{"id":23576,"date":"2017-05-24T00:36:35","date_gmt":"2017-05-24T00:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/?p=23576"},"modified":"2022-01-10T21:41:19","modified_gmt":"2022-01-10T21:41:19","slug":"tea-ivanovic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/tea-ivanovic\/","title":{"rendered":"Tea Ivanovic &#8211; A Washington, DC Correspondent for Oslobodjenje, the leading newspaper from Bosnia and Herzegovina"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We are always looking for interesting Europeans to feature at our website. Tea happens to live in Washington, DC which is fairly unknown city to me personally. I have been there but I have very vague memories. I just recall thinking Lincoln Memorial was really impressive. Nowadays I wonder how President Trump is liking living in DC after spending all his life in New York City. But let&#8217;s find out more about TEA in her own words&#8230;<\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-u69veg-b1cb1b791352244c0a99241ce272971c\">\n#top .avia-gallery.av-u69veg-b1cb1b791352244c0a99241ce272971c .avia-gallery-thumb a{\nwidth:20%;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-gallery av-u69veg-b1cb1b791352244c0a99241ce272971c avia_animate_when_visible  avia-builder-el-0  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  deactivate_avia_lazyload avia-gallery-animate avia-gallery-1'  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class='avia-gallery-thumb'> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-1030x1013.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-1030x1013.jpeg 1030w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-80x80.jpeg 80w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-300x295.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-768x756.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-36x36.jpeg 36w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-705x694.jpeg 705w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-450x443.jpeg 450w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3.jpeg 1241w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-495x400.jpeg' class='first_thumb lightbox ' data-onclick='1' title='Interview_TeaIvanovic3'  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"  ><img class=\"wp-image-23582 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-23582\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-180x180.jpeg\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\"  title='Interview_TeaIvanovic3' alt='' srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-180x180.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-80x80.jpeg 80w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-36x36.jpeg 36w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-120x120.jpeg 120w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic3-450x450.jpeg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic2-772x1030.jpeg\" data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic2-495x400.jpeg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='2' title='Interview_TeaIvanovic2'  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"  ><img class=\"wp-image-23581 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-23581\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic2-180x180.jpeg\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\"  title='Interview_TeaIvanovic2' alt='' \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-773x1030.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-773x1030.jpeg 773w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic.jpeg 1125w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-529x705.jpeg 529w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-450x600.jpeg 450w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 773px) 100vw, 773px\" data-rel='gallery-1' data-prev-img='https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-495x400.jpeg' class='lightbox ' data-onclick='3' title='Interview_TeaIvanovic'  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"  ><img class=\"wp-image-23578 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-23578\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-180x180.jpeg\" width=\"180\" height=\"180\"  title='Interview_TeaIvanovic' alt='' srcset=\"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-180x180.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-80x80.jpeg 80w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-36x36.jpeg 36w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-120x120.jpeg 120w, https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-content\/uploads\/interview\/2017\/05\/Interview_TeaIvanovic-450x450.jpeg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px\" \/><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<p><strong>Please introduce yourself:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>My name is Tea Ivanovic, I was born in Belgium, to parents from the former Yugoslavia (even though my grandparents now live in Serbia, I have roots from several countries). I lived in several different European countries (Switzerland, Greece, Turkey) before moving to the United States for college. My graduate degree at The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies took me first to Bologna, Italy, and then to Washington D.C. After completing my graduate degree, I stayed in Washington D.C where I now work as a Washington Correspondent for Oslobodjenje, the leading newspaper from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I am a Fellow for the Center for Transatlantic Relations SAIS. I studied International Relations in college, and hold a Masters degree in International Relations and International Economics.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you end up in Washington, D.C of all places ?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>My graduate program consisted of spending a year in Bologna, Italy, and a year in Washington, D.C. After graduating, I accepted a job offer and stayed in the area.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The\u00a0best and worst about DC for you. What is a typical day and weekend?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are so many things I love about D.C.! It\u2019s such a vibrant city with so much to offer, and it is really the center of policy-making in the world. At the same time, there is lots of green space, and it\u2019s just a very pleasant city to live in. It\u2019s big, but not quite as hectic as New York City.<\/p>\n<p>There is no real \u201ctypical day,\u201d as I\u2019m juggling a few things at once. I wake up around 6 or 7am, make a cappuccino and check the news and my emails. Then, I start writing or editing \u2013 which I prefer to do in the morning. Some days I\u2019ll be covering a live event or panel discussion, other days I\u2019ll be organizing one. Often, I\u2019ll be overwhelmed with articles I need to write, chapters I need to edit, or something else entirely. The same goes for the weekend \u2013 if something needs to get done, I need to get to it right away.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you find the lifestyle in DC\u00a0compared to your hometown in Antwerp, Belgium?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Even though Antwerp is my hometown, it\u2019s been a long time since I\u2019ve lived there. I played tennis, so I traveled the world for tournaments before I left for college. In addition, my dad\u2019s career took him to countries like Switzerland, Greece, and Turkey, and my mom and I often went with him. My parents live in Antwerp right now, and I go visit them as often as I can.<\/p>\n<p>There is quite a bit of difference in lifestyle between Washington D.C. and Antwerp (or Europe for that matter). You can tell it as soon you leave the house \u2013 people use the car way more often than back home. Public transportation is great in Belgium \u2013 especially the trains. Admittedly, Belgium is a small, relatively densely populated country of only 11 million people, so compared to the U.S, it\u2019s quite natural that cities are better connected there. On the other hand, roads and cars here are so big! That\u2019s the first thing I noticed when I landed on U.S soil for the first time seven years ago \u2013 it\u2019s rare to find an interstate that counts less than four or five lanes, and that\u2019s just not something you see in Belgium. I always joke about this when I go home to visit my family \u2013 everything is so tiny!<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you make your living now \u2013 and how would you like to develop that career?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I completed my graduate degree last May, and since then I\u2019ve been doing a few different things. It\u2019s really been a year of transition, and I\u2019ve learned a lot about myself. Currently, I am a Washington Correspondent for Oslobodjenje, the leading newspaper from Bosnia and Herzegovina, I\u2019m a project manager for the Mediterranean Basin Initiative, and a fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations (CTR-SAIS), the nation\u2019s leading university-affiliated think tank. My work consists of lots of writing, whether it\u2019s news articles, op-eds, book chapters, and a lot of event planning and digital marketing. I love it. It\u2019s never boring, and \u2013 I know it sounds clich\u00e9 \u2013 I learn something new every day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Do you see any\u00a0differences between nationalities\u00a0easily \u2013 yours vs. Americans vs. other Europeans?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I really don\u2019t like to generalize, because you can\u2019t know someone just based on their passport or nationality. People will often say I\u2019m European based on what I wear and the way I carry myself \u2013 whatever that means.<\/p>\n<p>But to answer your question, I\u2019m sure there are differences between the \u201ctypical\u201d American and the \u201ctypical\u201d European, but in the age of globalization where people are constantly moving between states, country, and continents, I feel that \u2013 at least with the people I interact with \u2013 those differences are becoming increasingly blurred.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the essence of DC o you \u2013 what do you absolutely want your friends to see or feel in\u00a0DC vs. your country?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Washington is such a policy hub. And while that is awesome, because you meet so many interesting people on a daily basis, people tend to forgot about everything else in this city. That\u2019s why I always like to take my out-of-towner friends to places they can\u2019t read about in tourist guides (after we go see the White House and the Washington Monument of course).<\/p>\n<p><strong>What do you absolutely miss from your country\/elsewhere \u00a0\u2026or elsewhere?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When I talk to my European friends, we all agree that one of our favorite things is Europe is that you can travel to such diverse places in very short periods of time. When I lived in Antwerp, I could go to Paris in London in a few short hours by train, and when I was working in Milan I would go to Belgium every other weekend to see my parents.<\/p>\n<p>The other thing is the food (and wine). When I lived in Bologna for my first year of graduate school, I gained about 8kg in ten months! I was living in a country where every meal is an experience. I\u2019ve never enjoyed eating so much!<\/p>\n<p><strong>What do you miss the most \u2013 and the least from your own country?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The typical working culture tends to be quite different. From my own limited experience and from what I\u2019ve heard from friends who have worked on both sides of the \u2018pond\u2019, European working culture tends to be a bit more \u201crelaxed\u201d. You work from 9-5 pm and aren\u2019t really expected to answer to emails outside of those hours. You also get way more vacation time, and of course there is the maternity leave issue. In the U.S you are very much expected to come in early and stay late, and time off is very limited. I think it\u2019s part of this meritocratic culture; \u201cif you don\u2019t work hard, you\u2019ll never succeed.\u201d As most things, it has both good and bad sides to it, and I don\u2019t think there is one right answer.<\/p>\n<p>At least academically, I personally found this way of thinking very helpful. My professors encouraged me to \u201creach for the stars.\u201d Here I think about many of mentors in the international studies department, especially the director of my department, Dr. Stivachtis. I also think about my experience in the Virginia Tech Honors College, where our special curriculum enabled us to take extra classes, talk to professors outside class, and connect with alumni. This type of experience stands in stark contrast to what many of my peers experience in Europe, who tell me that it is not as common to find someone who will go out of their way to help guide you on your path, whether it\u2019s academic, professional, or personal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When you think about what did you think about life in\u00a0DC before you moved there \u2013 did you have expectations that turned out to be wrong?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When you think of Washington D.C, you probably think of Capitol Hill and museums. I was very excited to move here and be in the center of policy-making, but I never thought that I would fall in love with this city. But I did, and there is just so much I\u2019m discovering every day, whether it\u2019s a small bistros in Georgetown, or a hiking path \u2013 there are so many hidden treasures!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Knowing more about life and having lived with your decisions for a while (like work) \u2013 would you still choose to be there and why? Why not..<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s still too early to say. I have so much left to accomplish (I hope)! I\u2019m very happy with the path that I chose, and while there are certainly small things that I would change, I would gladly do it all over again.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What should everyone know and understand about your country and its culture? Or the USA\/your city or life here&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A lot of people I have met here know little about Belgium (I\u2019m excluding many of my friends who know quite a bit about the country!). Guys, french fries are Belgian, our chocolate is better than the chocolate from Switzerland (I lived in Zurich so I hope I\u2019m allowed to say this :), Belgian beer is the best (even though I only drink \u201cKriek\u201d, a cherry flavored beer), and there is SO much culture in that small country \u2013 just check out the painters, tin-tin, and the Smurfs! The same thing goes for Serbia and the former Yugoslavia \u2013 where my parents are from. It\u2019s such a wonderful area, and I wish more people would visit and see it for themselves.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What cafes or restaurants do you recommend to tourists to go to in DC\u00a0and why? Or to do something else.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are quite a few places in D.C to visit. Of course, you have to see the monuments and the Mall. The W hotel has a wonderful rooftop view of the Washington monument. Georgetown is also amazing, and in the summer, I love strolling by the Waterfront, or shopping on M street. For restaurants and bars, I often go to 14<sup>th<\/sup> street. My favorite wine bar is \u201cBarcelona\u201d, I like to get tappas at \u201cEstadio\u201d, or French food at \u201cLe Diplomate\u201d. There is a lovely Belgian place called \u201cB Too\u201d. You\u2019ll often find me \u201cbrunching\u201d (another ah-mazing \u201cculture shock\u201d when I moved here) at \u201cPolicy\u201d or \u201cThe Fainting Goat\u201d. There is really not enough space here to name all my favorite places&#8230;As you can see I like to eat a lot \u2013 but I work out too, I promise!<\/p>\n<p>I wouldn\u2019t be a Washingtonian in-the-making if I didn\u2019t mention the museums. I haven\u2019t even seen all of them, but it\u2019s on my list! Go see the National Museum of Natural History, National Air and Space Museum, the Newseum, or the Phillips Collection. And I personally really like the Botanical Gardens and the Renwick Gallery.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What would be your ideal life \u2013 with no monetary issues to make it happen!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One word: traveling. When I was younger I used to have a world map on my wall, with red pins for all the places I\u2019d like to visit. You could barely even see the countries on the map because they were all covered with pins! I could, I would travel to every country in the world.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Would you move back to your country Beligium fulltime \u2013 yes or no?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve always said that I will move anywhere for the right job. I really don\u2019t even try to plan out the rest of my life; I take it one step at a time and I\u2019ll see where that takes me!<\/p>\n<p><strong>What has been the worst social\/cultural issue to deal with in DC\u00a0for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been in the United States for about seven years now, so moving to Washington D.C. wasn\u2019t that much of a \u201cshock\u201d. But when I moved here back in 2010, there were many little things I found shocking. I was very surprised to experience how friendly everyone was, and perhaps that is due to the small town of Blacksburg in mountainous Virginia where I lived at the time, but that was so wonderful. Also, having 24-hour news on TV \u2013 how amazing is that!? I didn\u2019t own a TV in my college dorm, but as soon as I moved \u201coff-campus\u201d I had CNN on in the background while I was studying or cooking. Things like that were kind of a culture shock \u2013 but in a good way. And yes, I do have to mention it: the food. There is so much of it, and it\u2019s everywhere! It\u2019s certainly an adjustment, especially when you don\u2019t live in a big city and there aren\u2019t that many gourmet restaurants. But on the bright side, I had never seen such large supermarkets \u2013 I could walk around Wegmans (or Whole Foods) for hours. My mom is going to be so proud to hear this!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Anything else you would like sharing with us?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I want to applaud you for establishing EuroCircle, it is such a great initiative! I hope that Europeans will connect more, and help each other out while they are abroad. You see so many nationalities who come together when they are separated from their hometowns. I know that we Europeans have very different backgrounds and cultures, but in the end, we are all very similar \u2013 and I hope that our shared interests will connect us wherever we go!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><em>[THANK YOU TEA]<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>How to connect with you:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Follow Tea:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.oslobodjenje.ba\/vijesti\/daily-news\">http:\/\/www.oslobodjenje.ba\/vijesti\/daily-news<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Linkedin:<\/strong> \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tea-ivanovic-56684549\/\">https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tea-ivanovic-56684549\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Twitter:<\/strong>\u00a0@tea_ivanovic<\/p>\n<p><strong>Instagram:<\/strong> \u00a0TeaIva<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We are always looking for interesting Europeans to feature at our website. Tea happens to live in Washington, DC which is fairly unknown city to me personally. I have been there but I have very vague memories. I just recall thinking Lincoln Memorial was really impressive. Nowadays I wonder how President Trump is liking living [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23585,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[21,36],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23576"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23576"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29420,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23576\/revisions\/29420"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.eurocircle.com\/euro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}