My November Whirlwind

November was a month on the move for me.  It began in Belgrade, Serbia and ended in my hometown of Atlanta with a handful of new cities and countries visited in between.  I covered a good amount of ground last month, and had a lot of fun with new and old friends doing it.

Bundling Whiskey up for the cold...he liked it even if it doesn't look like it

Although the beginning of the month wasn’t enjoyable with getting quite sick in Belgrade, my month overall was a great one.  From further exploring the Balkans, visiting Damian in his new flat in foggy London, spending time with Alex in Brussels, flying back stateside for Thanksgiving (my FAVORITE holiday), and finally returning to Atlanta to see friends, it was definitely an action packed month!

Catching up with Patti in Cincinnati before the family fun began

The Balkans continued to be one of my favorite regions visited in 2014.  It’s no surprise with the plethora of cities, incredible landscapes, delicious cuisine, captivating history, and friendly locals.  If you ever have a chance to visit, I would highly recommend it!

Heading to London to see Damian was another highlight of my month.  It’s hard not to get excited when you get to crash with your best friend for a few days in London.  

Selfie: USA style

Much to Damian’s dismay and confusion, I did very few tourist activities while I was there, but I did manage to visit Kensington Gardens (you know how I love my gardens) and introduce Damian to Paddington bear.  How do you live in London and not know Paddington?!

Now he knows.

I loved getting to see his new life and catch up while we ate and drank our way around London.

Pub selfie!

After London, I caught a short flight to Brussels to spend time with Alex and his family and explore the city and surrounding areas.  

Ville de Bruxelles: Jennifer and I definitely missed this last time

Although Jennifer and I had spent a few hours in Brussels back in July, our experience was limited to the infamous Delirium Café (which is a very fun absinthe and craft beer bar, but definitely not representative of the entire city).  

In front of Ville du Bruxelles

It was wonderful to see Alex again, meet and spend time with his family, and see Brussels with a local.   

We had a quick stop by Waterloo

After Brussels, I headed back to the US for a few weeks.  One of my favorite moments back in the US was seeing my immediate and extended family (and Whiskey!!!) in Ohio for Thanksgiving.

Back with the family for the holiday

Patti graciously hosted a “Croatia Night” to display her new and incredible pasta making skills as well as to share a taste of our indescribably delicious culinary experiences from our trip with rest of the family.  It was so much fun that we've decided to make it a new tradition!  And I thought I couldn’t love this holiday more than I already did….

Earning my keep by making meatballs (and drinking wine) in the kitchen

Heading back to Atlanta after the Thanksgiving holiday was bittersweet.  There were some strange moments seeing my hometown through a new perspective, but overall it was nice to see friends and family.  It was great to catch up with my friends, visit new apartments and houses, and hear updates about careers and lives that I had missed out on during the past few months.  

Hanging out with my favorite fur ball!

I was lucky to have family and friends make time for meals, coffee outings, slumber parties, movie dates, and more to ensure we could see each other while I was in town.  So many great memories! 

One of the highlights of my trip home included a road trip to Charlotte to watch Georgia Tech’s Yellow Jackets play in the ACC Championship.  

Go Jackets!

Although we didn’t win the game, it was fun to be back in the tailgating environment and see so many familiar faces decked out in GT colors!

Holiday mimosas with Patrick and Patti

Overall, November (and the beginning of December) was a great month and I'm glad I got to spend it with so many friends, both new and old.  As much fun as I had at home, I'm glad to now be back on the road and ready for my next adventure!

A little note from the universe on my flight home

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Kickin' it in Kotor

A few days before I was set to fly to London, Tommy, Ian and I decided to leave Pristina and head to Montenegro where Ian and I had the same flight to Stansted Airport on the following Sunday – talk about a small world! 

We initially thought that Kotor for two nights would be wishful thinking considering the shoddy bus timetables from Pristina and our impending Ryan Air flight, but with a series of miraculous connections and brazen attitudes towards the bus drivers we made it there by nightfall.  

Overlooking Kotor Bay with Tommy

During the numerous legs of the trip, I was continuously entertained by the endless stories and hilarious sense of humor of these two crazy guys.  It didn’t hurt that we managed to continuously acquire beers throughout the journey, either.

Ian had spent time in Kotor earlier in the season, and was able to get us straight to the hostel where he had called ahead to make a reservation for us.  All that was left? A night on the town, of course! 

Winnie The Pooh Champange for pre-gaming? Ian needed to pose with it

We had a great time exploring a few local pubs with live music.  Luckily for us, it was one of the last weekends of local activity before these watering holes closed down for the winter season.  The locals, food, ambience, and landscape reminded me of my time in Dubrovnik in October (the two cities are only about 2 hours apart by bus).  It was perfect!

The following day Tommy and I decided to have a look around the town.  Since Ian had already explored the viewpoints over Kotor Bay, he decided to split from us and we agreed to meet up for a beer a bit later.  “The hike to the fortress and around the town should take about an hour and definitely no more than two”, he said as we parted ways.

Stray kitten buddy who insisted on snuggling on my shoulder

During our hike to the fortress lookout, Tommy and I had a very long discussion.  The topics ranged from history and politics to favorite books to bucket lists.  It was not one of those “Oops, my coffee is now cold because we were talking so much” chats.  It was more along the lines of  “Where the hell have you guys been? You left five hours ago.  I’ve had a meal since then and have been considering contacting the local authorities!”  

To say the least, the views were stunning and I had incredible company for the exploration.  Tommy is an extremely interesting, well-read, hilarious North Irishman.  I walked away from our chat with a handful of new perspectives and a plethora of takeaways, not the least of which is new additions to my reading list.  One of my favorite subjects that we covered was Irish history (of which he is well versed, no surprise), which turned into our respective family trees and family history, which I’ll get into a bit later.

Atop the Fortress

Visiting Kotor Bay was definitely a treat, and since it was mid-November, we had the place to ourselves with the exception of a few Erasmus students.  The day was beautiful and we chatted while we leisurely explored our surroundings from atop the fortress walls.   If you get a chance to visit Montenegro, do not miss Kotor Bay!

I don’t think I would have done the full day bus from Pristina to Kotor alone with so little time for mishaps and the dubious bus schedules available.  Obviously, I’m thrilled that I met Ian and Tommy, who made this trip to Kotor a reality for me and kept me laughing the entire way.

During my recent visit to Atlanta, Tommy’s discussion prompted me to spend an afternoon with my paternal Grandmother specifically for the purpose of endless inquiries about our family history.  I learned a lot. 

I always like hanging out with my Grandmother and talking about life in general, but this specific day was especially meaningful to me because I got to hear her stories, see pictures, go through travel albums and spend time learning about our history with her.  I will always cherish that day, and am so glad we were both able to make it happen while I was home.  I learned that my Grandfather lived in Finland for a short period of time as a young boy, and that we are part of a subset of the rather small Finnish population known as Swede-Finns.  Sound shocking?  Probably not to you, but I grew up thinking that we were fully Swedish on my father’s side…

After I learned that my paternal Grandfather’s family comes from Närpes, Finland, I wasted no time in attempting to contact long-lost family there.  I have since made plans to visit later this spring, and am hopeful that this plan will come to fruition.  I’m excited to continue to piece together my family history, and have Tommy to thank for being the catalyst behind my newfound interest.

Around Kotor

Last week, I was chatting with a few people who were at my table for our family-style New Years Eve feast and party.  They were from Helsinki, Finland, and I shared my slightly embarrassing, but seemingly relevant Finnish story.  They immediately started giving me fun facts about “our” country and introduced me as Finnish to other travelers as we partied the night away.  

Though my brief trial run as a Finn is a far cry from being full bred, it was a fun surprise from the universe to ring in 2015 shouting “Kippis!” surrounded by Finns, as well as travelers from many other nations.  I’m looking forward to the continuous learning offered to me by traveling and another year of incredible memories and experiences!

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A Continuation of My Confusion: Kosovo

After being baffled by statues in Macedonia, I headed onto an equally as confusing city – Pristina, Kosovo.  Ground zero of the war in the late 1990s, the city is a curious collision of past and present, finished and unfinished.   I arrived in my usual manner - up for anything and less than prepared.

The "Old City": one of the oldest buildings in Pristina

 The overall experience involved a lot of head shaking and second glances, but a lot of fun.

I started off with lunch at Te Nazi restaurant, a recommendation I had received from a friend.  How could I resist a restaurant with that name?  The food was delicious; there was not a common word spoken with the staff, all of whom visited my table in attempts to translate various menu items.  In the end, I got a delicious and filling combination of meat and bread, which is quite typical in the region.  Now full of local food, it was time for adventuring…

Street art messages and the National Library on University of Kosovo campus

First I headed towards Bill Klinton Boulevard, which is one of the larger roads through the city, and home to a famous statue of good ole Bill.   Then it was onto the Kosovo Art Gallery, which is a small building that had missing exhibition pieces.  The absence of the work was not intended to be considered "contemporary".  They were simply not there, though the title plaques remained.  I shrugged and thought it was best not to ask.   It also housed a permanent collection of very peculiar artwork on the second level.  Finally, I headed to the National Library of Kosovo, which also serves as the library for the University of Pristina.  It was recently named one of the ugliest buildings in the world and for very good reason - check it out.  The building looks like a burnt marshmallow with zits. 

Out and about in Pristina: a strong US presence everywhere you look

That was enough for one head-scratching day.  Everywhere I turned I was confused.  Was this some sort of Tim Burton production commissioned by the US government?

Protests on Mother Theresa Blvd; Memorials for lost Kosovars

The following day I set out with some hostel friends.  Across the street from the library on steroids is the Cathedral of Mother Theresa.  Grand (in stature) from the outside, the church is shockingly unfinished on the inside.  The crucifix, unseen at first, hangs off to the left, unseen but probably more accurately un-searched for by patrons.  Though it was midday, the church was completely uninhabited, save for about three hundred purple plastic chairs.  I asked if it was finished, and the response from a local was “Yes, but no one uses it.  It’s here to make Westerners feel more comfortable about the mosques”.  I later learned that about 3% of the Kosovar population considered themselves to be Christian, yet here is an enormous, unfinished cathedral on the main boulevard.  Not quite what I would have expected. 

Saint Theresa Catholic Cathedral 

Across town, we saw another abandoned church with a random dumpster fire in front of it.  This time it was Orthodox and appeared to have been ignored for the better part of a decade.  Apparently, it is being lobbied to be used as the location for the newest disco in Pristina.  The Orthodox Church has yet to be swayed by the university student’s pleas and the doors remain padlocked with the grass and weeds remaining overgrown. 

Casual fire in the dumpster with an abandoned church in the background

 Throughout my stay I experienced a handful of what one may call highlights, if the term is being used loosely.  I saw a protest of Kosovar miners, met a famous local contestant from Europe’s version of America’s Got Talent, tasted local snacks at the market, meandered through the endless cafes and bars, and taste tested more of the region’s infamous rakia. 

Street Market: so much cabbage

 For a city that was full of confusing and unfinished architecture and history, the locals and atmosphere were vibrant and welcoming.  Despite my curious observations above, I rather enjoyed the city and the warmhearted locals.  

It was hard to pack up after a few days and leave a city with such a bizarre, but alluring character.  Luckily, I had met Tommy and Ian at Hostel Han and traveled onto Montenegro with them.

Exploring the Kosovo Art Gallery in Pristina

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Macedonian Madness

If you’re looking for a place to boggle the mind, head to Skopje, Macedonia. 

Bridge to Parliament, statues everywhere

The most notable feature of the city from a tourist perspective: its statues.  If you think that there are too many statues in Paris or Rome, you have no idea what “too many statues” looks like.

These small memorials around the city mark the day of the deadly earthquake in 1963

Recently, in attempts to boost tourism and give the city a much needed facelift, the Macedonian government poured millions of euros into this "monumental appearance" effort (I didn't make this up...).   Some of the recent additions look like they were DIY projects created by children, and others are ornate statues you would expect to see in the Louvre.  The project is focused on creating new roads, concert venues, and buildings, as well.  Sadly, most of the project's attention has remained focused on the city's new stone citizens.

Look closely - those aren't all lampposts, they are more statues

While I was in Skopje I went on the city’s Free Walking Tour.  Our eclectic guide showed us the statue of his great-grandfather who was a local, not quite famous, author.  Other statues lining the streets are in honor of citizens ranging from local politicians to church benefactors.  These aren’t the “big bucks” benefactors either, just the ones who dropped a few coins in the donation basket on Sunday…one time…a few years ago.  He wasn't laughing as he told us that all you have to do to become a Macedonian statue is live in Skopje for a few months. 

Tour guide and his relative's statue

Behind the endless stone faces who stare (or glare) at you as you meander through the city, there is an interesting culture.   To me, it was not exactly the “Eastern versus Western” convergence that is present in its neighbors' cultures, but rather a very curious “Past versus Progression” juxtaposition.  It is an extremely rich country in terms of history and natural landscapes, but hopelessly impoverished and corrupt, economically and politically speaking. 

Locals fishing in the river behind a 250,000€ art piece entitled "Hope" 

When I was walking through the city one morning, I had to actively dodge a group of Roma children huffing bags of glue and fighting one another quite aggressively.  These group members, both giving and receiving the pounding, included little girls.  All of them were dirty and obviously high, and it seemed they were homeless, without a monitor, and not quite participating in activities that usually lend to a bright future. 

I was not completely confident that I wouldn’t be robbed by the little gang, despite my size and the fact that it was in the bright daylight.  I kept my head down as they shouted at me and begged me for change with the hands that weren’t tightly gripping their bags of glue.  I shoved my hands deeper in my pockets as I walked past them briskly.  I felt helpless and confused, but more frightened for myself than eager to help them.  I don’t think I was making Mother Theresa particularly proud with my complete indifference to assisting the less fortunate. 

Inside a local Orthodox church

That is another Macedonian “Fun Fact”, and one that is much happier than homeless Romani children beating each other.  Mother Theresa was born and raised in Skopje, Macedonia.  We visited the cathedral-turned-museum that boasts a collection of her habit, journals and letters of correspondence, and even her original Nobel Peace Prize.  It was a very cool surprise, especially since I had always incorrectly associated her origin with her later works in India.  

Mother Theresa's birthplace and home site before the earthquake

It’s interesting to think that Mother Theresa left her hometown where there is so much blatant poverty (but don’t worry they have statues!) to devote herself to those less fortunate in India.  After she left at the age of 18, she only returned to Skopje four times during the remainder of her life.

Mother Theresa Museum

During another afternoon, I visited the Skopje Fortress surrounding the city with two Peace Corps Volunteers, Ansley and Kris, who were taking a few days off of their projects in northern Albania.  We had a great discussion about their PCV experience and time in Albania so far, obviously including both positive and negative aspects.  

One of the other discussion points during our time together included the recent Serbian-Albanian football debacle.  I think this is a perfect example of the region’s history, both past and recent.   How did this happen?!  Well, it all depends on who you ask…

While in Skopje, I stayed at Urban Hostel and, very shockingly, met a fellow Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket who was studying in France for the fall semester on my last night.  We had dinner together at a delicious Macedonian restaurant near our hostel and laughed at the odds of our chance interaction.  It was a great way to end my time in the very curious, but interesting, city of Skopje.

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The Incredible Istanbul

Arriving at the Turkish border at 2:00 AM on a blustery November morning is less than thrilling.  Amelie, Claudia and I were shaken awake from our various states of half-sleep when our bus sputtered to a halt at the Turkish border from Bulgaria.  Upon seeing that we were awake, we were instructed to exit the bus. 

We huddled together in the seemingly arctic temperatures until we were questioned one by one by the officers, and allowed (or not) to enter Turkey.  Two of the men were turned away.  As strange as this may sound, this is completely normal for a border crossing, and an event that my time in the Balkans had completely normalized for me.  I just wanted my entrance stamp and to return to my cozy seat and half-sleep that awaited me.

As an American (or Aussie) entering Turkey, there is a mandatory 25-euro entrance visa, albeit it is available at the border.  With the company of my Australian travel companion, Claudia, we retrieved our visas with some difficulty and language issues and returned to the, literally, high and mighty officers.  By the time we returned from the visa office, most of the other passengers had already been questioned and cleared and were back on the bus.  Other than the two of us, no other passengers were required to get a visa.

After a few more minutes of waiting, it was finally my turn.  As the officer opened my obviously American passport adorned with its fresh Turkey visa sticker, he immediately growled “Where you from?” while staring down at me from atop his warm and cozy Tower of Immigration Power.  I felt like I was chatting with Saint Peter at the pearly gates.

Well, dear officer, seeing as you are holding the one most internationally recognized pieces of identification commonly used to answer that very question, I’m going to ignorantly assume you want a more detailed answer to your redundant question.

“Georgia.  Where the passport was issued.”  I stood on my tiptoes and pointed to the front page of my passport with its huge red, white and blue flag in the background.  I stared blankly back at the officer.

“No, no.  This is wrong.  You no need visa.” He said authoritatively.

“Yes, I do.  I’m an American.  I am from the United States.” That’s why I just purchased the mandatory, overpriced little sticker from your sleeping friend in his little cube located on the “Exit” side of the border, which is about 100 meters away in the dark and then came back here for this lovely chat.  Bravo to your logistics team, by the way – this layout makes perfect sense!

“You are from Georgia.  No America.  You no need visa.” He shoved my passport back through the miniscule window with finality and lit a cigarette.  I still didn’t have entry permission.   He was glancing towards the nonexistent next customer.

I gritted my teeth.  What the hell is going on here?

“No!  I’m an American.” I mumbled to myself as I found myself stepping backwards.

I was torn between being baffled at his refusal to let someone who paid for an unnecessary visa into his country and his acceptance of my faux nationality while sporting a blatantly US passport and begging him to believe I was American.  My confusion was not helped by the fact that I was sleep deprived and my shivering had graduated into convulsions. 

I saw the two men who were turned away from the border waiting in a small area off the main road and my resolve to not spend the night with them urged me forward.  I reproached the window with all of the passengers watching me.  I felt like Ben Stiller when he tried to board his plane too early in Meet the Parents. 

“Hello, I’m from the USA.”  I stared at the same officer who didn’t seem alarmed by my persistence.  I pushed my passport back through the window with my frozen fingers.

Much to my surprise, he picked up my passport while staring at me, leisurely put out his cigarette and lethargically flipped through the book.  After a few excruciating seconds, he solemnly nodded. 

“You from America.” He said affirmatively.  Seriously?

“Yes?” I said through seriously gritted teeth.  Is he telling me where I’m from?  Am I being Punk’d?

He curiously flipped though the pages to find my Turkish visa sticker with which he was already thoroughly acquainted.  With a practiced thud of his stamp, he smiled and handed the passport back at me. 

“Welcome to Turkey, Georgia.”  He smiled and lit another cigarette.  Wow.  Just wow.

I found myself smiling back and even mustered a laugh.  I need someone to record these moments.

After this strange experience, I re-boarded the bus and we arrived in Taksim Square a few hours later, just in time for sunrise.

During our time in Istanbul, Claudia, Amelie, we explored the different areas and clash of cultures housed within the enormous city.  We shopped, strolled, taste-tested, drank, smoked (shisha), and ate our way through the city. 

One of my favorite days during our time there was when we visited the impressive Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque.  The history of this region has absolutely captivated me and the clash of cultures is nowhere more evident than in the iconic Hagia Sofia.  

I was one of the last visitors to leave, and for a few minutes towards the end of my visit there I was alone in the entire building with just the very irritated guards and a persistent British woman.  It was an incredible experience.

We stayed in a hostel near the infamous Taksim Square, which is very close to endless bars and clubs that served to keep us entertained after the sun went down each evening. 

The trip to Istanbul was unplanned and a complete surprise for me.  I couldn’t have been happier to have had E.coli in Belgrade, which made it possible for me to meet these two awesome travelers and explore this impressive city.

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