Compiled By Forrest Preece
By Dubravka Romano
Strategic Leadership Consultant
These days, taking a honeymoon before the wedding or taking a child on your honeymoon does not seem that unusual. But that was exactly what my husband and I did in June 2002. And just to make things even more interesting, we chose my native Croatia as the destination where my English-only speaking fiancée and 13-year-old son would be meeting and spending lots of time with my Croatian-only speaking relatives. Add to those dynamics that both my now-husband and I had been married before and that my relatives are super-Catholic and it’s easy to see how things could get awkward. Lucky for us, the reality turned out entirely different.
I was born in Croatia (then part of former Yugoslavia) and my family immigrated to Houston for my dad’s work when I was in 6th grade. My dad was a pioneering oncologist and received a fellowship at M.D. Anderson to continue his research. Although we remained in the US, I never forgot my Croatian roots. So as my fiancée, son and I were planning to start a new life as a family, I felt a strong desire to take them both to my homeland.
Despite the nontraditional aspects of our honeymoon, it turned into one of the most memorable trips of my life. Exploring the special spaces of my childhood in my hometown of Zagreb, hiking the magnificent Plitvice Lakes, exploring the Adriatic coast from Pula all the way to Dubrovnik, where my own parents were married, turned into a magical and unforgettable experience. And while I was worried about my English-Croatian translation skills, it turns out that family ties and sharing bread transcend any language obstacles. Beer and wine also help. We returned to the US two weeks later, feeling bound more closely than ever to each other and to my roots. And when we tied the knot a month later in a surprise wedding ceremony, our wedding cake was decorated with dried flowers brought back from our magical Croatian honeymoon.
