May 27, 2024

Well, here we are again. At the doorstep of a new chapter of adventure. Today marks my final day in Serbia. My bag is packed, my room is cleaned, and my farewells are said. The initial mobile period of this journey left me feeling very tired and somewhat burnt out, and I was nervous that those feelings might persist, potentially hindering the intimacy of my upcoming travel. I rested and took it slow here, building up my strength, healthy habits, and routines. That’s not to say I had a boring time here in Belgrade. I went to Kosovo, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, and Bosnia while being here, as well as seeing a handful of Serbian cities. I set a new personal record for cliff jumping (see directly below). I made some great friends, did a lot of work, had my first office job, commuted, worked out, ate chevapi from my neighborhood grill, I became a regular at the biggest pool lounge in Serbia (and joined the amateur league as a ranked player). I saw stunning churches, manmade and natural. I saw dozens of bands live, playing music from heavy metal to jazz to blues to bluegrass to punk. I ran the freaking Belgrade marathon! It has been a strong two months.I took it easy mostly with the goal of recovering from and preparing for travel. I wasn’t sure that it was working until today, when I find myself about to set off on the next journey. Perhaps this process is like a tunnel with many bends, so that you can only see the final light as you round the final curve. Regardless, I am proud and grateful to truly feel full of lightness, openness, gratitude, courage, curiosity, and competence as I  set upon the road once more.