My European Travels And Living In Kosovo

1. Dubrovnik, Croatia

2. Lake Ohrid, Macedonia

3. Budva, Montenegro

4. Istanbul, Turkey

This is the list, ranked in order of my favorites to least favorites, of the places I traveled to over the past two months. This is a very close list, though. If you have ever been to Budva or Istanbul you should be wondering how they became the last two on the list. These four places I spent extended periods of time in were some of the most fun, beautiful and diverse places I’ve ever been. Though I chose to rank these in order, if you asked me to rank them on a scale from 1 to 10 they would all be above an 8, with some exceptions, i.e. Costs of Budva, culture of Istanbul, travel time to Dubrovnik, etc. Those are easily forgotten when all the amazing aspects of these places completely drown the negative aspects out.

The Blue Mosque

Istanbul: The New York City of Eastern Europe. The crazy buzz. The countless shops and cafés and restaurants and people. A place where you can see Asia from Europe and easily travel back and forth between the two. Though everything is very overpriced and the city could use a big cleanup, the beauty and history of it make up a place that I am so happy to be able to say I’ve been to.

The secluded beach we found and spent our day.

Budva: The first time I saw mountains and sea in the same view. The sky blue water flowing into the layers of rolling mountains showed me, as I said in my previous post, the meaning of the term “breathtaking.” The gorgeous beaches, fresh seafood, and hospitality unlike anything else made this city a place to remember. Again, the prices were steep and the 10-hour public transportation makes it hard to want to go back, but once I was there I didn’t believe any other place in the world could be beat it.

View of the sunset from our hotel room.

Lake Ohrid: My most recent trip. What makes this place number 2 on my list? Everything. As people who enjoy small, less-known, quaint destinations, Tori and I thought this was the perfect romantic couples getaway. It didn’t have the beaches or stunning views like Budva, but the lack of tourists, fair prices and nice people allowed it to scoot to number 2 on the list. Add the fact that we were able to escape the buzz and drama from our the rest of our USA group for a weekend and you get the perfect weekend. The bus ride may have been a treacherous adventure through the mountains, but it was less than half the time to get to Budva, and that is worth it to us.

You Game of Thrones fans should recognize this pic…

Dubrovnik: Oh, Dubrovnik. The hardest place to leave. Literally the only downside of the trip was the 10+ hour bus ride, but it was on a private bus that we could spread out on. Besides that, the three days I spent there were my favorite of the two months in Europe. It had the scenery of Budva, the prices of Ohrid, plus an amazing hotel with its own private pool and beach, free of charge. Drive 10 kilometers north of there and you find yourself in Old Town: the most beautiful city I have ever been in. The Ottoman-style houses and shops overflowing within the former castle walls that jet into the Adriatic Sea make it something that is not easily forgettable. Then, imagine seeing that city from atop the mountain that overlooks it, then driving dune buggies through those mountains. Yes, it’s hard for me to believe that is real life as well. But it is, even though getting on the bus to leave was a bad dream that I have yet to wake up from.

Notice how Kosovo isn’t on this list? That is because this is a list of my favorite vacations, and Prishtina definitely does not fall under such a category. A vacation, to me, is a short amount of time spent in a place where you can relax and act in ways that reflect the fact that you probably won’t be back there anytime soon. It’s a time for some R&R and for spending a ton of money.

Shtime, Kosovo

Kosovo was so much more than that. I may have spent a lot of money there, it wasn’t relaxing, and I definitely didn’t spend a short time there. But that was exactly what I wanted when I decided to come to Kosovo. I didn’t want to be a tourist. I became a part of Kosovar society. I knew my way around the city, had my favorite spots, learned the language, and became a member of their community. I met amazing people, even made some friends, and I was fortunate enough to hear all their stories. More importantly, I was giving the opportunity to contribute to that society in a way unique and unlike anything else. I won’t claim to be better than anyone else living in Prishtina. After living among them for 2 months I know that I couldn’t live a day in their shoes. They are inspirational and remarkable people. But I, an American student formerly ignorant to this part of the world, was able to come here and contribute.

Through the reporting I performed through KosovaLive, I didn’t write as an American who knows more than Kosovars who wants to implement my ideas of improvement to their world. I wrote as someone who knows that people in this world have a voice, and they often go unheard. I took my opportunity in Kosovo as a way to give these people a voice. I am no better than they are, but I am blessed to have the power to give them something great.

Whether I am helping a Kosovar golfer get his words and ideas out about strengthening the presence of golf, his dream, in his country, or raising awareness about the process of finding people still missing from the war with hopes of strengthening that process, I like to feel like I am contributing in a grand way. During the past 2 months, not only was I able to witness a reforming country grow, but I can say I was a part of that growth. I am so thankful that my university, and Kosovo, allowed me to live here for such a long time and and together help this amazing place.