You were always on my mind

Hello again! Sorry for the long hiatus. Having my parents here made for a whirlwind of activity and I apologize for not updating you sooner. I am trying to not be horribly sad that my parents left at 4 AM this morning and focus on how lucky I am they came all the way here to see me and experience my life in Macedonia. We went to over 10 churches/monasteries, up the Vodno mountain on the south side of Skopje, out to Matka, a man-made lake where I think I experienced total silence for the first time, off to Skupi the I-IV AD century Roman ruins of Skopje, down to Ohrid, east to Kriva Palanka and all over Skopje. My parents were robbed, harassed by street children, and, by the end of their trip, experts at crossing the street/avoiding being hit by cars. Despite all of this, they were sad to leave their Elmo and reassured me, once again of their unconditional love and support for me and have a warm place in their heart for the small country of Macedonia.

I think I have done a good job of not being homesick and yearning for the States. I focus on experiencing my life here. That being said, I miss some things about America. Mostly, I miss having people around me who have known me for so long, even if I can only talk to them on the phone. My father reminded me, not in a negative way, that there are significant cultural differences between America and Macedonia. I think I gloss over these things out of self-protection. I want to see people as people, not national identities. The inherent problem with that is one fails to see that there is no way you can fully understand or appreciate other people's upbringings and surroundings. I may see a tree, while others see a playground - or vice versa. I ignore the differences, hoping they will go away, instead of simply observing them. But ignoring the differences only brings an overwhelming sense of isolation when something or someone familiar is around, then, as quickly as they came, gone. I am becoming a professional at dealing with being by myself and I must trust my friends and colleagues who I have so enjoyed here to support me while I find my footing again. I truly enjoy my life here in Skopje and I don't want to sound like some pessimistic expatriate. I am not that, I simply was reminded how much I love and miss my family and my country. Next entry will bring you a more thorough description and pictures of my parents' and I' s adventures in Macedonia.

In the mean time, I have to leave Macedonia this weekend to renew my visa (don't ask) so I am hoping to take a bus to Belgrade. I have to plan that trip, change my return flight tickets to the States to mid-January, buy my tickets to Italy for Christmas and possibly New Year's, work on my internship duties and find a job that wants me to start in early to mid-February. Oh and I am dying to see how the election turns out. Ciao for now!