Prior to my arrival in Belgrade, I was honestly confused on how I would feel once I reached. I personally did not know much about Eastern Europe in general, and I had only heard of Serbia a few times. Honestly, I was a little scared – hundreds of questions were pouring through my mind. What would the people be like? Would I like the food? Would I be happy there? Another thing that I was concerned about was how I would be treated. One of the things I knew about Serbia was that there are not many people of color in this region. With all the hateful rhetoric surging in the United States right now, I was worried that I may be subject to hateful interactions in Belgrade. I spoke to a few people who went on the program in the previous year, and they assured me that I would be fine, but this fear lingered on my mind up until I came to Belgrade. Since I did not know what to expect, and I didn’t want to worry myself too much, I had decided that I wouldn’t do too much research and that I would just go in ‘blindly,’ which would allow me to soak up all the new experiences.
The moment I reached Belgrade with about 13 other Northwestern students trotting around the airport, I wasn’t scared anymore. I was excited! So far, Belgrade has been beautiful, and I have been treating everyday like an adventure. I’ve been exploring new places, embracing the culture and having an amazing time with new friends. I have realized that I had nothing to worry about, because, in fact, people here are incredibly nice and are actually excited to hear you speak broken Serbian! I am glad that I decided to step out of my comfort zone and go to a place I didn’t know much about. I’m finding it so rewarding to immerse myself in the culture and beauty of Belgrade now. I am currently exploring the beautiful parks and museums, and enjoying the delicious gelato (seriously, it’s the best gelato I’ve ever had). I’m so thankful to share this experience with all my new friends, and that even after just one week here, I know I will make memories here that I will cherish forever. Zdravo Beograd!!