One Week Gone Already!

 I cannot believe how fast time is flying by already, it seems like just yesterday I was driving into the city for the very first time. Everything I am surrounded by is new to me, the people, the city, the food and most of all the language. I have learned to rely heavily on a polite smile and a nod as my most successful form of communication. This has proven to work quite nicely, but I cannot wait until I can converse with the people around me in Bosnian. With everything so new and unfamiliar there comes a sense of adventure and excitement, but during the down times when my mind is not busy absorbing the world around me I crave some form of familiarity. During these times spending time with my Rotary friends here in Sarajevo is so appreciated, no one understands the emotions of an exchange student better than another exchange student. I have not quite settled into day to day life, but it's happening slowly.

Every morning my host mom or the house keeper (I don't really know what to call her, she seems to be more part of the family than hired help) makes me breakfast before language class. The food here has been delicious. A lot of potatoes, beans and bread with cheese. My family has been so amazing about my vegetarian needs, preparing all sorts of traditional dishes without the meat. It is always interesting coming home to a freshly prepared meal, everything smells so different I never know what to expect. 

The city is huge compared to my home town, I have been toured around most of it, but I still cannot find my way to most things! Cafés and restaurants line the streets, people sipping coffee and smoking spill out over into the sidewalk. The buildings are all so different. Some still showing ware from the war stand next to newly constructed buildings. In the older parts of town structures from the Ottoman and Austro Hungarian are still in use.
So far the language has been the hardest for me. I understand a few words here and there, but talking to people outside my family still poses as a challenge. Yesterday I was able to ask my host mom where my brother was in bosnian (Gdje je Edin) a small feat, but still a step in the right direction! School starts in about a week and I am hoping being forced to use my little bit of Bosnian as my only source of communication will help speed along the process! 

Touchdown!

The first thing I saw as the plane descended into Sarajevo International Airport was the red roof tops of the houses speckling the sides of the big rolling mountains. This, as you can imagine, was a comforting sight after a long day of travel; I had finally made it. It had been almost twelve hours since I left Boston and I couldn't be happier to be in my new home. I walked next to a fellow exchange student as I entered the airport, it had been a total surprise that we met in the terminal of one of our connecting flights. Despite her company I felt a little nervous about meeting my new family and starting a new life. It turns out my nerves were unnecessary, my host family and the members of the Sarajevo Rotary Club are kind and wonderful people! My emotions had been a swirl on my journey over; bursts of confidence then surges of doubt, and teary eyes as I thought back to the goodbyes I had just said. Though I expect these mixed up feelings will be within me for a few more days or weeks I know now that despite everything it's going to be worth it. It will definitely take a while to get used to seeing stray dogs everywhere, and hearing cars zoom past late at night blasting music, but right now I'm so tired I don't think anything will keep me from sleep!

Goodnight from Sarajevo :)

The End of the Beginning

The date has been set! I leave my New England home for the Sarajevo on August 17th.The time is flying by, so many people to say goodbye to, bags to pack, and I can't stop thinking about everything that is waiting for me at the end of my long over night flight. As I anxiously await my departure I can't help but feel both nervous and excited. Nervous to leave everything I am familiar with to start a life in a new place where I am a stranger to the people, culture and language, but excited to see how my year as an exchange student will unfold.

With the little communication I have had with my host mother and my rotary club in Sarajevo I learned I will have three host brothers, seventeen, fifteen and four. There will only be six of us living in the house for a short while as my oldest host brother will be departing for America shortly after I arrive. I believe I will start school at Prva Gimnazija (the First Grammar School) sometime in late August. 

That's all for now :) 

The next time you hear from me I will be writing from my new home in Sarajevo!