When Ana met Joe one cold night in Germany, she had no idea where life would take her or what their life together would look like a few years later.
She had come to Germany to build a life of her own, but the pandemic made that nearly impossible—not only there, but also in her home country of Croatia. Companies were not hiring; many were letting people go. Businesses that had been operating for years were shutting down. Even getting an appointment for basic paperwork could take weeks.
Of course, Ana could not have known any of this when their story began. She could not have known that more lockdowns were coming, that the pandemic would keep reshaping their daily lives, or that military curfews would reduce their time together to simple evening walks. No dinner dates, no nights out. Everything was closed.
Ana also could not have known that Joe would eventually have to relocate and that, despite his efforts, he would not be able to stay in Germany. His new destination would be Colorado.
And although Ana had traveled extensively, she had never set foot in the United States.
A Soldier’s Love
While the pandemic was still tightening its grip and she was unable to find a good job, Ana decided to return to Croatia. “Packing those suitcases was one of the hardest things I had to do. They carried the weight of crushed dreams, uncertainty, and a love story that had only just begun, now facing its first true test,” she recalled.
But Ana would soon realize that soldiers love differently. Beneath the uniform is a heart trained to endure hardship and keep moving forward. What others might see as an impossible obstacle, a soldier meets with resolve. After all, he already knows what it means to be far from loved ones; he has done it time and time again.
Through long evening FaceTime calls, Ana began to understand deployments, tours, and what it truly means to serve. Joe could not share everything, but he shared what he could. Ana listened and learned. She had always known soldiers make sacrifices and live a life like no other. She just had not understood the depth of it.
Still, she knew that if she were ever asked to share that life with Joe, she would say yes in a heartbeat. Not because it would be easy, but because she wanted to stand beside him, no matter what.
The Quietest “Yes”
One summer morning, during her visit to the United States, Ana put on a long floral dress, and the two of them walked hand in hand into a courtroom, where they said “I do.” There was no party, no candlelit venue, and no gifts 
waiting to be opened. Afterward, they went straight to a furniture store to pick out the essentials for their new home.
Except that new home would not truly become Ana’s home for many, many months.
You might remember that Ana is Croatian, Joe is American, and she still needed a visa. She returned home this time with a suitcase that was never even fully unpacked.
The Waiting Game
In the months that followed, Ana said, “She lived with a strange duality.” On one hand, she felt immense joy. Their relationship had entered a new chapter, and the future seemed bright with possibility.
On the other hand, a part of her always felt missing. Their video calls grew longer, and their bond grew stronger. Yet, Joe couldn’t give her a hug after a difficult day at work or sit beside her at the family table during birthdays and holidays.
Life became a waiting game.
Long-distance wife becomes long-distance daughter
And then, 19 months after that summer day in the courtroom, a long-awaited piece of mail arrived. Ana was granted her visa and was allowed to move to the United States. She called Joe. She remembers, “I kept saying we did it, we did it. It feels unreal.” The weeks that followed were a whirlwind of preparation and a bit of heartache. As the only child of her widowed mother, Ana was excited to begin her new life with her husband but leaving her mother behind weighed heavily on her heart.
On the day she packed her belongings and her rescue dog, there were many tears. She will never forget the quiet whispers of her mother, “Please, don’t forget me.”
She never did. They talk every single day.
Life is good
Today, Ana is a resident of the United States, and life is good, though it hasn’t been without its challenges.
“I was terrified of driving here,” Ana says with a laugh. She grew up in a small town that, at the time she earned her driver’s license, had just two traffic lights and one roundabout. “I’d never driven on roads with so many lanes or around so many large vehicles. Merging onto the highway would literally make me sweat.”
Now, she’s settled into life in Colorado. She still misses European cafés and her mom’s cooking but says she feels grateful every time she looks at the mountains.
“I feel like I live inside a postcard,” she says. “On weekends, we explore new trails with our dogs or head to a local diner for breakfast. I love the life we’re building here. It was worth the wait.”
To be good is to do good
Back home, Ana worked in a corporate environment, where she enjoyed building her public relations skills. She also volunteered whenever she had the opportunity.
Her own journey gave her a new perspective. She knew she and her husband had been fortunate – their stable jobs and previous travel experiences helped them navigate a long and complicated process.
Even so, it required patience, preparation, and resilience. It also made her think about military families facing similar, or even greater challenges.
“I kept asking myself, ‘Can I use my skills to do something meaningful?'” she said. She has always loved communication, but she wanted more than just a career, she wanted her work to make a difference.
So, when she came across a job opening at Home Front Military Network, she didn’t hesitate. It was the very first position she applied for after moving to the United States.
“When they called to offer me the job, I was so surprised I probably sounded a little rude!” she remembers laughing.
“But it felt like destiny.” she continues. “It’s almost as if I spoke this opportunity into existence. I wanted to do good, and now I’m in a place where I can do that for our military community. I’m so proud to be part of this mission.” she concludes.
If you or someone you know is in need of immigration services, please see below:
Local Resources:
Fort Carson Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (DFMWR)
Catholic Charities of Central Colorado
National Resources:
