It won't be long now...

Time goes so fast when Ross is Sarajevo, but somehow we had a very relaxing week anyway.  Last Saturday was my roommate’s last day in Bosnia, as well as my birthday, so our friend hosted a celebratory barbeque that evening.  Lots of beer, meat, and, naturally, some grilled eggplant and pineapple for me.  I had fun attempting to play one of Sara’s goodbye gifts, a Turkish instrument, called a “ney”.  It is said that only those with pure souls are able to play it.  I could barely make even a faint sound, so I guess my soul isn’t so pure.

I was sad to see my roommate go, since we’ve shared so many experiences together this year, being the only two American girls in the orchestra.  At least I have Ross here to keep me company, but once he leaves, the apartment will feel way too empty.  We’ve been in a three-bedroom place all year, so I’m starting to work my way through cleaning, throwing away unwanted items (there’s not really a recycling program in Bosnia, unfortunately) and packing stuff for Ross to bring home early.  The slow trickle of goodbyes, final performances, and packing makes leaving much less stressful than trying to do everything at once.  But it’s also harder to ignore the fact that I’m leaving when I just want to focus on enjoying what’s left of my ten months here.

Since Saturday, Ross and I have been alternating between chilling out in Otes, Ilidza, and the city center.  On Sunday, before the temperatures climbed, we walked out to the source of the Bosna river.  Starting on Monday, it got unbearably hot, so it was hard to avoid just laying around the apartment all day.  However, we managed to get out to the Park Princeva, a fancy restaurant with a hilltop view, on Tuesday night (an excellent birthday present, courtesy of my in-laws) and to my friend Arvida’s final degree recital on Wednesday morning.  We also had a lot of fun with the “Otes” family, having beers in Ilidza and showing off Ross’s Ninetendo Wii in our apartment.

Enjoying the wine and the views at Park Princeva

Last night, I had my last performance in the National Theater, a final rendition of Eugene Onegin.  True to Sarajevo Philharmonic style, there were a lot of strange moments, and some bloopers, as we struggled to follow our even crazier-than-normal conductor.  Even though I enjoy the challenge of playing with American orchestra that are usually comprised of focused groups of perfectionists, I will miss being able to laugh, experiment, and have fun my colleagues here.  Looking out at the audience in the ornately decorated hall for a final time definitely felt bittersweet.  But, I still have a trip to the seaside and a concert in Bascarsija to prepare for next weeks, so it’s not quite time to get nostalgic.  I will just try to enjoy, and maybe drag my heels a little bit hoping to make the time go slowly.