For my first post, I’d like to share my personal and professional journey, a journey that’s deeply connected to the four cities mentioned in the title. For the past fifteen years, my life has unfolded somewhere in between these cities.
Although I have been living in Postojna with my family for the past few years, where I run a private orthodontic practice called Orto MG, at heart I am still from the Slovenian coast—a true ‘Primorec.’
Although I have been living in Postojna with my family for the past few years, where I run a private orthodontic practice called Orto MG, at heart I am still from the Slovenian coast—a true ‘Primorec.’ I spent my childhood in Piran, where I lived with my family – my parents, my older brother, and my twin brothers. After completing my high school education in Piran, I decided to study dental medicine at the University of Ljubljana. During my studies, I also met my wife Jana, who attended the Faculty of Law in Ljubljana.
After completing my university studies, I returned to my home region. For the next three years, I worked in Koper in a private practice as a general dentist, occasionally also at the Koper Health Centre and the local prison. This experience was very interesting for me, as a dentist in a prison works with limited resources while striving to help every patient.
During this time, I also had the opportunity to pursue a specialisation in dentistry in London, so my wife and I decided to relocate. London can be a challenging place to live, study and work, and I was quite skeptical about moving. I must thank Jana, who helped me to overcome my doubts and step out of my comfort zone. In 2009, I began studying at the prestigious King’s College in London, where I spent the next three years completing my master’s degree and specialist studies in orthodontics. In addition to my intensive studies, I also worked four times a week under the supervision of an orthodontist at two London hospitals, gaining invaluable experience working with patients. My studies in London combined regular lectures and practical work with a strong research component, and I’m immensely grateful to the professors who were always available to support us with any additional questions.
London gave us a lot.We got to know life in a multicultural and chaotic city…
Jana and I lived in the upscale Notting Hill neighbourhood, where we stayed with my uncle for three years. London gave us a lot.We experienced life in a multicultural, chaotic city that offers so much, opens your eyes to the world, and inspires optimism—but despite all this, we never really felt at home there.While living in the English capital, I completed my specialisation and my wife her master’s degree, and it was around that time we began thinking about starting a family. We didn’t want to raise our children in London, so we decided to return to Slovenia.
I admit, I am often asked why we came back. At a time when more and more of our fellow citizens are leaving Slovenia to work abroad, we made the decision to return. The answer is simple: no foreign city can replace the beauty of life in Slovenia. Slovenia is an excellent country for family life, with incredibly beautiful and diverse nature, and quick, easy connections to other countries and cities. London gave us what we couldn’t get in Slovenia—additional experience and, above all, education. Slovenia gave us a family, the opportunity to establish a private practice, and, above all, the satisfaction of being able to create in an environment that we shape together with our patients. My life is still intertwined with all four cities. Part of my family still lives on the beautiful Slovenian coast, while Postojna is our home in both a personal and business sense. I still return to London once a month, where, together with my colleague, I teach orthodontics courses. And last but not least, Ljubljana is the city to which Jana and I love to return—whether for meetings, occasional breakfasts or brunches, or simply to seek out the extra insights that only a city can offer.
