As I begin my last blog entry, I cannot quite put into words how much my study abroad experience has both impacted and meant to me, but also how strange it is to be back. I have realized this time and time again when people ask me, “how was Bosnia and Serbia?” I often reply, “I don’t even know where to begin.” However, I’ll give it a go here in this entry.
This summer has fundamentally changed my view on global inequalities, health and trauma. I learned from many knowledgeable experts in the field and learned just as much from individuals that I came to know during my time abroad. I had an opportunity to be immersed in not only one country but two countries, while also having chances to visit other countries. I enjoyed my time there so much that I’m currently looking for ways to travel back after I graduate.
The sense of nostalgia for Bosnia and Serbia began almost instantly once I returned from Sarajevo as I had become completely immersed in the culture and lifestyle of the Balkans. I realized that despite all that I would try explain and show, the experience was a very personal one that only those who went on the program with me could begin to understand. Although when remembering my time abroad, I usually end the conversation with people by saying, “it was the experience of a lifetime and I cannot wait to go back.”