Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Belgrade, I Love You

People often forget the difference between knowing about a place and actually being there. This is something I realized only after I began traveling to destinations that were 'off the beaten path', so to speak; before traveling to the Balkans last summer I never noticed quite how much people like to think they know about the world. This is not to say that everyone is ignorant or that the facts we learn about the world are objectively wrong, but instead to emphasize the importance of personal experience.

When I shared the news of my move to Belgrade with some of my extended family, they began to tell me everything they thought they knew about Serbia and the greater region. To my disappointment, almost nothing they said matched my own experience in the region. However, after being in Belgrade for two months now, I am beginning to notice that even my personal perspectives that were formed in the city last summer were skewed- there is a difference between visiting a place and living there.

I've loved appreciating the beauty in the ordinary since I've returned; when I was here last July I was focused on seeing all of the important monuments and museums more than getting to know the city as a whole. The photos below are some of my favorites. Enjoy!












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