About Me

My name is Christina, I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. I'm a student at the University of Washington, where I spend most of my time studying, attending classes and working.

In my free time (whatever that is!) I enjoy Asian cinema, science fiction books and the occasional good video game. I also enjoy just hanging out with friends, attending concerts and sharing stories over a good drink. This summer, I am travelling to Trogir, Croatia, to visit family. Three weeks will be spent taking language classes in the neighboring town of Split, to compliment the first year of formal instruction I have received from the University of Washington.

I really love animals and have taken any opportunity to work with them. In addition to the commercial arena, I worked at the Woodland Park Zoo in the Tropical Rainforest taking care of the lemurs and the leopards. I have four ferrets which I refer to as my kids, but really, their names are Pumba, Kiwi, Panda, and Pagan.

Grandpa Ante in Croatia

My grandfather was born in Trogir, Croatia on March 16th 1932.

He grew up with a love for boats. He and his brothers were given some space at the local marina where they built boats for racing. They started the first boat club which recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.

My grandfather resided in Croatia and served for two years in the military during WWII. He was stationed at Mostar, Bosnia, and has many stories of the things he witnesses during this time. He even had to flee his home when gun and cannon fire literally split it in half. Despite hardships, he continued to build boats and completed technical training to become a carpenter.

His aunt and uncle were already residing in Seattle and through this training program, he was able to come to the U.S. in 1958. He came to Seattle and soon met my grandmother. They settled in West Seattle, where they raised a family, and where they still reside.

I am a student at the University of Washington. It has been a long road to this point. I did not graduate from high school, but instead began taking classes at a community college while working full-time. I attended community college on and off for some time before my graduation in 2006 with an Associate of Arts Degree. My time at the community college was spent studying science. I am, and always have been, fascinated by animals and the natural world and geared my studies in this direction by taking biology, chemistry, physics and math courses.

I began working in a research laboratory at the UW in 2006 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In 2008, I was accepted as a student into the University of Washington Biology Department.

At the UW, I found language courses for Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian language. My close relationship with my grandfather and my interest in his life in Croatia compelled me to take these language courses. I'd always had his stories and local gatherings as a backdrop in my life, but since I began studying the language and history of the region, I've found myself immersed in a whole new world.

My grandfather is very personable. Wherever we go, everyone knows him. He really is a joy to be around. He has a story about making his own bathing suit, with two handkerchiefs tied together, and standing around for tourists in his hometown. He has always been quite inventive!

My grandfather is very excited that I will be in Croatia this summer and I am just waiting for his "tears of joy" when I leave. He has a “to do” list for me while I am there including meeting some of his childhood friends.

My grandfather has recently had hip replacement surgery and will not be coming with me this summer. I hope he and I can take a trip together soon so I can see his home from his perspective and all the stories that will come back to him while there.

My grandfather and I are quite close. I love listening to the stories he has of growing up in Croatia. He has stayed connected with his family in Croatia since moving to the U.S. and the last couple years, my mother and I have been in contact with family through e-mails and letters, and yes, even Facebook!

I began playing with the idea of visiting my family in Croatia in late 2008 and started saving for a trip. With encouragement from a friend, I applied for scholarships in the hope of getting funding for a trip abroad. I received a scholarship and soon found a language program at the University in the city of Split, which neighbors my Grandpa's hometown of Trogir.

I contacted the family and found they were excited to hear that I was coming. They invited me to stay with them in Trogir in the house my grandfather grew up in.

Through the language courses at the UW, I've made a new circle of friends from my classes and have joined them in attending community events. My interests have expanded into that of people and culture, to the world at large and, for the first time since attending college, I am taking courses outside of science. I am finding a deep interest in international relations and how people and countries interact with one another.

My experience with the classes and the community has also influenced my family to really become closer. My relationship with my grandfather has become even stronger and my family in America has become much more connected to family in Croatia. I am very excited to meet everyone in person and to bring back stories of my own.

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