Amidst the relaxation of winter break, Senior Noah Youkilis achieved an important goal of his: becoming a dual citizen of the United States and Croatia.

What is your connection to Croatia? 

My mom was born and raised in Croatia, and her whole family still lives there. I don’t feel 100 percent Croatian, but I’m not a hundred percent American either. I feel very mixed.

How do Croatian and American cultures (as you know them) compare?
Croatians are very laid back, which I admire, especially because it’s an attribute which I feel we are lacking in America. Life here is just so hectic. Croatia also is much more modern in many ways than the US, which is surprising. The best shopping malls and movie theaters I have ever been to are there.

Elaborate on your experiences there?
Zagreb, the capital, where we are from, is a great city with a lot of youth culture going on. People go to the city center, walk around, sit at cafes, and just enjoy themselves. It feels like here, young people really don’t have that much to do compared to there.

What drove you to seek the dual citizenship?
I wanted citizenship because I love Croatia and wanted to be part of it. Also, I had to get it before I turned 18, or else the process would be much more complicated. I would have had to take citizenship tests, etc. So I thought I might as well get citizenship while it was easier.

What benefits will the citizenship bring you?
Croatia just joined the EU, so I get all the benefits that come with that. Namely, I can live anywhere in Europe indefinitely, without having to feel with worker’s or student’s visas, etc. There are a lot of perks.

What was process of gaining the dual citizenship like?
The process was pretty tedious—we had to deal with a lot of bureaucracy. First, my mom needed to change her last name and declare that she had children, something she hadn’t done because of the war. Then, I had to get declared a citizen and get my Croatian birth certificate and “domovnica”, a sort of citizenship document. With those, I got my OIB, “osobni identifikacijski broj”, which is [most closely] a social security number. The last thing I did was apply for a passport. I had to go to Chicago a couple times, to the Croatian consulate. I’m really glad I did it.