PaulBradbury]

There is no time like the present

[@kristijanveza8086]

The Best statement👌

[@jame452]

I lived in Zagreb for 25 years and moved to Canada 10 years ago. I went from never working due to getting a pension for my father dieing in the war after joining in one of the first waves and going back to the front few times. If I worked at all I would lose my pension and every job I could do would half my income so since I am a good driver I decided to jump ubove the value of my pension by becoming a trucker. I was born with a fully functional thumb and 4 fingers missing on my right hand. I spent years getting through rules to get my trucking licences. Aparently it was illegal for me to make money by driving trucks with a dissability wich made no sence to me. I mannaged to get my truckers licence and a work permit in Canada and my first job was driving 63.5 T super B tankers with fuel north to a copper mine in Yukon. I have worked 80h per week for a few years then moved to Ireland for 2 years doing waste disposal for 60- 80h per week and now I am married and living in a hellhole that is Canada of today and watching your channel and being pissed that I ever left even tho I had to. Now I have 2 small kids and a Canadian wife who doesn't want to move so I am a bit stuck here.

[@garymcguire8529]

Fascinating video on Croatia.

[@stefanvvv]

I love Croatia for vacation and hope I buy vacation home there one day. Nice talk, but please repeat questions from the audience because it is not possible to hear them.

[@PaulBradbury]

Too late for that. We werent planning on questions and only had the one mic.

[@peterpositive660]

​@@PaulBradbury Hi Paul, what about medical support there for normal aging healthy in 60s and early 70s, still working..

[@panzer8as]

we discussed briefly about this issue of young people leaving croatia and i was left with a feeling that you will never understand it, but you sir just changed my mind, it happens rarely :) thank you

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha amazing. I thought changing minds online was impossible.

[@user-xj3ve7wt8k]

Great video.

[@PaulBradbury]

Thanks!

[@Mis-AdventureCH]

had a golden opportunity during the war to get my domovnica, but was afraid of the us state department and didn't collect the various service papers I could have. Young and dumb. Good luck ever getting back now. 😪 Spot on witht he cafe complaining culture, LOL. Some things never changed. Everywhere I looked I saw opportunity. Endless, boundless opportunity.

[@PaulBradbury]

It is never too late...

[@Mis-AdventureCH]

@@PaulBradbury Getting old, but I must admit, that abandoned village near Petrinja piqued my interest. What a great place for a Regenerative agriculture / art colony / educational workshop project.

[@soksb3766]

It is a privilege to be born and die in the same house is someone's old thought that has a lot of truth in it.

[@PaulBradbury]

Unless you are born in Manchester..

[@soksb3766]

​@@PaulBradburyI haven't been to Manchester but I have been to Chester. I had a great time with the locals in an Irish pub. Also, in the past I've fantasized about what kind of energy the city that gave birth to The Smiths has? But everything has its time. I would like to see all that, but I completely agree with you and I wouldn't change Croatia for anything. But that's my country... Even if I were forced to leave it, I believe I would choose Bosnia or Serbia, no matter how problematic our relations are. Greetings from Krk

[@sylvainmathias6195]

Hello. Did you do a video about education? Especially in the mindset of immigrating with a yound child

[@Slavonian_field_marshal]

im a croat living in switzerland, 14 yo. i really wanna move to croatia in the near future, switzerland is overrated and isnt mine.

[@PaulBradbury]

What is stopping you?

[@Slavonian_field_marshal]

im under the age of 18@@PaulBradbury

[@JordanShackelford]

i wanna live in switzerland. i'm from USA

[@Photostoryhr]

Hallo Paul, it is always a pleasure to listen to you. I hope you don't mind me asking, are you fluent in Croatian?

[@PaulBradbury]

Not fluent but i do interviews in Croatian for example

[@maricamarkovic3305]

Ja sam Hrvatica i bila sam 50 godina u Germani i vratila se prije 5 godina za Hrvatsku i uživam kao u raju. Kažite svima ljudima cijeloga svijeta dođite u Hrvatsku ovo je raj na zemlji cijeli svijet je dobro došlo u Hrvatsku ❤❤❤❤❤

[@importedvixen]

Ha ha pa sto ste bili 50 godina u Njemackoj ako vam je u HR tako lijepo? Lako sad sa Njemackom penzijom uzivat u HR.. to se moze svagdje.. mogli ste i na Bali i na Kanarske otoke isto tako

[@Seaborn-ne1vp]

Kako to da se niste vratili u HR prije 20 godina? Pa HR je raj na zemlji kako kažete, znači "nije u šoldima sve". Ili ipak je ?

[@damjandabo]

The best thing about emigrating from Croatia is getting the most of how great Croatia is for vacations. If you don’t live in Croatia, all daily problems don’t bother you, and you can enjoy it fully.

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha. Or work on the mindset, come to terms with the frustrations, and enjoy 52 weeks of the year, not 2.

[@damjandabo]

@@PaulBradbury Only 2 weeks? More like 10 weeks :D

[@katarinanovak3937]

Hvala lijepa!

[@Ricebowl-l5h]

Hvala!!

[@thelotusdancer1]

Let's not talk about how good it is; too many people want to move there now. I am going to an island where we have a family home, and want it to stay quiet!

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha, there are some spots I don't mention

[@peterpositive660]

Thank you Paul. Interesting. 71, married, considering emigrating from England, UK. Can I work, online support?

[@PaulBradbury]

It is possible, but a lot harder thanks to our friend Brexit

[@samuelsmith4194]

Really good but what’s the bit about being “an alcoholic” in Croatia vs Norway?! Anyone who drinks alcohol is an alcoholic? I have spent a fair amount of time in England so I’m aware that this isn’t an English colloquialism.

[@PaulBradbury]

the fact you will drink anyway. You could go to Albania and pay 2 euro or be in Norway and pay 10. He chooses the more expensive lifestyle because he prefers it and feels is it worth the money.

[@runawaytechgal1467]

My husband and I are very interested in speaking with you or anyone who can help us navigate purchasing property and moving to Istria.

[@PaulBradbury]

Please email me on [e-mail] Subject Buying Property

[@ViajesYrecuerdos-lv8uc]

Wow. How long did it take you to learn Croatian?

[@PaulBradbury]

Haha, a lifetime, and longer - will get there one day...

[@ViajesYrecuerdos-lv8uc]

@@PaulBradbury I heard it helps to speak Italian in Croatia if you don't speak Croatian

[@bvonm9557]

not really but it could help you a bit in the parts of Istria since it was under constant attacks from Italians trough the centuries and that part of Croatia has assimilated word of Italian language, the only language that could help you to communicate trough Croatia is definitely English and after it German since a lot of have life in Germany as well . Italian only in some parts of Istria, mostly area around Italian border @@ViajesYrecuerdos-lv8uc

[@Yadav-21-y1t]

Hi sir i need a job in crotia, I'm from India I'm graduate

[@engineering4074]

On one hand its very nice that a "foreigner" like you does this, what you see, say...on the other hand it is very annoying and strange when an englishman is trying to explain others their own culture, their language (a croatian knows that the language is slavic, one of 1000 examples), their way of life etc...be it every aspect of life. What balkan guy does this in England, germany, france, netherlands etc? This seems like classic imperialistic mentality...it can appear this way. Even when its not meant. In the whole balkans there are many well educated people...young and of gen x and older. In every family there is someone who is or was working/living outside. Since decades. Many people speak german/english. There is a lot of work experience and Internationality. Even in the mindsets...forget when you get to a dumb nationalist, be reminded that they exist everywhere, look at Britannia. Now germany gets dangerous, who would have thought that people are afraid of a new rise of Nazis and that middle class dares to say certain things? The problem is, not a whole country can exist solely from service and consultants and tourism what you are talking about. You need to produce stuff. Starting with food again. People try it, work on it. Jan the Netherlands guy is not a pioneer. Even not on digitisation. In every ex-yugoslavian country people did this. When you deal with infrastructure, politics, institutions, it seems to be better when you bring in money and are foreign because of our politicians european politics interests, that is money from Bruxelles. Locals with "new" ideas must fight harder for "permissions" and stuff. It seems. You know the bribe problem. There are people already having done your work. But for some reason experienced negative or none reactions. There are reasons why people leave. They are not stupid. There is no work. 4 Mio people cannot found designer companies or electric car companies for the rich outside. Or do "talk work" like you. And when DM, Lidl or Kaufkand dominate, local companies have problems. The market is unfair. The same happens in african countries with cheaper food imports of germany and netherlands than a ghanaen farmer can produce chicken products. Everytime i see a german skipper in an adriatic port offering services to Kornati and explaining Dalnatia to 'ignorant' tourists, i get mad. There are hundreds of local skippers who could do it better. They are not just complaining. They complain with a reason, but with humour. And go on. Let us see, what will happen in northern europe when Euro gets big problems and the life standard in terms of luxury shrinks to balkan state level...Then we all will have problems. And no humour is to be expected from a german or British guy with only 1000 euro wage but prices like now. Sorry, i understand your work. But this presentation is out of a bubble. And this "bubble views" equal "coaching speeches" equal motivation talk are currently on the run in every country. We need "do stuff "- people, not "talk stuff"-people. International Development agencies have done that for a long time...including myself. Mostly it is selfexpression. Sorry. But it has to be said.

[@mwoods1052]

Thank you for posting such a researched, thoughtful and passionate plea about the situation. I admit I know absolutely nothing about the issue yet I did like your POV. My situation is different though… I’m retired and will not work in Croatia. My family roots are in Croatia. I would love to find distant relatives who may still live there. I would love to learn more about the history of the country and learn about my ancestors. I hope I will be accepted and not judged because I’m American, perceived as being “rich” which I am not.

[@darioraguz6482]

Oh yes. The art of Serbo-Croat coffee shop complaining. In this ancient ritual, ---slav sits with ----slav and they blame all their problems on someone else, never on themselves. Afterwards, they go to their mothers' houses for dinner. Life is hard. The main problem culturally with this entire region is the Balkan mother. She is fundamentally averse to letting the child grow up and take risks necessary to become independent, which concurrently might actually lead to good things. Instead, she continuously gathers them around and does all sorts of things for them, thereby keeping them inbecillic into their 50"s.

[@mwoods1052]

Helicopter mothers.

[@womynchick]

i moved to Croatia and left very disappointed. The paperwork, the treatment of people telling me to go back home when I was looking for work, the locals trying to rip me off or steal from me… no thanks! I will not put money into their economy. It is NOT the best place in Europe! I call the country plagued by PTSD! The younger population has left due to its dysfunctional ways and they wont return unless it’s to visit family. If you dont understand Croatian, you dont know what they say behind your back. As ling as you have a good amount of money, Croatia sucks you dry financially. Myself and my friends who moved there, both of us having Dual citizenship lasted 15 and 18 months . I he negativity and the self preservation(some due to the economy or to the survivalists barely getting by and can only take care of themselves) drains on you. I love to be around positivity. The problem with some of the wealthy is the corruption… that includes the politicians, police, love interests, etc

[@mwoods1052]

I would really like to contact you to discuss your POV. I may move there and I’m interested in gathering people’s experiences and points of view. How can this happen?

[@cghj6599]

C'mon Man, now brits going to invade croatia, not so cool.

[@importedvixen]

No worries. They won’t Brits like sandy beeches and Fish’n chips so Spain will still be no 1 for them .. Brits generally don’t like Eastern Europe and Eastern Europeans ..

[@KL23063]

It is central europa not Bolkan

[@SuperGeronimo1975]

Your montly inkom is???...check what is for yong family futur!!...

[@DragonTree9]

And this talk is how you take the first steps to make that change for the better.