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For a long time something in life was missing. I could never quite put my finger on it, I had a loving family, ultra fun friends, good job to go to but then soon realised it was that feeling of belonging to the community that was missing. Sharing knowledge, experiences and retelling key facts we have learnt along the way was my way of returning to people what others had taught me. Since my 1^st trip to Croatia in early 2000’s, I knew I had a deep love for a country that was my parent’s birth place. Although I had not been born there myself I had always felt like it was home. Having been raised in a Dalmatian household I very much felt every part Croatian, as much so as if I had been born and raised there. Having visited Korčula many years in a row now, I developed a keen interest and want to learn more about our heritage, the island’s culture and the country’s culture and history as a whole. In 2004 the idea of Ružo HR was manifested.

It eventually came to life in 2018 during a further trip to the homeland, where I got to travel through beautiful Zagreb, Vukovar and various parts of Slavonija. Where I got to see and hear about the Glagoljica throughout Zagreb, Osijek and Đakovo. This experience was very much life changing for me.

Ružo HR to me meant “ the heart of Croatia”. I quickly realised through my travels and conversations with beautiful Croatians in the community that my same interests and love were shared by many. And just as many had forgotten or never known about our rich history such as that of the Glagolijica, I too had much to learn. Upon leaving Croatia last year my deep connection drove me to bring to life my original idea of Ružo HR. To teach others the knowledge I had through travel and reading and meeting unique people. To educate others about our beautiful ancient script and forgotten traditions and materials that Croatia had to offer. And so Ružo HR had it’s flame reignited and my “Capture Croatia” passion began.  

 

                                           

What many of you won’t know about me is that I have been through many ups and downs in my short 36 + years of life. At a young age a part of me changed forever as I was diagnosed with B/C. Soon after I questioned a lot about life, why we were here? What were we to learn in this world?  Was I here to make a difference, to stand for something? To have a love and passion for one another or just of something in our lives.

Post being told I had the C word I lost a lot of hope in all I’d dreamt of til that day. Life as I knew it would be vastly different now and I wasn’t wrong. Though I was in great hands and looked after by fantastic specialists and surgeons what people don’t realise about those going through this illness is that no matter how you look on the outside, it’s the inside that is shattered and most fragile. I was lucky to have a great support network. My mum and dad, husband and daughter and immediate family were my world. But the 2 rocks that got me through the worst hours were my amazing husband Steven/ daughter Katie and my friends. In your darkest hours a friend is there to listen, to be a shoulder to cry on, to keep you sain and positive when everything else seems to falling about you.

I was fortunate enough to have found a new passion just before diagnosis. That was in Folklore Dancing with Mladi Hrvati Clifton Hill, which gave me that chance to make a vast amount of new amazing friends. One of those unbelievable girls was a witty, fun loving and supportive Slavonka. She was a friend who sat through many of my ups and downs, chatting through my thoughts on our various drives together to dancing. I’d never met someone so fierce loving, trusting, honest and loyal. Four qualities that I myself had been brought up on. Her countless replies of “ it can only get better” instilled a positive spirit in me , one that I’d lost and misplaced with sadness and fear during diagnosis. She helped me get through the worst of times together with my beautiful husband & daughter, all of whom I love to pieces.

Moving on a year after surgery I was extra lucky to have experienced my further love of the homeland with my friend during our trip to her homeland of Slavonija, where she showed me a part of Croatia I’d never seen before. Laid back in nature, beautiful, peaceful, this was Croatia in its raw form, one that everyone needs to experience. This was exactly where my friend got her beauty from, a beauty which I wanted to acknowledge in our special edition of the “lijepa li si” narukvice. A design capturing Croatia and a tribute to our beautiful, fun loving, caring and crazy Juliana.
For showing me many Croatian traditions and for being the beautiful person that she is and getting me through an extremely tough time in life. For that I am forever grateful. And for that old song that makes us sing our lungs out together…

"iste smo pjesme, dušo mi svirali,                                       tambaricu ja, mandolinu ti.                                                          "iste su pjesme naše od ljubavi,                                                       U Dalmaciji I Slavoniji, ma u Slavoniji I Dalmaciji”.