Balkans Wrap-Up | Return to Norway

Somehow, more than 365 days have passed since my last post.

When I last wrote, I had taken a leap back across the Atlantic and had just begun my Balkans adventure, after struggling to find my footing stateside (still working on this).

December 31, 2022 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on the cusp of a new year

After two months in Kotor, I spent another two months exploring different parts of the Balkans.

I traveled through Bosnia & Herzegovina (one week), Albania (one month), Kosovo (four days), and North Macedonia (three days), diving into the opportunity to learn more about this part of the world—one I had previously known little about. A highlight was hiking the Peak of the Balkans trail.

Hiking the Peak of the Balkans trail in Valbonë, Albania

At one point, toward the end of my week in Sarajevo, a friend sent me a text:

"Are you having fun?!"

It was an innocent question, sent with kindness and without knowing exactly where I was at the time. I had just emerged from a heavy museum fog (I actually got COVID in Sarajevo, so my museum visits were condensed to one day at the end of my trip—thankfully, I spent my isolation in one of the coolest Airbnbs). That day, I had visited the Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide and Gallery 11/07/95, an exhibition space dedicated to preserving the memory of the Srebrenica tragedy.

I responded:

"No, but I am learning."

Listening to an audio guide at Gallery 11/07/95 (behind me are photos of boys and men killed at Srebrenica)

There’s so much more I could write about my time in the Balkans, and I hope to do that at some point—dedicating a post to each country.

In short, I learned a lot. And yes, I had some fun too.

After spending a third of the year in the Balkans - with a few side trips to Basque Country, Spain, to visit new friends I had met while traveling in Albania and meeting up with friends from the U.S. to do some traveling in Croatia - I flew from Zagreb, Croatia, to Bergen, Norway in early May, arriving just in time for Syttende Mai, Norway's Constitution Day on May 17.

Syttende Mai in Bergen, Norway (May 17, 2023)

Now, another summer—spent mostly in Bergen—has come and gone. I visited the U.S. for what is becoming my standard three-month stay each year, and as of November 2, I am back in Norway.

For now, my base is a charming village of fewer than 800 inhabitants called Skånevik.