I haven’t lived in Croatia for very long. Yet this week, I received a letter from the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, in response to a request I had made in my role as president of the International Women’s Club Zagreb (IWCZ).

The President confirmed that he will be the patron of the IWCZ Christmas Bazaar, one of our club’s most important charitable initiatives. I am grateful for his support and the trust he has placed in us.

His reply means a great deal to me personally, too. Moving to another country means meeting people, building relationships and gradually finding your place in a new environment. I never expected that, after such a short time, I would be representing an international community of women in Croatia and corresponding with the Office of the President.

That is why this letter also feels like a recognition of everything that began with meetings and conversations. I don’t know what new opportunities lie ahead, but I do know how much the people I can create them with mean to me.

Petra Reinbacher

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The proceeds from this year’s Christmas Bazaar will go to the association Čudesni borci.