I eventually continued my flute studies in Ljubljana, but I put aside my studies in pedagogy due to the excessive number of courses in both fields of study and the resulting heavy workload. All the effort I put into my music pedagogy studies turned out to be a great investment, because the academy acknowledged all the exams I had passed, so when I studied flute, I attended most of the lectures with my old classmates (I could take the exams in advance), and the rest with new ones.

I think that every person, at some point in life, needs some kind of confirmation that they are on the right track, or maybe a reminder if they have possibly gone off in the wrong direction.

After 2 months of studying the flute, my work was crowned with my first victory at an international competition in Italy. This was only my 2nd competition and it was this first victory that filled and strengthened my motivation to the point where it could drive me through all 4 years of my studies and beyond. Winning the competition made me realise that I can do anything, and everything I put my energy into will pay off sooner or later.

This competition also allowed me to get to know the jury better and through them, I was invited to study in Switzerland (Philippe Racine, ZHdK). Although I was very happy in Ljubljana, I could not resist the tempting offer. So, in spring 2009, I successfully passed the entrance exam in Zürich.

However, life is all about balance…

In addition to the pleasant things, there are also unpleasant things that come in pair, and my parents divorced at the same time, which made the decision to study abroad even more difficult. After receiving the mail that I had been accepted, I of course searched for scholarship opportunities and, right on cue, nothing came up at the time (but it did later, when it was too late). So it was with a heavy heart that I closed the door on another opportunity that would have taken me who knows where. On the other hand, I was reassured because I had a great professor and I could stay close to my family.