The life of Rachel

On my last day...

2008-07-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

Well, finally in Sarajevo with one day left to go. Had a pretty emotional (but good) week, so I might not have a whole lot to say right now...

Got to Sarajevo early Monday morning and hopped directly on a bus up to Vares. Got there right as school was starting, walked in, and was swarmed by kids almost immediately. The students all remembered me, and it was so amazing to see so many of many of the students I got to know and love last summer. Was a little emotionally overwhelming....

Spent the week helping out the students who are in the program this summer with their lesson plans, teaching, and classroom control (7-15 year olds are pretty wild - who knew?) and really enjoyed seeing them go through everything I remember feeling last year. Laughed a lot on the inside, but all in all, they're a good group of students and I think they'll get a lot from their experience, just as I did last year. It was really nice to be back for a number of reasons, but I think being there with another group helped me get some perspective on my own experience - I've known for the last year that it really affected me, but to see it all again... being in that community and getting to know the children at the school was truly an amazing opportunity that I am so grateful for. And to go back and be welcomed and remembered... yeah, it was a pretty good week.

Also spent a lot of time with Vjeran and Vedran, two of the locals who help out with the program that I got to know last summer, and Jo, the program coordinator that pretty much made my summer last year. It's been a really nice way to end my trip... spending time with people that I care about in a beautiful place that I've really come to love. Funny story about my last night in Vares... but not one to be posted in a public place. Call for details. :)

So back in Sarajevo again... had a fantastic dinner with Jo last night, had great conversation, and watched the parade of people on the main drag. Jo has really helped me gain some perspective on this trip as well, and I feel truly fortunate that I've gotten to spend more time with her. Planning on just walking around the city today, eating lots of gelato, having a 4th of July dinner with a few other Americans in town, and then spending my last night relaxing with Jo and the Filipovic boys. Then a 6:40 am flight tomorrow!!

While I'm excited to be going home and looking forward to all the new things happening in my life, I am definitely sad to be leaving... this month has by far been one of the best of my life. I've had fun, seen amazing things, gotten to know myself better, and created some memories that will hopefully get me through any tough times (like when the Packers & Rockies lose or Jamie drinks all the champagne.) And hell, I think I've gotten myself a non-English speaking husband out of it all!

Will post pictures soon... wish me safe travels home!

Best. Week. Ever.

2008-06-29T04:51:00.000-07:00

Back in Croatia now, heading down to Sarajevo tonight, but thought I'd take a few minutes to write before I completely forget the past few days...

Budapest was absolutely fantastic as well, and the past five days have definitely been some of the best of my life. Wandered the city Thursday night, saw the Parliament and lots of other sites, then hung out with some of the others at the hostel watching the semi-final game of the Euro cup. (Kind of like our Super Bowl.) Headed to bed fairly early (1) and caught up on some much needed sleep. Overnight trains = not the best idea. I say this, yet will be taking another one tonight... hmm...

Spent all day Friday on the Buda side exploring the castle and the old town. Absolutely amazing views, and lots to see and take in. Budapest has so much character - theres all this history and beautiful sites, but it still feels like a city, and not a tourist trap (Athens.) Relaxed on Margaret Island, which is in the middle of the Danube, in the afternoon, and just had an all in all fantastic day playing tourist.

Had a phenomenal bowl of Goulash at a sketchy little pub on the recommendation of the hostel staff - num. Hung out at the hostel with some fellow Americans and Canadians, and had an absolute blast. Went for kabobs around 1:30 and ended up at Budapest's only rooftop dance club. Definitely walked home as the sun was coming up. I paid for it in the morning, but it was such an amazing experience, and it felt good to be out and about where actual Hungarians were. Plus, got to drink and dance under the moonlight all night. Not bad.

Slept in Saturday and didn't make it to the baths as planned, but oh well. Went to a Mongolian BBQ serving questionable varieties of meat with a few others, and had a great meal, good conversation, and more than a few included drinks (had to get my moneys worth after all.) Headed down to Heroes Square (which is beautiful as well - picking up a theme here?) and got to see Santana play a free show. So much fun, and then relaxed at a few local cafes before heading back to the hostel. Walked along the river and saw the city all lit up at night, then headed to bed around 2 so that I could catch my 6 AM train. Good times.

Wandering around Zagreb again today, planning on seeing a movie later to test just how good my Croatian is, then catching my train to Sarajevo around 9. Immediately hopping on a bus to Vares, then teaching for the next four days! One more day in Sarajevo to see all my favorite sites (and by sites I mean restaurants and gelaterias) then heading home next Saturday. :(

While I'm looking forward to being home, and to starting the new job, I am definitely glad I got the opportunity to take this trip... Being around so many new people and immersed in other cultures really tests how comfortable you are with yourself, and I think I've done pretty well. I've had a lot of fun, met some great people and seen some amazing things. Oh, and got a nice tan and good pictures to prove it! Will definitely spend some time posting them all next weekend...

So I'll be off the grid for the next week or so, but will write again when I get home... pout...

From Budapest (finally!)

2008-06-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Well it's Thursday night, and I finally made it to Budapest after a fantastic two days in Croatia. I forgot how much I really do love it there.... even the capital is beautiful, the people and lifestyle are great, and maybe its just my own comfort level, but everything just seems so much more enjoyable. I ended up being there for their Independence Day, so I got to watch the military parade in the morning, wander the city, read and relax for a few hours in the Botanical Gardens, and see all the major tourist sites. Spent the afternoon at the beach where the locals hang out, then hit the town with a bunch of the group staying at the hostel. All in all, probably the best day of my trip so far (though Mykonos was a close second.)

Caught an early morning train with a couple that I met from Finland, managed a few hours of sleep, and saw some of the most amazing countryside. Yep, definitely prefer this to Greece - its so nice to see green again!

About to wander out in Budapest now.. planning on exploring tonight, seeing Castle Hill and Margaret Island tomorrow, then the baths and more exploring on Saturday (with plenty of socializing and cafe pub sitting squeezed in between.) Will write again before heading down to Sarajevo... I cant believe I only have 9 days left!!

Quick Update from Croatia

2008-06-24T23:51:00.000-07:00

Thought Id take a few minutes to write before heading out on the town...

Currently in Zagreb, Croatia, which was a little bit of a change of plans. After a relaxing night in Kalambaca, I headed up to Thessaloniki, Greece, to spend a day or two. Got in much earlier than I expected and kind of wished I had just slept in instead of taking the early train, but oh well. Checked into my hotel and wandered the streets for a few hours, but all was fairly quiet considering it was Sunday. Had one of the most amazing meals of my life... grilled swordfish and sauteed spinach, all drenched in lemon, olive oil and oregano... all washed down with some tasty house wine... yum. Blockaded myself in the hotel room for the night with Greek beer and Friends reruns, and got some much needed RnR.

Ventured out again on Monday morning, and it was a much different Thessaloniki. It was nice to see the city in action, and I walked through lots of markets and saw all the main tourist sights. Intended to catch the overnight train to Budapest at 4:15, but it left about an hour and a half late.

Note to everyone out there- if I am ever making travel arrangements with you, and suggest public transportation, shoot me down. Between this experience, the Greyhound bus to Vegas, and the 6 AM Manhattan to Conneticut train, I think it is safe to say that I do not make good travel decisions. The train was hot, I sat in the car with the broken window, and it was very crowded. I did make friends with a Macedonian guy about my age and a bunch of teenage girls who spoke a little English, so at least it was fun. Beautiful countryside too - Macedonia is definitely getting added to the to see list.

So got into Belgrade, where I was supposed to change trains, about 3 hours too late. Next train to Budapest wasnt until that evening, and there was no way I was going to spend a whole day wandering Belgrade (again.) So hopped a train to Zagreb with an Irish and Scottish girl, and here I am! Had a fantastic dinner with them last night and am very excited to wander and see the city today. Turns out it is Croatian Independence Day, so it should be quite the party. Was offered a job at my hostel... have to say I am strongly tempted! Will head to Budapest tomorrow morning, then back to Zagreb and onto Sarajevo Sunday night.

Thats all for now... keep your eye out for postcards, because I managed to find a post office before leaving Greece, and keep your fingers crossed that I make it back home! :)

Here I go again, on my own...

2008-06-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Quick update while I'm enjoying free internet at my hotel..

Spent last night in Athens and had dinner with the two remaining girls in town. It was so sad, having everyone leave, one by one... but we enjoyed free wine and watched the sunset from a rooftop underneath the Acropolis, so I got over it pretty quick. Woke up early and headed out on an 8:20 train for Kalambaka ... http://www.kalampaka.com/en/meteora/index.asp...had to stand up for the first 3 hours because I didn't realize how to actually purchase a seat, but at least there was beautiful landscape on the way. Saw lots of vineyards and plenty of green, which I missed on the islands. Relaxed around town and enjoyed the beautiful view. It feels nice to be in a city where people actually live, and to get the real "Greek experience." Hardly anyone speaks English, and it's been a nice day of downtime and detox. Heard an American next to me at dinner, and turns out he's from Boulder (45 min outside of Denver.) So I've now come to Greece to meet two Coloradans. We had dinner together, and I'm heading to bed early. I am thoroughly ready to enjoy a bed where I don't fall through the cracks and a room to myself!!

Definitely starting to miss my friends from the cruise... Liz, the Aussie who entertained me through song and dance and her love of men in uniform... Karin, my crazy Kiwi "Jim Bame" chugging roommate... and Jack, my American / Australian / Zambian sunset-watching / drinking / deep meaningful conversation buddy. But, it's nice to be "off" for a few days....

Will write more from Budapest in a few days, but hope all is well at home.

Finding my land legs again...

2008-06-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back in Athens for the night and found a little more time to write.

Picking back up, Tuesday night was our "Greek night" on the ship. Everyone on our group wore togas around the ship, much to the amusement of all of the other guests. We were quite the life of the party. Had a great time, drank too much (again), and got up to general shenanigans.

Had all day Wednesday to enjoy the island of Rhodes. Shopped, toured an old palace and most of the old town, then had a fantastic lunch with some of the group. Not Greek food, but there were primarily Greek people in the restaurant, so that counts, right? Was nearly sold into slavery by Australian tour mate (long story) then wandered down to the beach for a few hours. Didn't feel comfortable swimming in the salt water thanks to the open wounds on my legs and feet, but enjoyed a few hours in the sun none the less.

Back on ship for kareoke night. Drank entirely too much to prepare self for kareoke night. Made an ass out of myself anyways. Sobered up after dinner, danced the night away, then stayed up way too late talking. Deep meaningful conversations just seem so much better when had by moonlight on the Aegean Sea!

Thursday... wow. Missed the morning excursion (see above paragraph) but had a nice relaxing afternoon on the ship. Played some more trivia and finally beat the old school teachers we've been challenging all week, largely due to the fact that one of our teammates downloaded the entirety of Wikipedia to his iPhone. I love nerds. Got to the island of Santorini in the afternoon and saw two of the prettiest spots I've ever seen. Like Mykonos but without the drunkenness. Views of the blue sea and adorable village for miles from the top of a volcanic mountain. Was there approaching sunset and absolutely did not want to leave. Rode a donkey down the mountain (!) and then back to the boat for the last night!

Took it easy on board... watched the sunset, had a few more drinks at all of our favorites spots and headed to bed early, since we disembarked at 7:00 AM. I'm back in Athens now and have had a lazy day with a few of the girls, and I miss the boat already. Though there were slight annoyances within the group and the need for a significant detox by the end of the trip, all in all, one of the best weeks of my life. Everything I was able to see was beautiful, romantic, awe-inspiring, etc, and I got to know some pretty amazing people this week. Re-reading this blog I realize it sounds rather boring, but once you see the pictures...wow. It'll be hard to top this experience, but I am definitely in need of some me time. One of my tourmates pointed out to me that just having amazing experiences doesn't make you get in touch with yourself, but that you actually have to work at it... and I think I'm ready for a few days of doing that. Lots to think about.

So I'll be spending tonight in Athens for a little RnR, then off to Meteora in the morning to see some amazing architectural feats, then Thessaloniki in Northen Greece on Sunday. Will write more then...

Greetıngs from Turkey...

2008-06-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

So I'm a week ınto my trıp and fınally got some downtıme to stop at an ınternet cafe. Here ıs a quıck summary of the last week.. and do not mınd some of the typos, I am currently ın Turkey and the keyboards are a lıttle wıerd.

Left around 2 PM on Wednesday, after sayıng a fınal goodbye to all my school frıends. (Pout.) Had no problems on my flıghts, thought I dıd not get a lot of sleep. Got ınto Athens at around 1 PM the next day and took the Metro to my hotel. Had some tıme to walk around before meetıng my tour group, and everyone ıs rıght - Athens ıs a hot, dırty cıty. There were amazıng thıngs to see, but ıt ıs stıll a major metropolıtan cıty wıth traffıc everywhere, anımals on the streets, and lots of tourıst traps. Met the group, and everyone has been great so far. There are 15 of us - 4 Amerıcans, 1 Kıwı (who ıs my roommate), 5 Aussıes, and 5 Canadıans. One of the gırls ıs actually from Denver! Most tour groups wıth thıs company are much larger, and usually composed of young drunken Amerıcans, so thıs worked out pretty well.

Had an amazıng dınner wıth the group, watched some tradıtıonal Greek dancıng, and had a few drınks before bed. Spent the mornıng explorıng the Acropolıs and the Plaka (the shoppıng area near the Acropolıs) wıth a few of the gırls, had another amazıng meal, then off to the boat!

Our shıp ıs ıncredıble - 10 decks, lots of bars and restaurants, and lots of great vıews. The room I share ıs basıcally just a small hotel room, but there ıs so many staff takıng care of everythıgn we need, and ıt ıs all ıncluded. We dıd all pay extra for the all ınclusıve drınks package, but let me tell you, ıts been worth ıt. The pool ıs small, but there are lots of decks for sun bathıng, and hey, I came to swım ın the Medıterranean, not a pool. We spent the fırst nıght hangıng out together and drınkıng all nıght at the dısco - agaın, I have been pleasantly surprısed but how well everyone gets along, and I actually lıke everyone! (Though of course I am closer wıth some more than others.)

Our fırst stop on the shıp was Istanbul, whıch was quıte the experıence. We went to two markets whıch were extremely ıntımıdatıng - the sellers are all very pushy and let's just say the phrase sexual harrassment does not apply ın Turkey. Went to a Turkısh bath, and laıd around naked on a hot rock beıng scrubbed down by half naked turkısh women wıth boobs down to theır knees. Quıte the experıence! Overall, Istanbul was a beautıful place, and we saw some amazıng sıghts on Sunday lıke the Blue Mosque and an old palace, but I much prefer Greece!

Back onto the shıp Sunday nıght to set saıl for Mykonos. More dancıng, sun bathıng, and love of the all ınclusıve package. Watched the show on the shıp, whıch ıs HILARIOUS!! You haven't enjoyed comedy untıl you'ver watched a bunch of foreıgners wearıng sparkly outfıts sıngıng showtunes, and havıng everyone take ıt serıously!

Monday was Mykonos - WOW. Defınıtely one of the most gorgeous thıngs I have ever seen ın my lıfe. Blue water, whıte washed buıldıngs, quaınt shops and cafes... Walked the ısland, then headed to one of the beaches where there was a really cool bar / cafe / atmosphere. Swam ın the ocean, and cut my leg and foot up pretty bad on a reef. Cussed out my tour manager, Ryan, when he sprayed antıseptıc whatever all over my foot! Danced on a platform for free shots, got quıte a nıce tan, then headed back to the maın cıty. Saw one of the most amazıng sunsets of my lıfe over the ocean, then hung out wıth one of the others of the group at a cafe people watchıng and drınkıng wıne. The rest of the group went to a bar, but I fıgured I can hang out wıth them on the shıp and drınk for free - how many tımes wıll I get to people watch on the shores of Mykonos!!!

Headed to bed early, slept ın a bıt today, then had some tıme to explore the ısland of Patmos. There was a hıstorıcal church to go see, where apparently St. John wrote the book of revelatıons, but I belıeve we all know how I feel about relıgıon (not to mentıon 7 AM hıkes.) The group ıs defınıtely of two mınds - those really ınterested ın the hıstory, who want to tour ruıns, and explore old museums, and those of us there for the vacatıon, culture, and beauty of the place. Can you guess where I fall? :)

In Kusadası Turkey now... agaın, some of the group went to Ephesus to see ruıns, and me and a few of the gırls have walked the cıty, stopped for ınternet, and are plannıng to head to a cafe for apple tea ın a mınute. Thıs cıty ıs a lot lıke Istanbul - lots of pushy salesman, and predomınantly just all shops. Oh well.

Greek nıght tonıght on the shıp, meanıng we all wear togas... should be a long fun one. All day ın Rhodes tomorrow, then two more ıslands Thursday, then back to Athens Frıday! I don't want ıt to end already!! It's been so amazıng and surprısıngly fun, and I'm really glad that I was able to have thıs experıence.

Wıll wrıte more ın a few days...

Update on the last 8 months...

2008-03-17T18:29:00.000-07:00

Well, since I've got a lot going on and some more travel in the works for the next few months, I thought I'd take a chance to update anyone who reads this (Susan) on what's happening in the world of Rachel.

My time is pretty much consumed by job searching and school right now. I'm currently in Boston, but heading home tomorrow and finishing up my last paper for spring quarter. Then after a fun weekend down in Arizona, I begin my last quarter in grad school!! (Until I begin a Ph.D. program that is.) I'm looking forward to next quarter a lot, because I'm really interested in both of my classes, and it'll be nice to have a light load of only 7 credits. It seems like this whole graduate program has gone mighty fast though...

Speaking of, I'm actively job searching in hopes of having a full-time position lined up before graduation. Ideally I won't start a position until July 7th, but I would feel a lot better if I was already committed to a job by then. I've been applying for lots of jobs in research and data management, and I've had a few interviews for positions I'm waiting to hear back about:
-Research Analyst at Tufts (Boston) - great job, I loved the staff, but the office was a windowless basement room, and it would involve a move (though the money would probably be excellent). Should know within the next few weeks.
-Assistant Director of Admissions, Metro State College of Denver - loved this position too, thought it's not what I had originally intended to do. The more I learn though, the more I think I'd like to work at Metro and in this position. Would have a lot of opportunities for growth, and I think the pay would be pretty good.
-CO Dept. of Higher Ed - have the potential for two positions here. I interviewed for the Financial Aid Coordinator position for the state, which I think would be an ok job, but I'm worried I'm not as qualified as they would like. However, a week after my interview, I got a call from another guy in the office asking if I'd be interested in meeting with him regarding another position, with a program that supports low-income middle and high schools students in preparing for college, then provides scholarships. I like the work the program is doing, but I still need to find out more about the position....

So those are the things on my plate right now.. I'm still keeping an eye out for positions in Boston and Denver as they open up, but I'm hoping to hear back about these few jobs first before actively pursuing anything else.

Also starting to plan some travel for June, between graduation and new job start date, but more on that later...

What I've been up to in London...

2007-08-05T11:24:00.001-07:00

I found an internet cafe that doesn't charge $5 an hour, so while I still remember, here's what I've been up to the past few days:

Thursday:
St. Paul's Cathedral - walked all the way to the top for the view - over 450 steps!!! Worth it though.
Tate Modern museum
Shakespeares Globe Theater
Boroughs Market - organic food market with cheese, bakeries, olives, oils, meats.... num num!!
Vinopolis wine museum - pricy, and not really sure it was worth it for only a few tastes of wine
Curry and cider for dinner - trying to fit in with the locals

Friday:
Westminster Abbey, to see all the dead people
Walked up to Trafalgar Square, and saw 10 Downing St, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and some other things that looked really important
Hung out in St. James Park
Shopped at Harrods
Hung out in Bloomsbury Square, near my hostel (Harry Potter is crack, and I need to spend at least an hour a day reading it - damn you J. K. Rowling!!)
Joined the group at the hostel for a pub crawl of Covent Garden

Saturday:
Went to Leicester Square to get theater tickets
British Museum - saw the Rosetta Stone and chunks of the Parthenon
Had amazing Thai for lunch
Went to the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery
Walked through Leicester Square again, Piccadilly Circus, and up through SoHo to my hostel
Saw Avenue Q in the West End - so funny, and cute, and definitely worth it!! Who knew puppet sex was so hilarious...

Sunday:
Work up early to head to the Tower of London - also really funny, and the best tour I've had so far
Went to Spitalsbourgh (sp?) market - basically just a big junky flea market, though some cool shops
Walked along the Thames, then more reading of Harry Potter
Now sitting in Leicester Square, about to get dinner in Chinatown

Plans for the next few days:
Having high tea at Kensington Palace, seeing Wicked, a few more museums, and definitely some souvenier shopping.... plus:

Why I Know if There Is A God I Am On His Good Side
(or, the Great British Beer Festival!!!)
While I am in London!!!
http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=gbbf

Only 2 1/2 days left!!!

Greetings from London!!

2007-08-04T00:52:00.000-07:00

Lots to catch up on.... I've been traveling a lot this past week, so I didnt have many opportunities for internet access. Spent my last weekend in Sarajevo laying low. Went out with the older DU students one last time, and had an absolute blast. Other than that, just hung out, packed, cleaned the apartment and ate lots of my favorite ice cream. :)

Caught my bus to Ljubljana, Slovenia, Sunday night. Got in early Monday morning, and spent the day wandering the town and climbing up to this beautiful castle with views overlooking the whole city. It rained in the afternoon and evening, so I hung out at the hostel and met some really fun British guys who gave me the scoop on what to expect in London and some tips on great places to go and see.

Got to do more sightseeing on Tuesday.... I absolutely loved Ljubljana. It's such a beautiful town, and the people are so friendly. It seemed so much more positive and clean that Sarajevo. It's amazing to me that things can be so different, even in countries so close.... heck, they used to be the same country. Just a completely different mentality and attitude. Did some shopping and wandering, had dinner with the British boys, then went to bed early so I could catch my 8 am train.

Spent the next afternoon in Vienna.... basically just had lunch, walked a bit, and went back to the train station. Had some local bratwurst, but wasn't too impressed. Think I'll stick with Johnsonville. :) Didn't really get to see too much of the town, but not sure I'm a huge fan.

Caught my flight to London that night with no problems, and made it to my hostel at about 11 PM. I've spent the last two days sightseeing and walking the city.... and I absolutely love it. Its so great to be in a city again, and around English speaking people, but it's still so different than being back in the states. Again, everything is so clean, and the people have such pride in everything.... their country, their sports, their appearance, and especially their city. I've met some people at the hostel, and did a pub crawl with a group last night... lots of fun! Let me tell you though, I thought I had a tolerance until I drank with Brits and Australians. I definitely cannot hang.

Ok, internet time is running out.... doing more sighseeing today, then hopefully a play tonight!! Only 4 more days!!!!

Last week in Bosnia

2007-07-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

So it's been another busy week, but as of 6:30 tonight the official part of my trip will be completed!

Spent last Friday taking a day trip to Mostar, site of the famous Old Bridge that was blown up in 1993. It was a beautiful town to see.... evidence of the war was everywhere, and nice new rebuilt buildings stood next to buildings completely devastated by shelling. The old town and bridge were very nice, and the Neretva River runs right through town. I went by myself, and it was really relaxing to have coffee and lunch at cafes by the river, as well as to have the opportunity to wander around town and see the place on my own. The afternoon got really hot though (like over 110 degrees), and I headed back to Sarajevo (on the air conditioned bus) without staying to check out the night life. Mostar is a college town, so very fun, but not worth the heat at the end of July!

Took it easy last weekend and just hung out in Sarajevo. Got some souvenier shopping done, and spent some more time wandering the city. Nothing too exciting to report. Got up to Vareš on Sunday afternoon and began to prepare for our last week teaching! Luckily, we had an easy week planned, with our art show, movie day and picnic going on. The Vareš summer festival began Sunday night, so we definitely needed a more laid back week (translation = lots of late nights out in the town.) There was live music every night, and there was more than one cafe open past 11 p.m. Nothing too crazy went out, but it was definitely nice to see the town with more energy, and with about twice the population, since all of the people from the surrounding villages come down to the city center for the festival.

Wednesday was our last day at school, and it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I really got attached to these kids over the last 4 weeks, and it was hard to say goodbye.... especially when they're all asking if I'll be back next summer. I can see why Jo, our project coordinator, keeps coming back, and feels so attached to the place.

So we came back to Sarajevo this morning, and now tonight we have our final reflection, then our closing dinner. Hoorah!! I'm planning on just lounging around for the next two days, and seeing the last few things in Sarajevo I hoped to see (mainly nightlife) then I leave Sunday night for Ljubljana, Slovenia. Im taking the overnight bus, then spending two days there in a hostel that used to be a jail! Should be really neat. Then catching a train Wednesday morning to Vienna, where I catch my flight to London. Whew! I'm definitely going to be exhausted by the time I get home on the 8th, but I think it will all be worth it.

One other fun note... made it to the black market last week to pick up some DVDs, and had the new Harry Potter movie the day after it came out, as well as about 5 other new movies. For less than $3 each! Haven't been able to get the book yet, but should be able to in London...

Time for reflection, so I hope everyone is doing well, and I can't wait to be home in just a few more weeks!!

2007-07-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

Lots to talk about this week....

After having a nice relaxing night back in Sarajevo last Thursday, our group headed to Srebenica, Bosnia, which is the site of the 1995 genocide where over 8,000 Bosnian men and boys were killed by Serbian forces. We visited the memorial site and graveyard, and toured the factory where UN soldiers held 5,000 people in hopes of saving them. (After keeping the people there for two days, they were forced to kick them out - basically handing them over to the soldiers waiting outside.) The memorial site was very touching and emotional - it reminded me a lot of the Vietnam memorial, with lists and lists of those killed during the genocide. We also watched a video that included footage of those 9 days, and showed the men basically marching to their death, as well as the soldiers laughing and joking about what they were about to do. It was really difficult to watch. The video also showed President Clinton, who visited Srebenica for the dedication of the memorial. It was a clear reminder of just how little we (the U.S.) did to prevent so much of what was going on.

After leaving the memorial, our project coordinator had our drivers take us to one of the mass grave sites that was recently discovered and in the process of being excavated for bodies. I didn't even get out of the car - to me, it was a little morbid to stand around looking at unidentified victims of this horrific incident. I felt as though we were acting as tourists taking in the sights, and just didn't feel it was respectful of the people and families who still don't have closure. The students who did go thought it was very interesting to hear about the work being done by ICMP (the International Center for Missing Persons), but for me, it just didn't feel right.

To make ourselves feel better (and who am I kidding, just to have a good time) myself and Chico decided we should get our butts over to Novi Sad, Serbia, for Exit Fest, one of Europe's biggest music festivals. We got there early Saturday morning, and had a great day wandering the city, hanging out on the shores of the Danube, napping in the park, and drinking lots and lots of coffee. Later in the day, we headed across the river to this giant old citadel where the festival was held. We got inside before there were too many people there, and had the opportunity to wander around and see the grounds without 50,000 other people. The line up for the night we were there was Lauryn Hill (pictured above - yeah, that's right, I was that close!), Basement Jaxx (who rocked) and Snoop Dogg. So I got to see Snoop Dogg play from 2-4 AM, with about 30,000 Serbians singing every word right next to me! It was quite the experience. For the rest of the morning there was a huge dance party going on, but I just didn't have the energy so Chico and I headed back to the park to get a little rest. After sleeping on a park bench for a few hours, we did some shopping, then headed to Belgrade in an attempt to find a bus back to Sarajevo.

Belgrade was definitely an interesting place to see, but very run down. You can tell it was once a beautiful city, but has lost its charm. We had dinner at a beautiful restaurant on the Danube, then walked the city before getting on our overnight bus to Sarajevo. (Let me add that we were absolutely filthy, can't have smelled too good, and completely exhausted. It was a fun bus ride.)

We immediately went up to Vareš after getting in and showering Monday morning, and taught school as usual all week. We only have three more days in Vareš (and I only have 10ish more in Bosnia) and I know that I am really going to miss this place. I've gotten so attached to my students, and can't say I pictured feeling this way 2 months ago. Next week is the Vareš summer festival and our school picnic, so I think it will at least be a nice sendoff and a good way to say goodbye.

Came back early this afternoon and went to visit the Bosnian Federal Court with our class. Extremely interesting, and since we watched a portion of the trial of some of those charged with the war crimes committeed in Srebenica, it was a nice bookend to last week's trip. So off to reflection now, and then heading out to enjoy one of my last weekends in Bosnia!!

Some pics...

2007-07-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Didn't have a whole lot go on outside of school the past few days, so I thought I'd post some pictures.

This is Nula, the reservoir / quarry sometimes used for swimming in Vareš. Thing is, it's toxic thanks to the local mining. Oh well - they don't seem to mind, but I can't say I'll be dipping my feet in anytime soon. Pretty to look at thought.

This is my entourage of girls, who hang out on this wall and watch the boys play soccer all day.

And these are my afternoon boys, who love to play Uno and B.S. So much for teaching English. :)

Off to Srebenica tomorrow (the location of the 1995 genocide) then hopefully heading to ExitFest to cheer up!!!!

http://eng.exitfest.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

2007-07-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

So I had a pretty laid back weekend, and was bad and acted like a true American. Friday afternoon I went to a ˝Thai˝ restaurant, and then walked around Sarajevo's version of a mall. Basically the same as ours, with lots of salons, clothing, shoes, and cell phone shops. However, in their mall everyone is smoking and sitting in the multitudes of cafes.

Had a great sushi dinner with my friend Kim the other night, then met up with the other group of DU students here. If I haven't mentioned, there is another group of 10 graduate psychology students from our university here on an unrelated program. They're all much closer to my age (and have much more similar social lives) and it was nice to get to spend some time with them.

Saturday morning everyone in my group but me headed to Mostar, a city about 3 hours from Sarajevo, while I went to the US Embassay for the 4th of July picnic. Free beer, great salads and dessert, and probably the best cheeseburger I've ever had in my life. Oh yeah, and did I mention the Marines were manning the grill? I met some really nice Americans that work for the state dept. who have invited me to their softball games and ˝Marine movie night˝- apparantly the guys get sent new release movies the day they come out in the states. It should be fun. I can't imaging having the lives of these people though - they switch positions every two years, and have very little say in where they end up in the world. They definitely have a very strong community amongst themselves though, and I was grateful everyone was so welcoming to me.

Saturday night I went out for dinner with Emily (one of the forementioned DU students), then she, I and my friend Sharif went out dancing. Quite the experience!! The DJ played the most random music, including The Twist, the Macarena, La Bamba, Love Shack, and Justin Timberlake and the Black Eyed Peas. So much fun, and watching the Bosnians make me feel like a good dancer.

Remembered that yesterday I wanted to comment on the women /fashion here. Whenever anyone is out, they are dressed to the nines. At ten in the morning, the girls are wearing clothes and makeup like they're ready for the club on Saturday night. It's definitely strange. And the guys are big fans of tight t-shirts - although, thinking of you boys back in Denver, maybe that's universal! I definitely feel like a bum, because it's almost unheard of to be seen out in flip flops and and capris. It's not like that's the only thing that makes me stand out though, so I've gotten used to it. :)

Well, it's time to go catch the bus to Vareš, back to my lovely little students. Will write more when I'm back in Sarajevo.

Week 4 update...

2007-07-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

So not a lot has happened since my last post.... we finally got classes started in Vareš, and though I was a little intimidated my first day, it's gone really well. The first two days I had a class of about 30 7th and 8th graders, but on the third day we split the groups up into morning and afternoon classes. So now I have these really adorable 5th graders in the morning, and then my little entourage in the afternoon. I've got this group of sassy little girls, and these rowdy little boys that follow me around town like some celebrity. I can't say I don't enjoy it!! Outside of school, things in the town are nice. There's only about 8 cafes / bars so bar hopping entails walking about 5 steps. Kind of fun. We definitely stand out like sore thumbs, and I always have the feeling of being watched. I think by Thursday people were sort of used to us, so hopefully next week will be a little less awkward.

Thought I'd take the time to write about some random Bosnian observations.... speaking of being watched, the feeling is definitely there in Sarajevo as well. There aren't a lot of American tourists, so while some people do speak English, we definitely stand out here as well. I go to a couple of the same places fairly regularly, so there are some people that recognize me (I guess) but again, the feeling of being looked at strangely or being watched is pretty prevalent. Now I know how all the Asians feel in Denver...

The bathrooms here are definitely another major difference.... most of them in the apartments or restaurants are ˝normal˝ but in a lot of the public places or up in Vareš they're basically holes in the ground with little spots for your feet on either side. I've learned to pee like a guy, which is actually sort of fun.

Hmm... I had a few other things I was going to write about, but I just spent 15 min on the phone and forgot most of it. Oh well. Will update in a few days when I can think of more..

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! I'm going to a belated celebration at the US Embassay tomorrow, then off to Mostar for the night, then back up to Vareš til Thursday, but I'll try and touch base sometime during the week....

Week 3 Recap

2007-07-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been another busy week but I'll try and cover everything that's happened...

Think I left off on last Saturday, when the girls and I decided we should go to the hugest event in Sarajevo all summer - the Haris concert. It was.... interesting to say the least. Haris is one of the most popular Bosnian pop stars, and of about 35,000 people in the stadium, I think we were the only 4 that didn't know all the words to every song. It was in the old Olympic stadium, which was kind of cool to see, and quite the experience. Decided to leave early and hung out with some beer-drinking policija on the way out. Apparently they're members of the Bosnian SWAT team and do crowd control at concerts. Quite entertaining. This is my friend Officer Bajune (have no idea if that's the right spelling - it's pronounced Bah - yune- nuh.)

Went to the ˝black market˝ Sunday morning to get a cell phone - another interesting experience. It was really hot out, and I wasn't feeling so good by the time I got home. Ended up coming down with a fever, and then tummy problems, and spending the next 3 days on the couch. Not so fun. The heat wave has broken now though, which is sooooooo much nicer.

On Wednesday our other coordinator got here, and we got to go up to Vareš, which is where I'll be Sunday - Thursday for the next 3 weeks. It's this little mountain mining town about an hour outside of Sarajevo, and it's like a different world. The weather is beautiful, and I think I'll really to get to know the people and everything in this town inside and out. We went to the school and met our students on Thursday morning. I ended up with the classroom of the oldest students, so it looks like I'll be spending my mornings with 30 7th and 8th graders. They are quite the handful!! I'm a little nervous, but we'll see how it goes tomorrow...... The pic to the right is a waterfall in Vareš that we took a little walk to.

After our reflection Thursday night, myself and two other Vareš students, Hadley and Chico, decided to head back to the Croatian coast. We took an overnight bus to Split, which is about 4 hours north of Dubrovnik, where I lived before. It was absolutely gorgeous - beautiful weather, coastline, boys, and not nearly as many tourists as farther south. The city's most famous feature is an old palace in the center of city, which we walked around. This is the coast to the right. We took a mini boat cruise on Friday night (which only cost about $10) that was incredible, and had some really good food and wine.

Two other students joined us Saturday morning, and we decided to take a ferry to Brač, a local island. Also amazing. Got there around 2, and immediately hit the beach. This is me ˝swimming˝ in the Adriatic, again. The sun was a little hot for me, so after about an hour my friend Bethany and I decided to rent scooters to cruise around the island. So much fun, and just incredible views of all the little island towns, and fields and fields of olives and grapes. I'm starting to realize that I am much more into Croatian culture than Bosnian!!! Think I will try and make at least one or two more trips back to the coach. Even with all the tourists, everything is just so laid back, beautiful, and fun.

Time to go now so we can catch the bus up to Vareš for the next four days. Hope everyone has an amazing 4th of July, and wish me luck with the middle schoolers!!!!

The past week....

2007-06-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

So as I mentioned before, I laid low for a few days this week.... got lots of rest and fluids, and tried to stay out of the heat. It's been really hot here every day (above 30 degress C, whatever that means) and I've decided there's just no point in being out between about 1-4 pm. The group and I did volunteer every day from about 9-1, but after that, it was time to head home for naps. The volunteering went really well - the organization brought in groups of kids for us to practice teaching English to, and they were so cute!! One of them spoke with this little British accent, which she learned from watching too much TV. They really loved having us there, and I now feel much better about the rest of the summer. Next Thursday we head up to the little town where we'll meet the students we'll teach for the next four weeks, and I'm a lot less nervous now.

Other than that, I have been venturing out and being a little more social this week. Met a random American staying at a nearby hostel on Wednesday, and ended up going out for drinks with him, some Irish girls, some of our group and the hostel managers. We went to a bar that had 70 & 80s night - can't say I thought I'd come to Bosnia to hear Gloria Gaynor, Flashdance and Ghostbusters! The next night I went to the local hot spot Hacienda with the Bosnians and this British guy for this Beach Dance Party. It was a ton of fun, and we danced til like 3 in the morning. The music was much better, and they were tossing around beach balls and sombreros, and it was definitely more of a local place. Went to an amazing dinner with some of the girls last night and then went and saw Oceans 13 - nice little date night. Too bad it was all American girls. Pretty funny seeing the movie here (for only like $3.33). Tonight me, the Bosnians (Haris & Sharif) and some of the girls are heading to this huge concert here in Sarajevo, which should be.... interesting. I'm off of work until next Thursday, and just heard the Chili Peppers are playing in nearby Belgrade on Tuesday, so I might head over to that to redeem my musical sensabilities!

It's way too hot to be in the internet cafe anymore, so I'll post more later......

Busy, busy, week....

2007-06-18T03:12:00.000-07:00

This past week has been busy (but fun), but I'll try picking up where I left off.

We had Wednesday morning to ourselves, and a few of the girls and I wandered around the open air fruit market. I had coffee by myself, then discovered this wonderful meat & cheese market, where they let you try everything - most of which is delicious. I think everyone reading this knows how I feel about cheese....

In the afternoon, we went to visit the US Embassy, which was pretty neat. We met with the second-in-command, and talked about his opinions on what is currently going in Bosnia. He was very honest with us, which is rare to find in someone talking about such complicated politics. Wednesday night we had dinner at the Sarajevo Pivarsca - the Rock Bottom of Bosnia. Amazing food.

Thursday we went to meet the organization we'll be volunteering for, Wings of Hope. They are also organizing a camp this summer for children affected by war. We met our boss, Maya, who loves to talk politics, philosophy, and drink coffee. I'm in love. After leaving work, we wandered the city for the afternoon, shopping, stopping for capppuccino, and more shopping.

Because we had a 3 day weekend, 4 of us decided to head to Dubrovnik, in Croatia on the coast. The drive was beautful, if bumpy, and we headed down to the beach as soon as we got in and found the apartment we rented for the weekend. It was a great time, and it was really amazing for me to be back there, where I doubted I would ever see again. I was really glad I got to share it with the other DU folks, and show them around to my favorite spots. Saturday night I ended up meeting the RIT kids that are on the same trip I was 4 years ago, and hung out with them until 4 AM. We met some guys who brought us to their cousins wedding..... good to know wedding crashing is universal!!

Had a slightly scary experience Sunday morning.... was about 100 m from the bus station, ready to head home, when I started to feel dizzy and nauseaus. Ended up having a heat-stroke induced seizure (I think) and being swooped away to the hospital in an ambulance. There, they hooked me up to an IV and let me sleep and cool down for a few hours, so it wasn't a horrible experience over all. But, can't say I would want to do it again. Moral of the story kids, drink lots of water at the beach!!

So now we're back in Sarajevo, and starting our volunteer positions for the week. Should be a pretty low key time, as I'm on strict doctors orders to stay in the shade. After volunteering this week, we head up to Vares next week to beign working on the children's school, which I'm very excited about.

Hope it's not as hot back in the states!

-Rachel

First few days....

2007-06-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I made it here safely and have now been in Bosnia for two full days. The flight(s) weren´t too bad and I made it with all my luggage, which is more than some of the students I am with. Our apartments are absolutely amaying, and are about 2 min walking distance from the Bascarcija, which is the Turkish market with tons of shops, restaurants, cafes. Think the Bosnian version of the 16th St. Mall. We have 3 apts total, and the one I´m staying in is huge, with two bedrooms, bath and a half, and tons of closets. There is only two full size beds, but there is also a pull out couch which I basically claimed. The picture to the left is three of the other students outside of our apartment door.

The first day we were here we went to a couple of sights around the city, then took a walking tour of our neighborhood. We visited the war tunnel museum where they snuck supplies into the city during the siege. The tunnel was so small, and I cannot even imaging crawling /walking half a mile through it carrying food, or weapons, or other supplies. After we left, we went to one of Bosnias national forests and saw the water source for the River Bosna, which flows through the city. Absolutely amazing. That is me on the right on a little bridge over the river. We then had a fabulous lunch, full of cheese, dried meat, stuffed peppers, goulash, and lots of bread. Good think our apartment is at the top of the hill, cause this place is super carb friendlz. Did lots more walking around in the city centre, and took a trip out to the Mercator, which is basically the Bosnian wal-mart. Had a lot of fun wandering around trying to interpret the labels and deciding what everything was. Also had my first (for this trip) Bosnian beer and wine last night!

Todaz (sorrz, but the z and y are interchanged on their kezboards and I am getting tired of fixing it) we took a bus tour up to Lukomir, which is the last European village still living in the old traditional wazs. Thez just got running water in 2002, and are shut off from the rest of the countrz during the winter since there is onlz one long, winding road into town. We went on a hike (zou read that right - I hiked todaz) to this beautiful waterfall. We had a tour guide, Demir (or as I like to call him, Bosnian Tom Bradz) who is currentlz in grad school at Harvard but organiyes hiking excursions of his home countrz in the summer. He was absolutelz fascinating, and made me feel like I had no education or sense of purpose. He just seemed to know everzthing. This is our group, including Demir (in the orange) standing on this cliff with the waterfall in the background. Then we ate in one of the little villagers house and bought these homemade goods from them. These little old ladies apparantlz spend 5 dazs knitting a pair of socks, which I then purchased for about 12 bucks. Not sure I could handle that waz of life.

Have figured out our schedule for the rest of the summer, and it looks like we´re spending a little more time than I had thought doing language classes and ˝reflection time˝ as a group. I personallz feel I will learn more and experience more bz being out and about in Sarajevo as opposed to sitting in the apartment with the other Americans, but for now I am just going with it. I feel verz fortunate to be here, and am really looking forward to traveling on the weekends, especially back to Dubrovnik (where I lived before.)

Hope everyone is doing well back in the states, and I hope to hear from all of you soon!

-Rachel

10 more days....

2007-05-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Got my address in Sarajevo:

Rachel Robinson
Abdesthana 10
71000 Sarajevo
Bosnia - Herzegovina

Apparantly there is some chance I will get mail, but the earlier sent the better. So be sure and send me some cards in June!

I haven't been able to find it on Yahoo Maps or Google Earth, but we've been assured it's right in the center of town, near Bascarsija (not the way they would spell it - there's a quite a few accents.) Bascarsija is the Turkish market, with lots of vendors, little shops, and cafes. I spent an afternoon there before, and it's a really beautiful, old-world little section of town. Seems like a great place to be located.

Started packing last night, and things are looking good for the one bag plan. Should have plenty of room to bring back little trinkets and goodies for everyone! Putting stuff in my bag made it kick in that I'm really leaving in less than two weeks. I'm getting excited, but also a little anxious! I wish I had spent more time learning the language, and I def. need to do a little more research on what I want to do on my weekends and while I'm in London.

Also getting nervous about the fact that I have 3 papers to finish before Monday and have to start preparing to move next week. Blech. Speaking of, time to head to campus......

Counting down...

2007-05-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

30 days until I leave!!! Went and got all of my immunizations done this morning, which was a ton of fun, but hey, at least now I know that if for some reason Typhoid hits Sarajevo I should be all set!!

I've been starting to think about packing, and what to bring.... blech.... I'm going to try and do it all in one bag, which sounds like a grand plan, until I reazlied I was female. So we'll see if I'll be able to work that out.

Starting to also think about planning my trip to London before I get over there. It sounds now like I'll be on my own, so I can't decide if I should just play it by ear, and get off the plane with no plans, or have everythign organized and established before I get there. Option 2 seems more my style, but I would hate to have some amazing encounter or experience and be stuck in a routine. God, I watch too many movies. Thinking about taking a day or two journey into Paris as well, so it might be best just to plan it all out now....

Ok, back to homework.... less than 4 weeks of class left!!