Hello BiH!!! ~ as they call it.
Here, nature doesn’t just exist – it overflows.
Rivers spill with drama. Mountains rise like backdrops to a story too heavy and too beautiful.
I felt emotional arriving here. I had just spent 90 days in Serbia, and I had grown to love it. Ironically, the next step of my journey brought me to Bosnia & Herzegovina, a country that fought against both Serbia and Croatia in the 1990s.
Not just any conflict, but the Bosnian War, from 1992 to 1995.
It was devastating, and it reshaped this nation forever.
Look at the aftermath of that war:
- Bosnia today is divided into two main entities: Republika Srpska (majority Serb Orthodox) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (a mix of Bosniaks, mostly Muslim and Croats, mostly Catholic).
- There’s also the Brčko District, a small self-governing area.
- And yes, the country still has three presidents, each representing one of the three main ethnic groups.
It’s complicated. Messy. And fascinating.
I decided to base myself in Sarajevo, a city that has carried so much history. The place where World War I began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Later, the city endured the longest siege in modern European history, from 1992 to 1996. Nearly four years under constant shelling and sniper fire. Sarajevo carries its scars, but it also carries resilience.
When I first arrived, I was still mourning Serbia. And yet, Bosnia immediately felt like a beautiful distraction. A new place to accept. A new rhythm to build. A new self to discover. That’s the life of a nomad ~ everything temporary, until something more permanent finds you.
It feels ironic to be here, in the very heart of the Balkans. Even my Serbian teacher was excited when I told her I’d be going. She knows what this place means. I also know I’ll visit museums where Serbs are presented as the aggressors.
But I can’t let that erase my lived truth ~ I spent 90 days with Serbs, and I don’t hate them.
Even admire many of them.
Yes, war crimes were committed. On all sides. But I’m not here to dive into politics or spread hate. My goal is to promote Balkan peace. And that starts with understanding each story, each perspective. Even Croats, who may be my next hosts, if I manage to get that visa.
And here’s the best part: my apartment in Sarajevo is just as beautiful as the one I had in Serbia.
But the bonus?
It has a freaking sauna overlooking the mountains.
I’ve linked the Airbnb if you want to experience my little Sarajevo home. If you book it, let me know, I’d love to know someone else got to feel what I felt here.
For now, I’m going to enjoy Bosnia’s overflowing nature. And maybe, slowly, I’ll begin to understand its overflowing history too.
Pray for me.
Love,
Abie 💙
