Kosovo? Let's Go!

When I found out that my best friend Allison was moving to Kosovo to teach, my response was: "When should I book my flight?"

After au revoir-ing my family in France, I hopped a plane directly to Kosovo.  Just kidding! That would have been too easy!  I actually hopped a delayed flight to Serbia, transferred to a regional jet, made a "technical stop" in a field to refuel, and arrived in Macedonia to get picked up by Allison.  Just kidding! That would have been too easy!  Allison actually got held up, so she sent a sketchy middle aged taxi driver man with a sign to fetch me at the airport in Macedonia and drive me two hours to Kosovo.  Don't worry, he wasn't a human trafficker.  I asked.  

Oh yeah, and my luggage decided to stay in Serbia.  Ugg. 

After some hugs and reuniting, Allison and I got down to the first order of business: SHOPPING!

My budget was 4 or 6 euros, which was a real challenge at this store. 

And although I wanted to wear cowboy boots (the only shoes I had with me) all the time, I ended up buying multiple new Balkans outfits and shoes for a grand total of about $3.

Second order of business: SEE WHERE ALLISON WORKS.

The American School of Kosovo is a very unique experience.  The keys to the classrooms are straight out of the Secret Garden.  The desks are pretty much all left handed.  They even participate in a recycling program that turns plastic bottle caps into wheelchairs.  I know, I wish I'd thought of it first too. 

My favorite part of the school is the lunch room.  Sorry, did I say lunch room?  I meant nightclub.  For real, the lunch room doubles as a club at night.  

This is where the children eat lunch. 

Outside of the school is this remarkable "Reborn" statue, which represents the hope for Kosovo's future. 

Third order of business: UNLIMITED WINE.

I was fortunate to arrive on the last day of school...aka, teachers go nuts day.  Allison arranged a dinner with her school staff to celebrate [my arrival] the beginning of summer.  

This restaurant, Renaissance, provides not only delicious Balkan cuisine, but unlimited red wine, white wine and the local spirit roki.  That's right: unlimited.  

Once the watermelon started soaking in the roki shots, I had a feeling that things were going downhill fast. 

There might have been Cuban dancing, candy cigarettes (yes, Mom, candy - as in made of gum), inappropriate group voting, magic tricks, card games and Smirnoff icing (so rude).

 

  There are a couple of hazy parts in my memory (Thanks Ben for using my camera to document!), but I'm pretty sure it was one of the best nights of my life.  A+ Kosovo.