Tourist, Native, and What’s In Between:

Friends, family, and dedicated readers I have officially made it half way through my year abroad in the complicated, coffee filled, and charismatic city of Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It has been quite a journey of both self growth and also the shattering of (some) naive idealism. Throughout this adventure who I am within my host community has changed significantly. I started as a guest, but I have become family. Living with a host family and within a community for an extended period of time gives me the opportunity to move from a tourist to this person, who will never be a local, but has a unique perspective on everyday cultural life. Going to places as a tourist often time gives travelers a glamorous view of the place visited. It is a fun and fundamental part of seeing the world and expanding, but it isn’t cultural immersion. In my half a year in Sarajevo I have been humbled to see the good, the bad, and the just plain different.

My time here as led me to meet many people living in the in the same country as me, however, some of them are living in a completely different culture. They are out of touch to the struggles and smiles of normal everyday citizens. On my first day in Bosnia one of my coordinators said “you will never know more than me, you will never be a local”. To be honest in my time here never once have I felt like a local. I have felt part of a family, a school, and a community. A balance of belonging.

My experience is vastly different than the tourist. I am living, as locals live. Below are some photos I have had the honor of encountering by just simply living.

Watching my host dad pray.

My host mom teaching me how to pray a lot of praying goes on here.

More praying in our living room/dining room/host mom’s bed room

Making silk roses with my host sister!

Making my first Bosnian pita from scratch with my host mom…while my host dad paces in frustration because it literally took me five hours and usually takes my host mom one hour….

Having my host mom teach me and fellow exchange student how to knit at her unofficial “School for Modern Women”…(other activities include cooking, ironing, and finding me a suitable Bosnian man to marry in the future…)

Literally becoming unrecognizable because you are trying to survive four months of winter in 6 feet of snow.

Lots and Lots of time with my adorable host nephews (Ajdin and Hamza) and my host niece (Amina) not pictured. Ages 7, 2, 6 months.

Having your fellow abraders become family. Also surviving more snow.

A Jew Muslim snuggle pile.

Being AMAZED with where you live everyday.

My family’s Mosque in the snow. It is amazing to think of the interesting places where Mosques see snow it isn’t a common correlation.

The constant struggle of homesickness and staying in touch with the ones you love in the US and living your life fully abroad.