After a two year hiatus of writing (but not traveling) I will try for once, to actually keep an updated account of what I’m doing on this blog. Last I wrote I was traveling south from Belgrade in 2008, where I was doing an intensive language course (ha. There was nothing intensive about it) for three months. I was going through Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Bulgaria with my friend who had traveled with me in 2005 while on a UW program in the former Yugoslavia. I went back the summer of 2009 for two months, but this time based in Zagreb where I did another intensive language program and then went to Sarajevo for two weeks after to do some research for my thesis on education policy and the international community. Well all that is over and done with but I find myself here again, this time on a NSEP Boren fellowship, based in Sarajevo and for the longest continuous duration of time that I will have spent in the region. I’ll be here for six months doing three things: 1) another language program 2) a research project on religious identity and its impact between the three different ethnic groups and finally 3) an internship with a locally run NGO named TPO (more on that later) that works on a variety issues, but primarily pertaining to religious and gender issues. For them I’ll be doing a program evaluation and implementation but the details are still somewhat murky until I meet with them. I hope that I’ll actually have time to do all of these effectively, and will have to manage my time better so I can make sure and address everything I’ve wanted to.
I’ve spent the last four days traveling. Seriously. My flight was late leaving Seattle to Amsterdam and so I missed my connection to Berlin, and I had to spend an unexpected night in Amsterdam. I know, pity me spending a day in Amsterdam. Luckily I have amazing and wonderful friends there who offered to put me up for the night and so I was able to sleep on a bed. They also took me out, tried to keep me awake to fight jet lag and even took me to the airport. Love you guys! Then off to Berlin in the morning but my luggage decided to take the evening flight instead and so no baggage for me! It turned out for the better though as I didn’t have to haul my 75+lbs of luggage (in my defense I’m packing for fall, winter and spring!!) around town to get to my friend’s apartment which required 2hrs of traveling on the Berlin public transport system (I swear the most confusing I’ve ever been on) and getting lost at least once. Again though, amazing friends who put me up and offered me their homes even while they are not in the country! (Profound thanks to you guys, you made this jet lagged, dazed, hungry and stinky girl very happy in offering me your homes and showers ). So, after leaving Seattle Thursday afternoon at 3pm, traveling to Amsterdam in a freezing plane for nine hours, 23 hours in Amsterdam, 22 hours in Berlin, four hours traveling to Sarajevo via Budapest, I made it to Sarajevo at 3pm Sunday afternoon local time. There I was again welcomed by a friend who has put me up in her spare room until I find a place of my own, made me feel at home, and helped me get oriented. So once again, thank you Peter, Dina, Fran and Polina!!! You guys are amazing!!!! Thank God for friends.
Now I’m day 2 in Sarajevo, finally have a local phone, did e-errands (lots of emails, bank, etc, etc), finally stayed awake past 7pm, grocery shopped and got myself more or less oriented. I still have lots to do, (meeting my organization being chief among them and then finding a place to live and fighting off this cold that keep threatening) but I’m slowly getting settled. My fellowship ends April 18th, which will be my final day at TPO, and then I expect I’ll have some things to wrap up before heading home.
One more thing that I realize is pathetic (but hey I’m a true Seattlelite): I am terrified of winter. I don’t do cold. My range is 45-75F. Its 2C today (that’s 36F people, 36!!!!) and I AM FREEZING. It’s raining but it feels like it should be snowing, and it’s that icy freezing raining that rarely happens in the south Puget Sound. I should’ve brought my down throws.
This will be my one plea: send hand and foot warmers!!
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