Goodbye USA

I leave tomorrow!  I am feeling a mix of emotions, but mostly I'm very excited for the new adventures that lie ahead.  I've encountered some challenges already, and spent much of this week figuring out how to book plane tickets (Sarajevo is not the easiest place to get to) and getting paperwork in order so I won't end up being an illegal immigrant (hopefully).

I had a huge to-do list, which drastically shrunk between Wednesday and today.  On one hand, it's such a relief to be almost ready to go, but on the other hand it means that I'm very close to having to leave Ross for two months :(  Being busy has kept me from feeling very emotional, and now that I am pretty much ready, I hope that I can keep a positive attitude and enjoy the time I have left before I leave.  I feel reassured by the fact that Ross has tickets to visit me in mid-November, and that I will be able to come back for Christmas in LA.

I am trying to talk to as many Bosnian people as possible before I go.  Ross has a surprising number of contacts, so I've been able to hear more about what to expect.  Ross's guitar teacher is Bosnian and recently played a concerto with the Sarajevo Philharmonic, and so I was able to learn more about the orchestra, including their problems.

We also went to a Bosnian restaurant in Chicago, and I am happy to report that Bosnian food is fantastic.  Between cheese, vegetable dishes, bread, and their delicious desserts, I feel reassured that I will find plenty to eat despite being vegetarian.

Already, I feel I am learning to be more outgoing, because my curiosity about the country has forced me to get over my shyness and ask a lot of questions.  One of my goals for the year is not to be so shy about asking for help, since I know that I'll need a lot of it living in a foreign place where I don't speak the language.

So, I'm off to finish packing and eat some Mexican food (not sure I'll be able to get guacamole again until I visit California in December...very sad).  It will probably be a few days before my first post from Bosnia.  I will try to update as soon as I am settled and have internet access.  I just figured out how to use my new digital camera last night, so hopefully I can upload some pictures of my journey there!