Winter's Back!

So we had a little warm spell for a while here and I was worried that the rest of my winter was going to be reduced to a wet, weather-confusing few months but never fear, the snow is back and well, better than ever. Granted this makes my walk to and from work a little...tricky. It's gotten better now because the snow has been packed down but those first few days were a little dangerous, especially for someone as clumsy as me walking down the steep (and even the not so steep) hills.

But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. I still got to take advantage of the surprisingly warm weather and spend my weekend (two weekends ago) outside, even going on a little hike on the same mountain outside of Fojnica that I've done a few times now. The weather was really foggy (this region, especially Sarajevo is known for fog this time of year making it very frustrating to try to fly in and out of the city) but it was really cool because once we got to the top, we were above the fog, and it was really sunny and beautiful. We could look down on the fog, like we were above the clouds. It was a really amazing scene.

My work week was a little hectic, and while that's a welcome change from the usual lack of tasks, it proved to be a little frustrating. I was assigned a project proposal for a grant application that was due last Friday; which is great, I get to write and get a lot of experience with not only our organization but also the NGO process. It was a little challenging though because the project wasn't already planned so I had to do the grant application while planning the project, in two weeks. But the really frustrating part didn't happen until once I was finished (or so I thought) and then there were a bunch of changes or significant activities that they wanted included within the project that no one told me about. It really stressed me out for a few days because I was trying to make it a really good proposal but at the same time I was constantly having to change huge sections and of course it all ties together (with the deadline approaching) but finally, everything seemed to come together and I sent it in on Friday. It felt great. I'll always take the stress over nothing to do and also I got really good feedback on the proposal so ultimately, it was a good experience to have and although it was a little hectic and my frustration seemed to increase with my coworkers lack of organization, I realize that this is an authentic experience not only in Bosnia but also in the world of small NGOs so it is a good experience to have (I can say this after I had a relaxing weekend to take my mind off of it, ha).

My weekend was just lovely. I went to Doboj or rather Tešanjka to visit my friend Anita, who was the English teacher in Fojnica the two summers that I was there. I got to see her at Colleen and Mario's wedding and was invited to go stay with her. Well this fall went so quickly I never got the chance but this weekend worked out for a visit and it was just what I needed. I was excited to see Anita and also see Doboj which is in the Republika Srpska (RS) which I had never been to. Turns out, it's not much different. Which is something that I find really interesting, I mean, it seems like such a big deal, to go from the Federation to the RS but besides the Cyrillic on the signs (and there are still a lot of signs in the Latin alphabet) there's nothing that really sets it apart. Anita and her husband live in Tešanjka which is a village outside of the city Tešanj which is in the Federation and they are just a few minutes drive from Doboj, in the RS. When Anita was explaining the demographics of the towns and villages she said something that I think is really true, she said that you can try to separate the people but you never will be able to. It seems fitting, especially when so close to the RS-Federation border which really doesn't mean much in everyday life. Doboj is a really nice city. It seems to be planned very well and it has a beautiful park in the center square with the streets around it, a nice place to walk around and Anita said that in the nicer weather every cafe/restaurant has seating outside. It also has a fortress which is closed in the winter but in the summer it has different cultural events with music and a restaurant up top with a great view. Her village is also really nice and while we talked about the differences between Fojnica and Tešanjka (Fojnica being much more walkable and convenient), Tešanjka is really picturesque and we got to go on a few walks around her house and take in the winter wonderland.

Because of the weather there wasn't really too much to do, but I had a great weekend. Anita and her husband are so wonderful and it was so great to just spend the weekend with friends, eating well and having a low-key, warm weekend surrounded by pretty snow. It also felt good to get out of Sarajevo, see a different part of the country (it was about a 3-3.5 hour bus ride) and I really should've done it sooner. But! I can't wait to come back in the spring and visit again. I just realized when I put these pictures up that I didn't take any of Anita or Damir which is a shame but there's always the next time.

I'm not really sure what's in store for this next week. Since I've completed that project I need to ask for another task and as for home life, my internet has yet to come (haven't even gotten a call) so I'll have to go back to the place and continue to hassle them. If you reading this find it annoying that I still haven't gotten my internet then just think how much more frustrated I am! Hopefully in the next week or so something will happen.

A New Year, Another Birthday and Back To It

Sretna Nova Godina, everybody! I hope you all had a great new year and are getting back into the swing of things here in the very unattractive year 2011. Time seems to be flying. I can't believe that it's January 11th already, somehow it feels like if someone told me it was still November I would have no problem believing them.

Anyway, my time at home was great. My mini USA tour to see family and friends was just what I needed: a nice break, a return to English speakers and non-smokers all around me, and a chance to get my energy back. Thank you to everyone that I got to see for making it so wonderful and being the incredible people that you are.

I got back to Bosnia before New Years and got to spend it here, which is what I was looking forward to. It was actually pretty low-key, I spent it in Fojnica and it was really wonderful, just what I wanted. When I got here there was still snow but even a few days after New Years when we went up the mountain to go skiing we found that there really wasn't enough snow on the slope and now everything has melted. Kind of incredible to think that this weekend I was outside without a coat on in the beginning of January. But now it's getting chilly again and I'm sure it will snow a few times over the next few months.

I was lucky because I planned it so when I got back to Bosnia I had a little less than a week before I had to return to work, so I got some time to settle back into it and see some people. I think that first week was the most confusing because there was something comforting about being back, something routine yet at the same time I realized how much I missed everyone at home, in a good, healthy way (not a homesick way). My 23rd birthday was my first day back at work and was pretty uneventful, although in my transition back to European life I forgot to switch my plug on my cord for my computer so ended up getting to go home early and I guess karma gave me a little birthday present! I spent the day walking through Sarajevo and even bought myself a birthday present: a nice, big comforter for my bed!

Now that I'm back I am determined to make every effort to better my life here. I've been pretty lucky and happy so far but I know that I can be more proactive about what I am doing here and really take advantage of my opportunities and life in Bosnia. Who knows what I will be doing next year, where I will be, but I don't want to take any of this time for granted. I've made (and keep adding to) a to-do list and have been pretty active about getting things done. Internet is still a top priority but I've made a few visits to the office and even had someone call them for me. Actually, I think I'll be making another stop during my (extended) lunch break today. Same with Bosnian lessons, I'm really determined to keep them up so I can learn as much as I can. Caleb's gotten me in touch with one of his friends who has agreed to tutor me so we are going to meet tomorrow to set that up and I might even continue some lessons at a school too. We'll see. I also want traveling to be one of my goals while I'm here. It would be a shame, and I know I'd regret it, if I didn't explore as much as I could and experience as much as I could while I'm here. Those of you who I got to see while I was home know that I've been disappointed with my internship and the lack of work that I've been given to do, but I sat down and discussed how I was feeling with my supervisor (-ish person) and he was really receptive. I thought at first that I would have this discussion and ultimately leave Gariwo but he seemed to understand where I was coming from and promised to give me more work (I have a new project I'm already working on), although I also said that if I felt the same way in a month or so I would want to talk again about other possibilities. So basically, I have been trying to really work towards creating a fulfilling experience here. As you all know, I love Bosnia and love being here but at times over the past months I have gotten disappointed and I really want to do my best do make the most of it and not let these outside forces affect my time here. Ha, at least that's my mentality two weeks in to my return.

I don't think I have much else to report. Last night after work I went with Caleb to the new shopping center that they built (they have a few new malls that are clean and modern and most people are really proud of them. I guess if I didn't hate malls quite so much they would be more attractive to me.) and in the basement there is the most wonderful grocery store in all of Bosnia. Ha, ok so Caleb and I talked about how we felt a little guilty that we, as foreigners, were coveting this American-like grocery store, but then decided that we really didn't care because we missed some of these foods so much. I mean, they had avocados. You can't find avocados in Bosnia. Granted, it is more expensive and you do have to take the Western implications into account, but at the end of the day I miss some of these foods and damnit, I'm gonna get them (from time to time). I didn't do any shopping yesterday because I was pretty overwhelmed (not as overwhelmed as when I did Christmas dinner shopping with my mom at the new, huge Kroger in Waterville) but I think I'll make a game plan and return after work tonight.