The Journey Begins

Disclaimer: Seeing as I have been very busy these past few days, I put a ton of information into this entry and it ended up being quite long. You have been warned. Enjoy 🙂

There is something about airports that I find exhilarating. I think it is the fact that everyone you see is on their way to a different place. Just like myself, everyone is on their own adventure.

On Wednesday afternoon, I, along with nine other Clemson students and the Political Science department chair, embarked on our journey to Serbia. I have looked forward to this trip since my freshman year; the fact that the day had finally come was nerve wracking but thrilling at the same time. We arrived in London on Thursday morning around seven. Though a lot of us were dreading the long layover, to our surprise, it flew by. The whole group enjoyed a meal in a restaurant at London Heathrow Airport where we really started to bond and got to know each other a bit.

After our meal, we boarded our next flight to Belgrade! Once we arrived,  we were picked up by two friends in the city. We had our first meal at a lovely restaurant in New Belgrade. We then headed to our apartments! Chloe and I thought that we would both pass out from exhaustion once we got to our apartment but fortunately we got a second wind. We decided to unpack all of our stuff and officially move into our home for the next few months.

The next morning we got breakfast as a group before heading to meet with our professors. Once we arrived at the Faculty of Political Sciences we were welcomed with open arms and smiles. All of our professors introduced themselves and provided us with a brief bio about their experiences as well as what they are working on today. I don’t think I have ever been so impressed in my entire life. These professors seem incredible and their credentials are nothing short of extraordinary. Honestly, Monday cannot come fast enough as I am very much looking forward to starting classes here.

On Saturday afternoon we headed to a restaurant near the city center where we enjoyed our first real Serbian cuisine. We enjoyed an assortment of breads, meats, salads and of course a widely talked about spread known as kajmak. It was all delicious.  I know that I’m in trouble if I eat like that at every meal.  The food here is all so enticing so of course I had to try it all.

This morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast at one of Belgrade’s many bakeries and headed off to enjoy the city for the rest of the day.  As we explored the city we learned an immense amount of history. I have quickly come to realize that this city is full of history and all of the people I have talked to so far seem to have an abundance of knowledge about their country.

Eventually we ended up near the end of the city at Kalemegdan Fortress (kale meaning “fortress” and megdan meaning “battlefield”). Today, the park is one of Belgrade’s most popular areas to sightsee, exercise, and just hang out with friends.  While walking in the park, the eye will wander and will eventually settle on a statue called Pobednik (The Victor). Serving as a focal point of the park, The Victor, is a beautiful piece of artwork that was built in 1928 to honor Serbian victories. From this area both the Danube and Sava rivers are easily visible. Both are quite beautiful. After walking around for a few hours, the group worked up quite the appetite. We stopped for lunch at the oldest kafana (a traditional tavern) in Belgrade. In 1892, the owner wanted to name his restaurant “By the Cathedral Church” (it is right across the street from a massive church). The church objected. Seeing as he wasn’t allowed to call the restaurant by his original idea, he hung a sign with a “?” on it as a kind of protest. Soon, the tavern came to be known as Question Mark. Here you can enjoy traditional cuisine as well as the friendly atmosphere. Let me tell you…the food was incredible. Again we had a variety of bread, salad and kajmak but we also enjoyed a chicken stew that was to die for. I even got to take home some leftovers.

We each headed back to our respective apartments for some very necessary naps. I’m not usually a huge napper but this was crucial seeing as we had been going almost nonstop since we arrived.  This evening at around seven, we all met up and were treated to dinner with some Serbian students from the University of Belgrade. There is no doubt that this has been my favorite experience thus far. Yes, I truly loved exploring the city and learning more about its history these past few days, but I think the main thing that makes a place special is the people who live there. More than anything, I enjoy getting to know the people wherever I travel. We were all introduced and were able to chat and get to know each other over dinner. All of the students we met seem knowledgeable, friendly, and very open minded and I cannot wait to get to know them better. We get to enjoy class with them every Wednesday and I am really looking forward to seeing them again.

I know that was a lot to take in. Believe me, I’m exhausted. But I can honestly say that my first weekend here was full of history, memorable people, and unforgettable experiences. As the semester goes on, I only expect to add to these experiences.

Until next time,

G

“Life is beautiful not because of the things we see or do. Life is beautiful because of the people we meet.” – Simon Sinek

Pictured: The Question Mark kafana