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**📘

When I think back to my early days in Slovenia, one place keeps returning to my mind: Celje. It wasn’t my first stop, but it quickly became the city where I finally slowed down, caught my breath, and began building something that actually felt like a life.

Before Celje, everything was movement — driving tourists from Belgrade to Slovenia, arranging visas, crossing borders, switching jobs, learning new systems, new people, new rules. My life felt like a highway with no places to rest. Slovenia was beautiful, yes, but I was too busy trying to survive to fully see it.

Celje changed that.

I still remember the first weeks — the quiet mornings, the sound of buses under the castle hill, the soft fog that sits over the city like a blanket. It wasn’t loud, not chaotic, not overwhelming. After years of fast work and nonstop stress, I finally had a moment to breathe again.

Working Across Slovenia

During my first job, I didn’t have a “fixed” city.
My workplace was wherever they sent me:

• Power plants
• Power lines
• Highways
• Bridge repairs
• Anti-corrosion treatment
• Even the port of Koper

One week I’d be climbing steel structures in the middle of nowhere, and the next week I’d be balancing on scaffolding over a bridge with traffic rushing below. The pay wasn’t huge, but for a newcomer trying to get on his feet, it wasn’t terrible either.

But it was exhausting.

Three years ago, everything changed again. I switched to a new job — installing PVC, aluminum, and wooden windows and doors. Sometimes full building façades made of glass and aluminum. Hard work, but steady. More organized. Cleaner. More predictable.

I started to understand something important:
I could see myself living here long-term.

The Real Cost of Living

People on the internet sometimes say, “Slovenia is expensive.”
Well, yes and no.
Here’s the truth from someone actually living here:

Rooms

If you want a simple room with a shared bathroom and kitchen:
€200/month minimum
Basic, sometimes old, sometimes noisy — but affordable.

Apartments

If you want your own place, even a small studio:
€400–€500 minimum

And here comes the big shock for anyone moving here:

Deposits

Two rents as deposit + first rent.

If the rent is €500, you must pay:

• €500 first month
• €1,000 deposits
  Total: €1,500 the day you move in

This is normal in Slovenia and the deposit stays with the owner until the end of your contract. You get it back only if everything in the apartment is in good condition.

This is the moment many foreigners realize that moving to Slovenia is not just about changing countries — it’s about changing your entire financial strategy.

Life in Celje

What really helped me adapt was Celje’s rhythm. It’s not as busy as Ljubljana, not as touristy as Bled, not as industrial as Maribor. It’s right in the middle — calm, friendly, and affordable.

On weekends I’d walk along the river Savinja, sit under Celje Castle, or take short trips to Laško, Žalec, or Velenje. Everything is close. Everything feels reachable. After years of instability, that was a blessing.

Slowly, Slovenia stopped being “the place where I work”…
and started becoming “the place where I live.”

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**📘

“Understanding Slovenia: Culture, People, Struggles & Wins”**

By the time I reached my fourth year in Slovenia, I started understanding things that no travel guide or tourist brochure will ever tell you. Living here isn’t just about beautiful lakes and clean cities — it’s about adapting to a unique rhythm, a unique mentality, and a system that can be both very fair… and very complicated.

The Challenge of Being a Foreigner

Let’s be honest:
Being a foreign worker in Slovenia is not always easy.

Sometimes you feel invisible.
Sometimes you feel judged.
Sometimes you feel like you must work harder than locals just to prove yourself.

But at the same time, Slovenia is one of the safest and most stable countries I’ve ever lived in. People pay on time. Employers follow rules. The streets are quiet at night. The nature is protected and respected.

It’s a strange mix of challenges and comfort.

Slovenians — Quiet but Honest

Slovenians aren’t like Serbs, Croats, or Bosnians. They don’t open up immediately. They don’t talk fast. They don’t “take over the room.” They watch. They observe. They think before they speak.

At first, I thought they were cold.
Now I understand they’re simply careful and private.

But once they trust you…
they trust you for real.

Some of the most reliable, hardworking people I’ve ever met are Slovenian colleagues from construction sites, workshops, or installations.

Work Routine & Life Balance

One thing I admire here:
Slovenians know how to live.

They go hiking.
They go to the seaside.
They travel to Austria or Italy on weekends.
They enjoy long holidays with family.

They don’t live only for work — they balance it. And being around that mindset changed me a lot. It made me think more about my health, my time, my future.

My Wins After Four Years

When I look back, I realize how much I’ve built:

• A stable job
• A steady life in Celje
• Local friends
• A better understanding of the language
• A safe, clean environment
• A country where I can plan for the future

I came here thinking it would be temporary.
Now, four years later, it’s clear:
Slovenia became my home more than I ever expected.

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