Settle in Sarajevo

Woa! It's been a freaky deaky while, hasn't it?

I haven't blogged for what feels like almost a month and to be honest I don't really know where to begin, almost! I've been working pretty hard at settling in the ol' town of Sarajevo.

So what's the hap's?

Last time I checked, there are major floods in Pakistan which are now considered to be worse than the tsunami that devastated the world not so long ago; Mexican waters are still a complete mess and BP's CEO resigned; Tony Abbott is a tosser among tossers in the land of politics (thank you GetUp! for your awesome ad campaign highlighting this particular dimwit's attitude towards wom*n!); my parents have painted the house; my sister's, partner's, brother's, wife is pregnant; my boyfriend's dad's driving from Melbourne to Perth for charity; little Winona entered the world (congrats Nat and Jaes - she's freakin' beautiful!); and today was the first day of Ramadan - the Muslim month of fasting. And I've hit the half way point of my trip!

A lot can happen in a matter of weeks! Congratulations Simon and Sarah, if you're out there somewhere reading this!

So what's been going on in the world of Sarajevo? Well, a lot actually. I arrived back to what is now my home about two weeks ago with the intention to stick around for about a month. I spent the first week or so 'faffing' around and getting random bits and pieces sorted out for my flat. I also attended some cool events for the Sarajevo International Film Festival. I had a profound realisation after seeing one movie in particular, which had small snippets of Melbourne life. I worked it out.

What exactly, did I work out?

Well - frankly - my identity. I think I've got it, finally. I know where I belong and why. I'm Australian. I have a very deep connection to the land here in Bosnia, but not for the same reasons that I have connections to the land in Australia. I've spent so much of my life in Australia and so much of what Australia represents is familiar to me. Even with it's somewhat deranged and un-inspirational politicians, I'm completely in love with that little island of ours.

How stupidly simple is that?

In saying all this though, I don't want to discredit or undermine the beautiful experiences, people, landscapes and musical fun that I've experienced in Bosnia and Croatia. This place has something very old, wise, and deeply moving about it. I feel like I understand the culture a little better than ever in my life and I can safely say that I am slightly defensive of this patch of Earth, but I couldn't live here for longer than intended for this trip. Huh! What a relief. Now I know.

So, after this spectacular bit of work aside (by work I mean working out my identity), I was left a little unsettled. It's been difficult to know exactly where to begin a 2 month stint in one particular location, and to know that I have no specific commitments. So I started working on the practicalities. I've been looking for a bit of volunteer work and managed to find a couple of organisations that focus on environmental awareness and activism, and eco tourism. This has been very exciting. This city is all about growth at the moment. It's all about developing a status in the world which allows for people to visit without thinking that it's a war torn zone.

The city is filled with backpackers. I hear an Australian accent almost on a daily basis. I definitely see at least 10 foreigners within the first 10 minutes of being in the Old Town. I have a feeling that the next 5-10 years in BiH will shift dramatically, on both the touristic and political scenes. Why? Well, when the backpackers start to brag about the affordability of travelling the Balkans, the more conservative (and let's face it - richer) tourists will follow - and this will change the market for local business. Politicians will be driven to promote the country...and I'm hoping will finally join the EU. I'm also hoping that they'll drop the ridiculous policy that stops Bosnian citizens from leaving the country without a visa. At the moment, if anyone here wants to travel anywhere...and I mean anywhere outside of this country, they have to apply for a visa - which is an arduous and long process of dodging red tape, bureaucratic bullshit, and nasty public sector workers. It's a nightmare. I wish that the intelligent and energetic youth of Sarajevo could leave as freely as Australian youth to discover the wonderful parts of Western Europe, UK, Africa, Asia, Australia, USA and...anywhere their heart's desire.

If only the beautifully giving people of Sarajevo and Bosnia could experience things through travel and bring their newly acquired self-learning back to work, to life and eventually grow old here, knowing for certain that this is the place for them. Just like I've had the chance to discover that Australia is where I want to do all those things.

So on another political note, I get to vote twice in the next couple of months. I hear that the election is going to be interesting back home. I am planning a little overnight trip to Zagreb with my friend in order to vote (it's the closest place we can do it, and our postal ballet papers haven't arrived on time...thanks Australia!)which should be loads of fun. I have yet to work out how to register here in Bosnia, but I'm sure it'll involve a bunch of stupid paperwork.

I've also started guitar lessons, am painting on occasion, and had a friend visit for the last week. It's certainly been eventful!

I'm definitely excited about the next couple of months here. I'm also very excited about Dane's arrival, our travel together and our arrival home. Ah the adventures of now. What an interesting 'now' to be alive.

Thanks for reading, and hope to write again much sooner.

Sej xx