The End and the Beginning...

August 4--- We met with a woman from parliament and she gave us a tour. We talked a lot about windows... I don't really remember why... but supposedly they've changed a lot due the conflicts and status of parliament. We also had a meeting with a Serbian entrepreneur/apprentice NGO. They take Serbian rural children and teach them business skills in order to improve their lives and opportunities. They've been around for about a century so they've seen a lot of changes in Croatia and the Former Yugoslavia, especially in regards to them being able to help Serbs. 

August 5—This was our last day. We gave  presentations on articles we read about the E.U. Mine was about international aid and its failings/struggles in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today was also a national holiday, it was the day Croats kicked Serbs out of knin. That made it a very awkward day as a foreigner, but it was quiet and peaceful. Families were out with their children and I visited a café that smelled like horses, here I read and drank cappucinno.

August 6--- We're leaving! How bittersweet. This dialogue was amazing, but I'm excited to continue my travels with Ben and Isabelle to Dubrovnik (Croatia), Budva (Montenegro), Tirana (Albania), and finally to Athens and the Greek isles to meet my boyfriend.

We arrived safely in Dubrovnik and have the most adorable apartment (thanks Ben!). It's run by the sweetest most hospitable family. We have a kitchen, a terrace, internet, and laundry!!! After five weeks... that is a blessing. It's cozy, beautiful, and hey, also historically and culturally relevant! There are bullet holes in the facade from when the Serbs gunned down this side of the river. It is also protected by the state and city because the architect who built the city walls around Dubrovnik was born in this house. How cool is that? Did I mention its meters away from the water, has fresh fruit growing everywhere (limes, lemons, grapes, pomegranates, plums, etc.) and laundry?! I am so happy.