Melania Trump has put Slovenia on the map, but the First Lady, possibly the Eastern European’s nation’s most famous export, never visits her home country and is rarely heard speaking its language. Now many Slovenes, some of whom do a brisk business making money off of Melania’s name, are wondering why she seems to have abandoned them.
As USA Today reports , the First Lady is big business in and around Sevnica, the town where she spent most of her childhood in the 1970’s. Older townsfolk still speak of Melanija Knavs (or Knauss) and her older sister, Ines. The daughters of a factory worker and delivery driver were famous around town for wearing bright, unusual outfits designed and stitched by their mother, Amalija.
Some businesses have even taken on her name or title, “Melania” here or “First Lady” there. Several books have been written about her, and they are prominently displayed in shop windows. You can even take an eight-hour tour, called “Wise First Lady,” showing you her old haunts.
However, these days, the FLOTUS has largely put Slovenia in her rear-view mirror, leaving the 2.1 million people who call the place home to wonder why she’s forgotten about them.
Local journalist Bojan Pozar says that Melania’s story becomes a mystery beginning in the early 1990s when the “uniquely ambitious girl” started getting modeling jobs and traveling around the world. By 2001, when Melania got her green card, Pozar says Melania had once-and-for-all decided to distance herself from Slovenia “in order to succeed.”
These days, Melania still maintains something of a connection to her home country, via her son, Barron.
The 11-year-old First Son speaks fluent Slovene thanks to his grandparents, Melania’s parents, who spend a few months per year in the States and taught him the language.
Meanwhile, Slovenia is trying to lure the native daughter back to her homeland in a gesture of goodwill to her home country. Slovenian President Borut Pahor, in Warsaw earlier this month, invited the President and First Lady to visit her homeland.
If you’re interested in visiting Melania Trump’s home country of Slovenia, a reputable tour group can take you through the stunning views of the Alps, the ancient medieval architecture, and even to adrenaline-fueled outdoor sports such as skiing and spelunking. An eight-day tour costs about $1,200.
[Featured Image by Virginia Mayo/AP Images]
