My first week in Belgrade, Serbia is a blur. It’s been almost three months since I first landed, since I first walked the still warm streets and cautiously ordered food. I still eat more vegetables and meat in one meal than I would an entire week back home. I was half terrified, half excited each time I was in a car – it’s all sharp turns and honking horns and fast speeds.
I still remember my first taxi ride from the airport – the man barely touched the steering wheel, too busy gesturing around the car and pointing at the landscape beyond. I closed my eyes tightly and he laughed when I gasped (we had almost hit the back of a large truck).
I spent my first week navigating the many trams and trolleys and buses and prayed I wouldn’t be late for orientation. I crammed as much Serbian in my head as possible and stuttered out the greetings at every possible opportunity.
“Zdravo”, “Drago Mi Je”, “Kako si?”
I ordered cevapi and went to a kafana and ate by the Danube river. I stared at graffiti and tried to sneakily take pictures of everything so people wouldn’t assume I was a tourist. I spent those first few days half wild with fear and excitement. I’d never been out of the country, never dreamed I’d be able to do something like this. I met my home stay family, beautiful people who welcomed me with open arms and open hearts. I think I was already falling in love with Serbia, even back then.
I’ve been trying to pin down how I feel about this experience so far, especially as it’s coming to a close. I’ve been writing for weeks now, daily thoughts and random ideas and deeply personal feelings, all in the hopes that I’ll somehow be able to describe how beautiful it is to immerse yourself in another culture.
I think that’s the beauty of SIT and study abroad. It’s a chance to explore and grow and, as cheesy as this sounds, I truly believe it’s changed me.
