Dashed Hopes in Kosovo

Where do I even begin with describing my experience with Kosovo? The obsession with Bill Clinton? Doing shots in a monastery? Bad covers of Christmas music playing at the rooftop bar?

My favorite moments in Kosovo have happened when staying in the Holy Archangels Monastery in Prizen. Staying in a hostel-style accommodation allowed our group to really bond with each other and gave us a true sense of community, especially since the wifi was barely working, forcing us to actually talk to one another instead of staring at our screens. Very Generation Z. 

One of my favorite moments of the whole trip was at breakfast on Saturday morning when as a group we were asked to sing an American country song. Together we sang “Country Roads” which was followed by the Serbs at the table singing a Serbian song and then a Greek priest singing a Greek song. It was such a beautiful moment because people of all nationalities had come together at a table to enjoy a feast and each other’s cultures. It reminded me that despite all of our differences, we’re all just people trying to make it through life. At some point we can all get together and get along.

This moment gave me so much hope for the region. I couldn’t help but think, if these people who are a minority in their country, who have faced repeated violence, can accept strangers with such warm, open arms, then maybe differences in the region can be set aside.

This thought was quickly dashed when we visited the second monastery on Sunday. As the priest was talking to our group about how Serbs need to accept what they’ve done in Srebrenica, two very large, scary-looking men in black, pro-Serbia t-shirts very loudly got up from the table and made it a point to walk out on him. Serbian-Orthodox people hold their religion very close to their hearts, so to walk out and turn your back on an Orthodox priest.. that was quite a statement. It brought me back down to earth and reminded me of how deep the divides between ethnic groups really are. I can’t help but return to my cynical nature and hold doubts about the future of this region.