As a native of Podgorica, Ivan Vukčević thought that he would never move from Stara Varoša, because, as he says, he loves the spirit of old Podgorica immensely, its streets, cobblestones, his Vukčevićs and dear neighbors. He grew up there and is sure he will grow old there.
After the wedding, Ivan and his wife Maja decided to live in the Vukčević house in Stara Varoš. At that moment, Ivan's late grandfather lived on the ground floor of the house, so the young married couple decided on the first floor of the family house and spent three beautiful years of their lives there. According to Ivan, he will remember that period the most for the birth of his first child, daughter Kalina.
Continuing his story, Vukčević notes that, 15 years ago, his parents got tired of city crowds, the fast pace of life, the constant pursuit of work and ambitions, and moved to Daljam.
"At that moment, we, their children, were already adults, so their relocation was not conditioned by our age, and they really found refuge and rest, after much deliberation, far from the city center," adds our host, claiming that the relocation however, it was much harder for his father, but he got used to the new environment very quickly, so now his parents, in the countryside, plant fruit trees, gather family and friends and enjoy the country air.
Our host continues his story, remembering that 8 years ago, his wife Maja and he, expecting their second child, often thought about how much it would mean for them to have a bigger yard, for children to be able to play outside, run, grow up carefree in nature...
Their house in Stara Varoš is right next to the street and everything is really close, but still, says Vukčević, they missed nature, greenery and escape from the crowds. At that moment, Ivan's dad suggested that they move close to them, which was certainly a serious topic to think about. In the end, the young Vukčevićs decided to leave the city and join their parents in Daljmo.
Going out of town, they say, gave them peace, intimacy and great joy for Ivan's parents, due to the renewed closeness of the family...
"The village allowed our children to grow up carefree and close to their grandparents. We learned to grow vegetables, tidy up the yard, fix small things around the house, buy leaves and when work allows us to be really physically active", says our host, adding that, thanks to their work, this summer they only consumed salad, arugula, onions, spinach, tomatoes and Swiss chard from your garden. "In the orchard, we pick apples, figs, dogwoods, grapes, needles, and now olives and Japanese apples. Our dogs Astor and Dona look after our house, while the little dog, Alf, mostly stays in the house," adds Vukčević.
"Since we now have three children, the number of obligations is also large, so sometimes it is very difficult for us to organize ourselves. The day can be extremely tiring and programmed for us, as it is for most families. Kalina and Zoki are pupils of the elementary school "Sutjeska", Lola goes to kindergarten, my wife works in the same school as a teacher, and I have been working twice for years. I spend my lunch break and part of the weekend with my family. We don't give up on that, even though sometimes it is extremely tiring for us to drive to the city 3 or 4 times a day", says Ivan, adding that life in the countryside has given them a lot, regardless of the fact that sometimes it is very difficult for them to coordinate their wishes and possibilities and obligations.
He also says that the eldest daughter begged them for a long time to enroll her in some sport, which, due to the distance of 13 km and the busy schedule with school and work shifts, they could not enable her. Starting this year, she and her brother go swimming, and when circumstances permit, Zoki will return to football, which she has been training for a year. Our hosts would not be able to coordinate all this if their grandparents did not help them and if the classes were not shortened, and school shifts, due to the coronavirus pandemic, were fixed. Vukčević says to all that:
"Our day starts early, my wife gets up around 6 a.m., gets ready for work and takes her daughter to kindergarten. I drive Kalina and Zoran to the pool, and then to Maja's parents, who look after them until school. Throughout the day there is organization, which will go for the children, take them to school, bring them home, who will stay at work, who will run home first... that's why now I can comfortably say that we are a very well-established team"!
In addition to all the conveniences that the city offers to the Vukčevićs, they still have peace and freedom in the countryside. Their children, although they do not have many peers in the neighborhood, play with the children of their relatives, who often come to visit them. They grow up with older family members, invent various games in the yard, build houses, collect leaves, garbage...
"In March, when we were in quarantine, my wife and I were grateful every day for the privilege that our children and we have. From conversations with close people, I know very well how many trials the previous period brought and continues to bring. The village gives us peace and security. I was with my family every day, which I didn't have the opportunity for all 11 years of marriage, for a full month and a half and spent as much time as possible outside. We painted the fence, prepared food, played various games and spent unforgettable moments. My wife had online classes, in the meantime she was studying with the children, then household duties... this period was a little harder for her too, but the fact is that we will all have a hard time forgetting this year. That's why I'm of the opinion that, even for children, we should maximally preserve all the negative influences that this period brings with it", emphasizes Vukčević, adding that even when they crave the city, there is a trip to get groceries and the opportunity to satisfy the need for an urban environment.
Another of the links with the city and the events in "civilization" in general is the Internet, which provides this young family with countless opportunities for communication, paying bills, shopping and settling many other obligations. Although they can complete all these obligations during their stay in the city, they realized that it is still much more comfortable to do it from home, which is certainly a relief, and a lot of time saved for shared moments.
At the end of the meeting, we leave our host Ivan in a slight doubt, "Have we thought about returning to the city? Of course.
We think about it often, especially when the youngest Lola starts school. We believe that the lives of our children and their needs are a priority and we are aware that as they grow up, they will increasingly want to hang out with their peers, go out and engage in various activities.
We know that living in the countryside prevents them from doing so and that one day we will return to the city. For now, we still enjoy the rustling of leaves, the smell of the village, the barking of dogs, morning coffee in the yard, the taste of fresh fruit, homemade bread, grandma's strudel and the silence of the night."
Bonus video:
