Hi everyone!
I landed in Sarajevo late on Saturday night; the director of the foundation I am doing research with was kind enough to pick me up at the airport. Unfortunately, my flight was delayed, but I was met with the warmest welcome to the new city! The director, Maja, let me sleep at her home my first night here, and I stayed up late conversing with her and her partner and enjoying a cold, local beer. The next day, I slept in and moved my luggage to the apartment where I will be staying for the remainder of the 2 weeks I am here. Later that night, I attended a barbeque at Maja’s home, and there, I got the chance to meet a bunch of people from the organization as well as my research advisor and the study abroad program manager from Northwestern!
Here are 2 changes that I first noticed here in Bosnia:
- It is HOT here. Both Argentina and Northern Ireland were relatively cold, but it finally feels like summer in Bosnia! My apartment does not have AC, and everytime I walk outside, I end up sweating like crazy. In the evening, there is a cool breeze, and the weather feels great. The climate here reminds me of my time in Greece last summer, and I am enjoying the change in weather ☀️
- I am rarely alone here. In my last 2 countries, I made some friends along the way, but most of the time I explored the areas by myself and learned to enjoy my own company. In Bosnia, the second I arrived, I already had really intelligent and kind people to talk to who treated me as if I was a part of their community. I am really thankful for how friendly everyone is here, especially Maja and her partner, but by the end of the barbeque my social battery had definitely died, and I was absolutely exhausted 😂
Sarajevo is also a beautiful and lively place – there are hills everywhere that are full of plants and houses/apartments. So many people walk along the streets throughout the day and night, and the food has been fairly affordable and delicious!
I am super excited to begin my research and sightseeing in this new city!
Thanks for reading 💛