u/Green_Register_3112

i wanted to say that even though we didn't play our best and there are things we definitely need to work on, i just can't be mad at the guys, nor at barbarez. i'm so, so proud of them, so grateful to have them as our representatives.
at the end of the day, they brought us to the knockout stage. they gave us that incredible feeling of humbling wales and italy, especially after all the disrespect and racism we've been facing. i know the internet is going to be toxic now, and we'll probably get a lot of hate from rivals, but at least our guys left their hearts on the field. and that's what hurts the most right now, i'm just going to miss seeing them play so much. i'll miss seeing our people going viral for all the best things they could've possibly done.
i'm genuinely looking forward to the next games. i'm glad barbarez has been a good coach for us, despite some questionable choices and frustrating moments, but it’s okay. it's part of the journey (even though i wished to see mahmić and tabaković play a bit more, but well...)
what matters most is that bosnia got the recognition we deserve. our history is finally getting attention, tourism is growing, and foreigners are actually praising our people and the bh fanaticos. seeing the world respect our culture and our passion is worth so much more than a single match. so proud of our country and our boys, no matter what.

ps: can we please ban the team from going to the barber before a match? each time they get a haircut they lose 😭😭😭😭 i swear i'm gonna sue him 😭😭😭😭 (jk, but... hahah)

this might be a slightly unusual post, but here goes.
i’m 27F, born and raised in italy to a bosnian family, and lately i’ve been feeling a stronger and stronger connection to bosnia. the problem is… i don’t really have anyone to talk to about it.
most people around me don’t understand what it’s like to feel attached to a country you weren’t raised in, or to constantly think about a place that feels like home and foreign at the same time.
i’d love to make some bosnian friends, especially people from the diaspora who might relate to that feeling of being caught between two worlds. whether you’re living in bosnia, italy (even better, we can complain even more), germany, austria, sweden, the us, or anywhere else, i’d love to hear your story.
we can talk about bosnia, language learning, food, culture, daily life, moving abroad, moving back, or just complain about life together 👀
i’m just looking for genuine friendships and people who understand where i’m coming from.
if this sounds like you, feel free to comment or send me a message. maybe we can support each other through this magical world cup. IDEMO DALJE ZMAJEVI ⚜️🤍🐉

I was born and raised in Italy, but the older I get, the more out of place I feel here.

Whenever I go back to Bosnia, I feel different. Not just mentally, but physically too. It sounds strange, but I genuinely feel like I can breathe better there. There is something about the country that keeps pulling me back no matter how much time passes.

Honestly, one of the most difficult things is living with this constant nostalgia for Bosnia. It’s heartbreaking at times. I know I was born and raised in Italy, but a part of me always feels like it’s somewhere else. No matter what I’m doing, Bosnia is never far from my thoughts. Sometimes it feels like homesickness for a place that should be familiar, yet isn’t fully mine. I often wonder whether I’m idealizing Bosnia because I only experience it as a visitor, or whether this feeling is telling me something important about where I truly belong.

At the same time, I’m not naïve about the challenges. Apart from the political nationalist issues, the biggest one, in my opinion, is living on a Bosnian salary. Every time I visit, I notice that prices don’t seem proportional to the average standard of living. Many things cost almost the same as they do in Italy, and if they’re already expensive in Italy, they’re even harder to afford in Bosnia on a local income.

Still, there is something there that attracts me more than anywhere else. The people feel different to me. They’re more genuine, more willing to help, even when they don’t know you. Of course, I also know that some locals can be skeptical of the diaspora. But being born abroad wasn’t exactly our choice, was it?

I’d really like to hear from people who actually made the move. Was it worth it? Do you regret it? What were the biggest surprises after relocating? Was Bosnia the place you imagined it would be once you were no longer there as a visitor?

For context, I’m a 27 years old woman and I would be moving alone. Unfortunately, I don’t have family connections or a support network in Bosnia, so I wouldn’t really have anyone to rely on when starting out. That’s probably what scares me the most.

At the same time, I keep wondering whether it’s still possible to build a life there from scratch, find my place, and create a future for myself. I don’t expect everything to be easy, and I’m not looking for a perfect country. I just want to know whether anyone else felt this same pull toward Bosnia, took the leap, and found that it was worth it.

I’d love to hear your honest experiences: the good, the bad, and everything in between. Thank you in advance!