Marshalls Abroad

croatia

How & Why We Lived in Croatia for Two Years



We still get asked pretty regularly, “Sooo… what were you guys doing in Croatia again?” I’m sharing partly because it was such an incredibly sweet/amazing/unreal time for our family but most of all, for any military families out there reading this who could potentially be part of the Olmsted program.



The Olmsted Foundation selects a few military officers from each branch every year. It’s something you have to apply for, but trust me, it’s worth the initial effort!! The Foundation is privately funded with a mission to broaden the worldview of military officers; to make them stronger leaders; to throw them out into the world with their families, and on their own, figure out life in a foreign country and language. When Cam and I first heard about the scholarship, we couldn’t believe what a sweet deal it was and wanted it so badly we spent the next five years dreaming of it and praying for it.



After completing our two years in Croatia, we can tell you wholeheartedly, it still feels almost too good to be true. But it was real life. Somehow that dream was real life!

Our job was to travel all over the region as a family and to become fluent in the language in order to become fluent in the culture. Our language lessons were paid for; I even took cooking lessons in Croatian that were paid for. Cam spent every day in Masters’ level courses in a foreign language, so it was an entirely different kind of challenge for him.

We were totally immersed, learning and experiencing new things together every single day. What an incredible blessing it was to go through those challenges together as a family. The Foundation puts a strong emphasis on your family being all in it. If not, don’t even apply. But that’s what made it so fun. John Shea and Gracie were living in Croatian as much as Cam and I were. Baby Georgia was born in a private Croatian hospital, with very little English spoken, so you could say she was the most immersed out of all of us!

Cam worked on his Masters in Croatian, and when not at school, he was home. Every military spouse understands what a rare gift that is! It allowed us all the time together we could hope for to get to know Croatia deeply as a family, and for our children to enjoy day to day life with both their Mom and Dad. John Shea is still disappointed each morning when he wakes up and Daddy is at work instead of at home making a big breakfast of palačinke and eggs!




I could shout how thankful we are for the Olmsted Scholarship all day. It far surpassed our wildest expectations and was not only an investment in Cam’s career, but an investment in our marriage and family. It afforded us adventures and years together that I never thought possible in the Marine Corps.


Comments

  2. Bailey from Becoming Bailey says

    Thanks for sharing this post! I was actually trying to remember what program you all were accepted for to live in Croatia for 2 years but I couldn’t find anything on Google. I just looked up the requirements and my husband wouldn’t be eligible since he’ll have more than 11 years in service before he even is able to finish his Bachelor’s and commission. Bummer! πŸ™ It looks like a really awesome assignment for those who meet the criteria, though!

    • Amanda Marshall says

      Dangit… There are some other great programs, though! I’ll ask Cam so I can let you know of the others he’s heard of!

  3. Cynthia says

    Such an amazing experience for you! I feel like you will always have such a strong connection now to the country. How does it work now that you’ve left — are you still trying to keep up Croatian culture and language somehow at home or perhaps planning a return trip sometime? πŸ˜‰

    • Amanda says

      More like a return trip to buy our future (renovation) home… πŸ˜‰
      I haven’t posted about it outright yet but I have been working hard on my cookbook which is based on Croatia, so yes, definitely keeping up with it until we return! Can’t wait to be able to share it!!

    • Amanda says

      Thank you, Mary-Katherine!! You’ve always left the kindest comments from all the way back in Oki, and I’ve appreciated every one!

  5. Rebecca says

    I thought about you today, before I read your post, as I made your grapefruit cake from several years ago. I use whatever citrus I have on hand. Today, it was fresh lemons from our lemon tree. I always appreciate your joyful spirit and the beauty you create in your life. Just found you on Instagram. πŸ™‚

    • Amanda says

      oh THANK YOU! I love that you make that cake! I forgot all about it. Thank you for such a sweet note – you made my day:)

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