Why Former First Lady Melania Trump Felt Her Home Country Was 'Too Small' for Her

Melania Trump isn't as silent and withdrawn as she's been portrayed in the media. Instead, the former First Lady has a voice, which she confidently lends to her outrageous husband Donald Trump whenever needed. However, before marrying the notorious real-estate mogul, the ex-model lived a "fairly typical" life back in Slovenia and felt that her home country was "too small" for her. 

In a detailed, never-done-before interview with Dolce & Gabbana, Melania briefly touched upon her life in Slovenia, a topic that's been a mystery for many media outlets. She was born in 1970 in Novo Mesto and grew up in Slovenia, the former Yugoslavia which was then under Communist control. Although she described her childhood as normal as any other kid, she confessed to having ambitions surpassing the borders of her humble country. She said of Slovenia, "I felt it was kind of too small for me." 

Her mother was a pattern maker and designer for the state-owned textile factory. Courtesy of her mother's work trips to Paris, Melania was exposed to fashion magazines early on in her life. Being naturally talented, she'd often sketch her own dress which her mother would sew for her. While, admittedly, life in Slovenia was restricted to basic recreational activities, she took her first baby step at the age of 22. 

Melania entered Jana magazine's Look of the Year contest. Although she didn't win the competition, it brought her the spotlight needed for another opportunity on the horizon. And stars aligned for her as she signed a modeling contract with an agency and she eventually dropped out of the University of Ljubljana after two years. Her father, who managed dealerships for the state-owned car company, approved of her big dreams.

When asked if he objected to her modeling career, she clarified, "No, it was not a big deal. It is what I want to do. It's my passion. And I always felt like, don't lose the momentum with what you want to do. Go for it. You don't want to turn back and say, 'Oh! Why didn't I do that?'" Nevertheless, she was a bright student who excelled in her studies and later held her ground despite being in the notorious modeling industry. 

"Yes. You need to be a strong person. For me, it was no way. The agents, they invite you, 'Oh, let's go for a weekend here or there.' Some girls go for it. I knew exactly how the industry worked. I never went into that. I know when they go to parties, there are drugs, there's alcohol. It doesn't bring you anywhere. I always stayed true to myself," explained Melania. 

The now-54-year-old was working away in Milan and Paris when Slovenia became independent. After a handful of projects, some lingerie and swimwear catalogs, she met Trump at the Kit Kat Club in 1998 during a fashion week party thrown by Paolo Zampolli, the founder of ID Models, as per Cosmopolitan. And the rest, as they say, is history.