On the Pursuit of My Dreams

Looking back, I probably received the greatest impetus from the people of a country that does not even exist for nearly half of the Globe. It was a dream to get there and – I admit – a selfish and sick curiosity that sometimes drives certain travelers to my home country of Romania. Deep down, I knew that even in Afghanistan or Iraq, there was a remote village somewhere, hidden away from war, controversy, and despair, so why would the rumors about Kosovo be true?
My time there was short, but I tried to spend it as intensely as possible, given the local example. Arriving to Prishtina from Montenegro, after a journey seemingly transposing me into the dusty and colorful Moroccan medinas, was a sight! Hundreds of youngsters, all dressed-up, were filling the capital’s streets. They were all smiling, detached. The energy level was unbelievable! On that Friday evening [the busiest night of the Kosovar week], I could sense a seize-the-day feeling creeping in – enduring and [apparently] intoxicating.
...completed by a sense of grandeur, as we stood the following morning on top of Gazimestan Monument, commemorating one of the greatest battles of the Middle Ages – the Battle of Kosovo. Fighting shoulder-to-shoulder back in the day with their former Yugoslav conationals against dangers that have shifted nowadays and that political marketing replaced with others, Kosovars have used the time wisely and have grown during the six centuries into a strikingly different ethnical assembly, one could no longer associate with the lingering image of Tito’s dream.
Prizren was our last example to this end – the most historical city in Kosovo and rightfully the jewel in its crown. With the vivacity still present, Prizren offered even more: a soothing touch of traditionalism and the past. We stumbled upon these two elements during our stroll along the sixteenth-century hammam, the seventeenth-century mosque, and the unique vibe of the Shadervan, the main square.
Over the years, I realized how my like or dislike for a certain place would increase or diminish in time. Ten months after Kosovo, the feelings are still there, stronger than ever. What’s left after such an experience? When only light and positive feelings emerge, it means that it was a happy and insightful one. When we are left feeling gratefulness on top of that, it means that it was life-changing. And yes. 24 hours were enough to journey round my soul and to find the source of its greatest powers.