Love, languages and mountain life

Trading wanderlust for roots in the mountains

Jacqueline’s life has been anything but ordinary. For nearly six years, she worked aboard cruise ships, serving passengers from every corner of the globe whilst exploring destinations from Africa to Rio de Janeiro, from Australia to the tiny islands near Tahiti. “I’ve actually seen everything I wanted to see in my life,” she reflects, speaking from her current workplace – a mountain hut in the Austrian Alps where she now works as a waitress.

The transition from international waters to mountain peaks wasn’t just about geography; it represented a fundamental shift in priorities. As she approached her thirtieth birthday, Jacqueline found herself craving stability and connection rather than constant movement. “I thought, okay, now I need to come home, find some peace,” she explains. The mountains of her homeland offered exactly that – a place where she could put down roots whilst still engaging with the diverse mix of visitors that her hospitality background had taught her to cherish.

A heart that beats for Croatia

Despite her extensive travels, one destination has always held special significance for Jacqueline: Croatia. Even before meeting her Croatian partner from Metković, near Dubrovnik, she was drawn to the country’s accessibility and charm. “My heart still beats for Croatia,” she says warmly. “It’s tangible – you don’t have to get on a plane from Austria to get there.”

The five-hour drive to Zagreb makes Croatia feel like an extension of home rather than a foreign destination. Long before any romantic connection, Jacqueline would take spontaneous weekend trips to Pula or Rijeka with friends, sometimes sleeping in the car to make the adventure affordable. These casual excursions laid the groundwork for a deeper relationship with the country that would later become central to her personal life. Now, regular visits to her partner’s family have transformed these holiday memories into something far more meaningful – a genuine connection to Croatian culture and community.

Childhood echoes finally making sense

Jacqueline’s journey with Croatian began long before she realised it. Her best friend is Serbian, and growing up, she was constantly exposed to Balkan languages and culture. “I’ve always had this connection with Balkan people,” she explains. “These words that her family always said and spoke – it was always fixed in my subconscious.”

What makes her current learning experience so remarkable is the way childhood memories are suddenly clicking into place. Words and phrases she heard throughout her youth, stored away without understanding, are now revealing their meanings through formal study. “Now that I’m taking the course and learning these texts and words, suddenly everything makes sense – what my best friend’s parents used to say to me back then.” This revelation has added an unexpected layer of nostalgia and discovery to her language learning, transforming abstract grammar lessons into personal archaeology.

The practical magic of multilingual hospitality

Jacqueline’s linguistic curiosity extends far beyond Croatian. Having lived in Norway, she speaks Norwegian alongside fluent English, which she describes as “almost like my second mother tongue.” This multilingual foundation stems from both practical necessity and genuine fascination with communication across cultures.

Her hospitality background has shown her the profound impact of speaking to guests in their native language. “It’s simply cool when you have a waitress who can suddenly speak with you in your mother tongue,” she observes. “Whether it’s English, Italian, Croatian, or French – languages are just very interesting.” This philosophy has shaped her approach to Croatian learning, driven not just by romantic motivation but by a deep-seated belief in the power of linguistic connection. The joy she experiences when Croatian guests are surprised to hear their language spoken by an Austrian waitress reinforces her commitment to continuing her studies.

Building confidence one conversation at a time

The breakthrough moment Jacqueline describes happened just three weeks before our interview, when she encountered her first Croatian guests at the mountain hut. After hearing them speak Croatian amongst themselves, she turned around and asked them something in Croatian. Their surprised delight at being addressed in their native language created exactly the kind of meaningful connection she’d hoped for.

These real-world interactions have become increasingly frequent and rewarding. Recently, two Croatian women in their forties, also working in Austria, were amazed by her progress. “They said they wouldn’t have expected from us Austrians, or from me as an Austrian, that I would learn Croatian, and that I could already speak so well,” Jacqueline recalls proudly. Such encounters provide motivation that extends far beyond classroom exercises, proving that her online Croatian course with Let’s Learn Croatian is translating into genuine communicative ability. The flexibility of online learning fits perfectly with her hospitality schedule, allowing her to maintain consistency even with the irregular hours typical of restaurant work.