Personal Reflection in BiH

I know that I promised an update but I’ve been reflecting with my Intercordia friends (ICF) this afternoon and I want to continue.

This year I have been reflecting a lot on who I want to be and how I want my life to be. Coming into this trip I wanted to continue my journey of self-reflection and growth.

Living in a more humbling environment has solidified my desire to live a more modest life and to really focus on family time rather than monetary needs. My ICF and I have already noticed the difference in lifestyles between BiH and Canada.

Since arriving in Bosnia Herzegovina (BiH) just over a week ago, I have noticed a difference in lifestyles between people living in BiH and Canada.

I have noticed that the city is divided; there is a street that divides the two sides which runs beside the Centar. The Bosnian side & Croatian side each have their own schools, post offices and cafes. According to the locals, the people are hesitant to walk on the side of town that they do not live on, even if it’s just to play sports on the field. With that said, the synergy within the individual communities is stronger than I have ever seen in Canada. For instance, I consistently hear the neighbourhood children outside my room in the front yard or playing with my family’s kittens inside our house. As well, the neighbours are happy to help each other out. For instance, two weekends ago, a few neighbours helped us plant a field of potatoes. I have heard similar comments from the other Intercordia Volunteers in BiH. The values within the families are different as well.

In general, North Americans seem more concerned about providing monetary support for their families rather than quality, family time. Parents work long hours which prevent them from being fully present in their children’s lives. It seems, through experience thus far and from comments made by reliable sources, that people share a different mentality in BiH. For instance, my host family seems to be very close. My host mother seems to be her children’s best friend. (The parents are still stern when they have to be; they have found a happy medium.) They spend a lot of time together individually and as a group. For instance, they go on family walks and or play Uno during the evenings. Everyone helps each other out because there is a mutual respect between all parties. Personally, I enjoyed cooking crepes with my host sister for Mother’s day breakfast, and helping with the dishes because I know that my family is willingly help me without hesitation with laundry, learning the language, etc. It is nice to see parents that want to play foosball with us children at night or go rollerblading with their family on the weekends. It’s refreshing to see the children and neighbours help the parents plant potatoes, and the family welcome guests to dinner on the whim. There are many times that I have noticed an absence in these values from numerous families in Canada.

It is nice to see a community put emphasis on the importance of family, friends, and helping within the neighbourhood. All in all, I feel so blessed to be apart of such a great community!

With that said I must go home.

Laka Noč!

~G.