SLOVENIA'S 5 CORE VALUES

60 or 70 years ago, peasant life was quite modest. Food and other necessities of life were scarce. 

It was no different at home with Tonet. Together with his parents, brother, aunt and uncle, they lived in a dilapidated house, and the time was coming when all the farm buildings would slowly need to be renovated, with the barn at the head of the list. This was the reason why Tone decided to leave his home and make a more decent life for himself, and he wanted to give some of the money he earned to his family. 

It was not easy for him to leave his family and friends, but it was necessary. He was particularly attached to a girl, Karolina, from the same village, who was also destined for the world; she had gone to Austria. Tone soon got a job in Stuttgart, Germany, through connections. He worked in construction and lived in a worker's shack. He was soon promoted from assistant to foreman. His life was further improved when one day he met Mr Warth, who offered him a nice room in his house to rent at a good price.

During all this time, he and Karolina kept in touch and corresponded regularly. Soon their ties became so intertwined that they decided to get married. They both returned from abroad for a short time and were married in 1969 in the Vistula Church in Ljubljana. 

Soon they returned to their home abroad, this time together as husband and wife. They went to Germany and continued to live with the very nice and hospitable Warth family. Karolina also found work. She worked as a kitchen assistant. Somehow they made a life for themselves and soon they found out that they were expecting their first baby. Tonet's heart yearned more and more to return to his homeland, to his birthplace. This desire grew even stronger when letters began to arrive from home asking them to return.

On the other hand, when the Warth family found out about the new baby, they offered them a bigger flat, and Caroline was also offered childcare close to her work. The baby was to be looked after by a colleague who was retiring at the time. The decision to return was more difficult for Karolina, as she and Tonet had set up a warm home with the Warth family and she felt very comfortable and valued at work. 

They knew that it would not be easy and that when they returned home they would face a big change; a new lease of life. But the decision fell. Tonet's heart's call took precedence over everything, and Karolina followed. So, a few weeks after the birth of their daughter, they returned to their hometown. Her attachment to her homeland, her native land and people was too strong to stay abroad. 

Germany offered them a broader view of the world, good opportunities for a more comfortable life and the warmth of a German family. They have never forgotten this, and have remained in contact with them for many years to come. Soon after their return, Tone and Karolina rolled up their sleeves and built their own house, where they lived with their four daughters and other family members. At the end of the story, this thought comes to me: Home is where the heart is, and that is where you belong.

Jožica Kous, 28. 11. 2025