So you're thinking about moving to Slovenia yourself? Read this first.

Something strange seems to be happening lately (yeah, besides the obvious): I've been receiving a steady trickle of e-mails from Americans and others who, for one reason or another, are thinking of packing it in, packing it up and packing themselves off to Slovenia, indefinitely. Such as, perhaps, your very own self. They visited a couple of years ago and can't get it out of their mind, or they read some travel piece, or heard a recommendation from a friend, or even have some family here. Whatever. After happening upon this site, they flood me with questions: What kinds of jobs can I get? What about visas? Can you help me find an apartment? What are the rents like? Is there hostility toward Americans from the local Muslim population? And so forth.

When I created this site, I meant it as an outlet for self-expression. I didn't expect to be put in a position where I might be influencing other people's life choices. That said, I admit that hanging out my shingle as a relocation counselor for my fellow Statesians (and even the odd Canadian, Aussie or Irishperson) does have its charms (I know, maybe I should change the motto of this site to something like "Nothing to sell, except relocation consulting services for $100 an hour").

I can tell you this much for free: I highly recommend experiencing life in a foreign country if you have the chance to do it. It has broadened me as a person like you wouldn't believe (and not just because of all that deadly ravioli and pizza). It hasn't always been easy, and it still isn't a free ride (which is part of the point), but the people I've met and the places I've been have provided me with priceless experiences I'll always carry with me (I'll stop now before the mush overflows onto the keyboard).

Moving to a foreign country is a far different experience than visiting for a week or two, and it goes without saying it's not something to be undertaken on the spur of the moment, even if you're a spontaneous kind of human. But at the least, I'd recommend visiting Slovenia first if you've never been there. Read as much as you can about the place; if you don't know the language, start learning before you go. Talk to people who've been, or if you can find them, Slovenes who have emigrated to your town. And definitely, think about what you want to do there before you hit the cobblestones. Srecno!