Kosovo was amazing. Everyone says that overseas trips will change you and adjusting back to life is hard, and I have to agree. Seeing everything in real life compared to the stories I have grown up hearing was life changing.
I worked at a school with students varying from eight years old to fourteen years old. The younger kids were all so willing to learn and wanted to absorb anything I would teach them. The older kids were more interested in my stories from America and wanted to know what life was like here.
Walking through the streets was so different from America. Young kids run through the streets like it is no big deal with no supervision. Stray, sickly animals wander around looking for food and affection. There is trash blowing everywhere and everyone pays no attention to it. Houses still have holes and are missing pieces from the war and buildings have bomb damage in the middle of town.
Not everything was bad though. There was always the smell of fresh bread cooking and wood fires being burned to heat the houses. Kids play football (soccer) and basketball anywhere they can and there is joy on all of their faces. All of the children are anxious to learn, Houses are slowing being rebuilt and the streets are paved. Children speak English and are starting to be able to translate for their parents and communicate with more people. A lot more kids know what it feels like to have two parents. These are all huge positives, especially the latter.
The question everyone has asked me is "would you go back?" and my answer to this question is one hundred percent YES!
I would love to work with the kids again and to continue building relationships with the people I met while I was there. Ten days just wasn't enough time to truly get to know people.
There is so much work left to do in Kosovo and I truly would love to be a part of it.
