A diaspora return story: How I moved to Hvar and opened my own store

by croatiaweek
June 10, 2026
in News

Sasha Ćurin (Photo: Private album)

At just 25, Sasha Ćurin is part of a growing wave of young diaspora Croatians making the big move to live in Croatia.

Born and raised in New Zealand, Sasha moved to Croatia and has just opened the concept store With Love in Stari Grad on the island of Hvar.

We caught up with her to find out the move, navigating the realities of starting a business in Croatia, and how is it going building a new life in the place she describes as finally feeling like home.

What made you decide that you wanted to make the move to Croatia?

Croatia has always been a part of me. I grew up on Omaha Beach with sand between my toes and Croatian in my blood.

Birthdays, Easters, Christmases, there was always a celebration at our home and a lamb on the spit to devour.

My dad would take care of the lamb, mum would be in the kitchen preparing a number of salads and roast potatoes and desserts. My grandparents would arrive at noon with ham wrapped in tinfoil ready to settle in for the day.

Croatia might have been far away, but the traditions were still alive in our home, in every gathering, and in the story we shared around the dinner table. We would always come back to talking about our love of Croatia and our traditions.

Both my parents are Croatian, and I’ve traced my roots back hundreds of years. My father’s family is from Hvar Island, a small village called Gdinj.

My mother was born in Croatia and arrived in New Zealand in the early seventies. My parents met at the Croatian club dancing the Kolo, I am a proud full-blooded Croatian.

I have been lucky to have the opportunity to visit Croatia a few times during my life and each time I felt a deep connection to the sea, the rocks, the people.

Every visit I understood why my parents and grandparents never stopped talking about this place and why it mattered so much to us. The crystal clear water, the long hot summer days, the feeling of generations of my ancestors in the very ground beneath my feet.

There is a memory inside of me, of safety, belonging I had never quite felt anywhere else. There wasn’t one moment I can remember, there were many moments where I began to fall in love with Croatia and the island of Hvar.

In 2023 I finished university and, like so many young people at that age, I wasn’t quite sure what came next. My brother couldn’t stop talking about the possibility of us moving to Croatia. So my family booked a trip back, I was excited, I went with an open mind and an open heart.

We ended up spending three full months here, and then when it was time to fly back to NZ neither mum nor I were ready to go back.

While we waved goodbye to the boys as they headed back to NZ, mum and I were excited for the spontaneous adventure ahead.

We rented an apartment in Split for a few months and then flew to Zagreb, immersing ourselves in the country and culture. We had an unforgettable white Christmas at Advent in Zagreb, and a mother-daughter experience that will stay with me forever.

When it came time to leave, I was at a crossroads, going back to the familiar New Zealand. Or stay, connect with my heritage, improve my Croatian and begin to form a stronger connection to my Croatian family.

Really allow myself to become part of this special place. At the time I had a feeling that if I didn’t stay now, I probably never will. I just couldn’t get on that plane. So I stayed, while mum flew back to NZ.

By then Croatia had completely captured my heart, and for the first time I could see myself here outside of the summer season, outside of a holiday, and could see myself calling Croatia my home.

How did having a network of support and family on the island help with settling in and launching your business?

I think it made all the difference. I have an amazing network of cousins and family here who have been incredible throughout every stage of this journey.

Just knowing there is someone to call if I need anything, that I’m not completely alone in another country, that foundation gave me so much strength.

It also gave me the courage to start a business here, knowing there were people I could turn to if I got stuck. I believe it would be very difficult to do what I’m doing, especially on an island, without any connection or family nearby. I feel very grateful.

With Love (Photo: Private album)

Can you tell us more about your business?

This dream to have my own store has been building for a little while, I come from a family of entrepreneurs on both sides. My grandmother and my mother both started their own retail businesses. Growing up listening to their stories, their ambition and drive to create something of their own inspired me.

This past Christmas I went back to NZ to visit my family and while there I began to seriously look at turning my small hobby of jewellery making into a full on brand and business.

I acquired stockists for my handcrafted jewellery and bags across a few stores in New Zealand and Australia. All the while thinking of life in Croatia and dreaming of having my own store here.

It all came together very fast! I arrived back in Croatia at the beginning of April of this year, and a few days later I drove to Stari Grad to look at a space I had found on Facebook.

I met the landlords and signed the lease that same morning. From that moment it was all go, go. I had eight weeks to make it all happen, so I could open for the summer season.

The past few months have been the busiest and most creative of my life, early morning starts, lots of late nights handcrafting and sourcing products online, as well as finding time to dream and plan how I wanted my store to look and feel.

(Photo: Private album)

Starting a business can be challenging anywhere, especially on a Croatian island. What have been the biggest obstacles you’ve faced while setting up the store on Hvar?

The paperwork, honestly. It has been one of the most challenging processes I’ve ever navigated, and I say that as someone who already had all my Croatian documents in order as a citizen.

I thought that might make things a little smoother, but I still ran into speed bump after speed bump, long processing times, and being sent from one place to another.

Being on an island is a double-edged sword, fewer people means some things can move faster, but for many processes you still have to deal with offices in Split or Zagreb, which adds another layer entirely. It has taken real patience and persistence, but my belief in myself and what I’m building kept me going every step of the way.

What have been some of the positives of opening a business on Hvar?

The support has been overwhelming and really moved me. About eight weeks ago I posted a video after signing the lease for the store, sharing that I was opening my very own business and brand this summer, and the response from people all over the world has been incredible.

So many people wishing me well, believing in what I’m doing, interested in my story and me moving back. It makes feel very warm and gave me a lot of motivation on the harder days.

What aspects of life and business do you think Croatia does better than New Zealand, and where do you think New Zealand still has the edge?

Croatia never ceases to amaze me when it comes to the power of community, especially on an island. Since I’ve been back I’ve really notices how much people help and support each other here, everyone knows someone who can help with this problem, or someone who knows how to get that thing done.

There’s a village mentality that I love deeply and that’s a big part of what drew me back. It’s something you feel every single day.

Where New Zealand has the edge is in the ease of processes and administration. Things that take months here can take days there. Opening a business, setting up accounts, it’s just simpler.

(Photo: Private album)

Is there anything about living and working in Croatia that took time to get used to?

More than anything it was a mindset shift. If you’re thinking of returning, or you’ve already made the move, I think the most important thing you can do is leave behind your preconceived ideas of how things “should” work.

Croatia has its own rhythm and its own way of life, and that’s actually the beautiful thing that draws so many of us back. But it’s also something you have to genuinely accept, not just tolerate, especially when things are moving slowly or an office is closed for a public holiday or a coffee break runs longer than expected.

You can get frustrated, or you can embrace it as part of the life you chose. I try to choose the latter. Sve polako, as they say.

You sell jewellery, accessories and pieces you’ve handcrafted yourself. How would you describe your style?

Opening my own store where I could connect with customers directly and share stories behind every piece has been a dream I’ve been working towards. With Love is that dream come true.

I’ve always been a deeply creative person. I was that little girl who would spend hours on the floor with my crayons, drawing and making.

As I got older that creativity just took different shapes, sewing my own clothes, baking cookies and sourdough for family and friends, mixing new remedies, potions and lotions. There hasn’t been much I haven’t created. I’ve realised it’s my way of expressing who I am and how I show love for the people in my life.

I started making jewellery in New Zealand as a hobby, but living in Croatia changed everything. Surrounded by so much beauty, I finally had the time and space to develop my skills with real confidence.

Almost everything in the store is handmade and created by me, the jewellery, hand crochet bags, my art prints for my Croatian t-shirts. Each piece is inspired by life here, the old stone walls, the sound of the sea, the hum of people living and laughing in the streets.

(Photo: Private album)

Growing up in Omaha shaped my beach boho style, and I wanted to weave that into every corner of the space. Seashells run through everything, my crochet bag designs, the store sign

I tiled by hand using fish scale mosaic tiles, and a mirror I covered in over 2,000 shells placed one by one.

That mirror alone took nine hours, and it looks exactly like I imagined.

I wanted every corner of the store to have a focal point, something that draws people in, makes them stop, look closer, take a photo.

The pampas tree started as a branch I found in a field in Split, which I turned into a centrepiece that adds warmth to the old stone walls. Each detail was carefully thought through to create a space that feels like an invitation, somewhere people want to linger, feel at home, and leave with a little piece of it, made with love.

What do you expect to be the most popular products?

Right now the designs that are proving to be popular are my Croatian t-shirts. The standout favourites are my Dalmatian Sensation, Magarac and Pomalo designs.

The Magarac t-shirt is where the cultural art side began, and it holds a very special place in my heart.

I drew the donkey design and printed it on a shirt as a gift for my dad. Whenever he wears it people stop and ask him about it, and that reaction was the spark to design more. That one shirt opened a door into Croatian art and humour, and since then I’ve just kept adding designs that capture the spirit, the character and the warmth of Dalmatian life, blending my own drawings with the language and expressions that make this culture so unique.

(Photo: Private album)

I believe the stories behind each item is what makes the designs so special. Every piece in the store is made with thoughtfulness, care and intention.

Something I’m most proud of is incorporating the Croatian ‘grb’ into my jewellery designs. I wanted to take something so deeply symbolic to Croatian identity and reimagine it in a way that feels modern, jewellery that people can wear as a piece of their heritage.

These pieces have already become some of the most loved in the collection, and I think that’s because they are both beautiful and culturally meaningful.

(Photo: Private album)

The collection I think everyone will be drawn to is the ‘build your own travel charm bracelet’. I created this experience for the travellers and wanderers. It’s a way to collect every corner of the world you’ve ever visited into one beautiful, wearable piece that tells your story.

I’ve been lucky enough to experience some incredible corners of the world, and I wanted to capture that feeling of a life well travelled. When you arrive in the store you can take your time choosing charms from the collection I designed. Fill a bracelet with places you’ve visited, places you dream of going to, countries that mean something to you and build your own bracelet right here.

New locations will be added to the collection, so whenever you want to add a charm to your bracelet you can find them at my online store. They also make a beautiful gift for someone you love.

(Photo: Private album)

Will the store be open all year round, and will there be an online component?

My plan is to keep the physical store will be open until October, from my experience Hvar is very quiet in winter.

But right now I am creating a website so people from all over Croatia and the world can shop online, and I’m also setting up a system for customers in New Zealand and Australia to order with faster, better shipping options.

So even when the doors close for the season in Stari Grad, With Love will still be very much open.

What do you miss most about New Zealand, and what makes you feel you’ve made the right decision to build your future in Croatia?

I miss my family most of all, my mum and dad and my brother have been my biggest cheerleaders through all of this.

Together we have encouraged one another, grown together, and built a strong foundation that has carried me to this moment.

Over the years we’ve had the special opportunity to share seasons of life in different countries together, and those experiences have shaped who I am today.

Their knowledge, support, and belief in me have been invaluable. Although they’re not here physically to celebrate opening day, they’re with me every step of the way and on FaceTime every day!

(Photo: Private album)

What I’ve also found by staying here is that I’ve connected with family in Croatia I never would have known otherwise, cousins, relatives, people who share my history and my blood.

They welcomed me with such warmth, love, and generosity, and showed up for me whenever I needed it. That sense of community spirit is something I feel deeply here, and it’s a big part of why I want to stay. I feel genuinely connected to people and to this place.

What advice would you give to young people from the Croatian diaspora who are considering returning, starting a business, or pursuing a dream they’ve been putting off?

For those young Croatians who feel the pull back to their homeland, there will be moments where you genuinely don’t know if you can do, it is hard, the transition is real.

But the life waiting for you on the other side of that is so rich and so full and so worth it. Take it one day at a time and know that there are so many wonderful people here in Croatia who wish the best for you and want to see you return and succeed.