Ask Balkans – Final Reflection

How was your trip? Since I got back, I have been ASKed this question more times than I can count and I still find myself really struggling to answer it. I can explain the places we saw and the people we met but the reflection aspect added a whole new element that I can’t explain. It has been almost three weeks and I still find myself thinking about the trip all the time. More than that, I feel that I learn something new about my experience each time that I reflect. Instead of explaining the entirety of the trip, I’d like to focus on a couple specific stories from the trip and explain how I was able to learn from them.

Creating a Moment in Paklenica

During the first part of our trip, we backpacked through a national park on the Croatian coast called Paklenica National Park. Along the hike, the plan was to have freeze-dry meals but, through a crazy turn of events, our fuel was lost and we were forced to improvise. The group decided to continue with an alternate hike and we made our way to a cabin called Stuge, armed with the food we had leftover from a previous grocery store trip. The food consisted of bread, salami, cheese, these cans of some sort of meat paste with a rooster on the front, a Croatian peanut butter substitute called Kikiriki, and, last but certainly not least, a couple packets of dry hot chocolate mix. After a long hike up and through the Buljma Pass we sat down to enjoy our abnormal feast. As we ate, I remember the overwhelming sense of community and the bond that we developed over a few short days. Before I knew it, everything but the Kikiriki and Rooster Paste was finished and we moved on to the final course of our exquisite meal, the hot chocolate mix. The picture below explains it all and I can tell you that Swiss Mix was able to follow through on its company slogan to “Create a Moment.” Through this I learned that amazing experiences don’t require perfect circumstances.  We made the best out of what options we had and, because everyone had a great attitude, we were able to enjoy what could be seen as an unfortunate situation. As a planning oriented type A person, being able to respond to quick change in plans was a valuable experience for me and it really got me in the mindset to try enjoy every single second of the trip. This attitude is something I would hope to carry with me in the future along with my love for dried hot chocolate mix.

Renovations in Prvic Luka, dinner in Split, and the ice cream shop in Livno

During the sea kayaking part of the trip we stayed on a small island off the Coast of Croatia called Prvic Luka. While we were there, the town was doing preparations for the big tourist season that would start a couple weeks after we left.  Walking through the central road in Prvic Luka one morning I got the opportunity to watch all of the construction and see these piles of old tile. It was amazing to see how much time that the town put into making the island look nice for tourists and it reflected how much pride the locals had in making their home look perfect. This feeling of pride was reiterated when the manager of the hotel spoke to us each night and explained what we would be having for dinner. He had a certain virtuoso in his speech that was amazing to watch and really got you excited for the food you were about to enjoy.  This carried on through Spilt at a restaurant that was recommended to us. When we got there the place was packed with people.  The lady at the front looked like she owned the restaurant and as soon as we walked up she started to rearrange tables to make room for us. I felt like we were the late unannounced arrivals to Thanksgiving dinner but she took on a very motherly role and made sure that we felt at home. The people next to us began offering us food and making recommendations for what we should order.  The entire experience was amazing and reflected this whole culture that is completely different than the United States. Finally, one night in Livno, a bunch of us stopped in a small ice cream shop.  The man behind the counter didn't speak English and in the confusion of the entire episode the man said something to me that I didn't understand. Before thinking about it I responded by pointing to what I wanted and that’s when Chaffee stopped me and told me that the man was just saying good evening and welcoming me to the store. At this point I felt completely embarrassed but it was a good learning opportunity. I learned that, especially in a situation where you don’t speak the language, it’s important be patient and observant. Throughout all three of these experiences, I was able to connect with people and learn by seeing first hand what was important to them. In not rushing through what could have been a basic financial transaction for food, I was able to gain a memorable experience that in my opinion was way more important than food itself.

Olympic Track in Sarajevo

Due to the weather conditions and flooding we spent an extra few days in Sarajevo and this provided us with the opportunity to see the 1984 Olympic Bobsled Track.  The track was very symbolic of Sarajevo in many ways. Sarajevo was selected for the 1984 Olympics because it represented an area where multiple religious groups lived together peacefully. This erupted in 1991 with the siege of Sarajevo and the damage to the bobsled course reflected the destruction that occurred in the city. The truly amazing part was that it began snowing while we were there and as the snow covered the track the fact that the Olympics happened here became more real. In exploring the area, we actually got the opportunity to walk down the track and see how it was used as a military position during the siege.  It was eye-opening that in 7 years the track was able to see that much change. The juxtaposition between peace and war reflected how quickly a bond between diverse groups can deteriorate and conflict can arise. After seeing the destruction, it was easy to immediately try to place blame on a group and say that one side is right and the other side is wrong. What I've learned in the past couple of weeks is that there isn't necessarily a right and wrong side to the conflict and I can’t always go into a problem looking for a clear answer. As an engineer, I've almost always faced clear problems with reachable solutions and thus I’ve always tried to find the most efficient solution as quickly as possible. In the real world, decisions aren't like that and trying to come up with a quick easy answer isn’t the right way to do it. Sometimes discussing a problem and working toward an answer is more important than the answer itself.

So… In the wise words of David Knobbe, “Now What?” To answer your question directly, I have no absolutely no idea, but I’m not nearly as concerned about that as I used to be. For me it was learning that I don’t necessarily need a “now what?” and instead just need to take what I learned and apply it to whatever happens next. Through the Ask Balkans trip, I was able to learn so much about the region, the culture, and the conflicts. In doing that, I made some great friends and was able to learn a little about myself along the way. The trip has changed me for the better and I can’t thank everyone involved enough.  Y’all are seriously awesome and father would definitely approve.