Coming back from Munich to the Vogtland area was a real challenge for the Schreiber family. But they believe if you have a dream, you should seek to fulfil it. They are a good example of this.

Where do you think you will be in ten years’ time? This question bothered Nadine Schreiber. She soon realised that she no longer felt at home in Munich. But the conditions for returning to the Vogtland region were not ideal. Nadine and her husband André already owned a house in the Munich suburb of Taufkirchen (Vils). They had invested a great deal of time and money in it, with the help of Nadine’s parents too.

Then there were the jobs that both of them had in the Bavarian state capital. But Nadine often said to herself even then, “I wish we had the courage to do it, despite everything.”

They can now look back and know that they made the right decision. They now have their home in the small district of Jössnitz in Plauen and have so much space that it is possible to rent out a separate flat for holiday guests. André Schreiber stresses how friendly the neighbours are.

“It was difficult to make close friends in Bavaria and we sometimes felt isolated. Most of our friends didn’t originate from there. We’ve been able to strike up many new friendships in a short time here in the Vogtland region. We’ve really been given a warm welcome.”

When the Schreibers attended the church in Jössnitz on one occasion after their move, they were personally greeted and welcomed. André Schreiber says, “We feel like we belong here.”

However, their homecoming involved a long journey. Nadine (35) and André (36) had noticed just how much they missed their families in the Vogtland region – at the latest in 2014, when their son Fynn Luca was born.

“There was always a strong feeling of cohesion in our family; I missed them all very much, particularly my parents and my sister,” says Nadine, looking back. She explains: Her extended family lives in the area between Pausa, Jocketa and Plauen. If her parents came to visit them in Bavaria and then left for home, Nadine often ended up in tears. When she was young, Nadine wanted to see the big, wide world. She lived in Scotland, among other places, and says that she has moved 15 times; she worked as a tourism assistant and a stewardess. She flew round the world with Lufthansa for six years – to places like New York, Dubai or India.

“It was a wonderful time, but the job leaves its mark on your health, and, at some stage, I didn’t want to continue any longer.”

Nadine and André both grew up in the Vogtland region. They met each other again in Munich many years later – and fell in love. André says, “When we reached the point that we wanted to return to the Vogtland area, we did all we could to achieve our goal. And we’re fighters.”

That meant the Schreibers had to look for a suitable house in the Vogtland area, do it up, sell their house in Bavaria, sort out the finances… The job problem was resolved too – far better than they had expected at the beginning. Nadine, who works as a marketing and sales employee for a Swiss software company, has been able to set up a home office in her house in the Vogtland region with huge support and understanding from her boss. André, who is a banker and project manager for an investment company, continues to commute to Munich for a few days each week – and copes with it well. The biggest problem initially was finding a suitable nursery for their young son. There were no more free places in Jössnitz, but then a door opened. Nadine burst into tears of joy when she received the phone call from the nursery. She adds, “Perhaps you’ll regret it one day if you don’t enjoy your time and spend it with the people you love.”