This feature on Ivana Milanović is part of our ongoing Internationalis Expat People – Shining Stars series, which highlights the inspiring journeys of individuals who have chosen to live, create, and thrive beyond the borders of their home countries. Ivana’s story, however, stands apart: it’s not one of relocation for career or adventure, but a deeply personal exploration of language, identity, and cultural connection. Through her lifelong devotion to languages and her work with Jade Moon Magazine, she has built bridges between Montenegro, China, and the wider world—creating spaces for dialogue, curiosity, and belonging.
Language and Belonging
I’ve never quite felt like an “expat” in the way most people use the word. My story is less about moving for work or adventure, and more about being shaped by languages, crossing cultural borders out of curiosity, and building something meaningful in the space between countries.
It started when I was seven. My parents, believing in the power of languages, signed me up for Montenegro’s first private English course. At the time, it seemed practical. But for me, it opened a door that changed everything: language became not just a skill, but a way of seeing the world, of belonging, and eventually, my life’s work.
Every language I studied unlocked a new horizon. English was my first bridge to the world beyond Montenegro. French gave me a sense of nuance and sensitivity to culture. Italian soon became another home, teaching me warmth and perspective. Latin offered structure and a sense of history, while Chinese was the leap—a new way of thinking and an entire universe to explore.
This journey was never limited to classrooms. I attended a high school—the Philological Gymnasium—devoted to languages and literature, and I was in the first generation to study Italian language and literature at the University of Montenegro. My parents encouraged me to spend summers in Malta, England, and Italy, not just to practice, but to experience language in its living context. Later, I moved to Italy for my master’s in Cultural and language mediation, then another in Peace studies and international cooperation.
Jade Moon Magazine: A Bridge Beyond Borders
What began as a love of words grew into a passion for connecting cultures—especially those that are often misunderstood or overlooked in my region. That’s how Jade Moon magazine was born: as a bridge, a window, and an invitation to see China, and cultural exchange itself, in a new way. For me, Jade Moon is not just a publication—it’s a living project, an ongoing conversation.
Through online and, soon, in-person events, I try to create spaces where people can meet, discover, and share stories that don’t usually find a voice in mainstream culture.
The idea of a cultural hub—a physical space, a “home between worlds”—is the next step: a place where people in Montenegro can encounter China beyond stereotypes, and where anyone who has ever felt “in between” can find a sense of belonging. As someone who has always lived between languages and places, I know how hard it is to feel truly at home; building these bridges, opening these doors, is my way of making that feeling possible for others. It’s about giving value to curiosity, dialogue, and the creative potential of crossing borders.
This work feels especially important now, in the Balkans. Across the region, there are more and more people curious about China and eager to connect, but so often, these efforts are isolated from each other, scattered across cities and countries, with few opportunities to meet, share ideas, or collaborate.
My hope is that Jade Moon and the projects that grow from it can help bring these communities together—not just by sharing stories, but by making space for real conversations, friendships, and creative exchange. In a region shaped by history and diversity, building these new kinds of cultural bridges matters more than ever. It’s a way of reminding ourselves that curiosity, respect, and shared discovery can connect us, even across the boundaries of language, nationality, or tradition.
I may not have chosen a new country for work or to seek a different life, but I have always chosen to live “between worlds”—between languages, between cultures, between home and elsewhere.
I may not have chosen a new country for work or to seek a different life, but I have always chosen to live “between worlds”—between languages, between cultures, between home and elsewhere. My “expat” story is not about leaving something behind, but about building belonging and connection wherever I am.
Maybe being an expat isn’t just about where you live, but about what you create in the space between. I hope my story encourages others to see language and culture as open invitations—to connect, to create, and to share.
