the plan

As with all travelling, it is difficult to predict what will actually happen when I’m in Europe, but doing a bit of research and planning beforehand has been really useful in fleshing out what I want to do and see (so I’m at least not totally lost).

In short, my plan is this: I will be visiting some of Europe’s finest capitals, trying to get a sense for the incredible history and culture that has shaped urban life in the modern day. Besides touring the major sites, I want to really get in touch with what makes each place unique and how local people experience it every day.

The sections below outline where I’ll be going and (something along the lines of) what I’ll be doing there!

Serbia

The first month of my European adventure will take place in Serbia, my family’s “motherland”. I will primarily be hanging out in Belgrade – Serbia’s urban capital – where I hope to reconnect with the city I was born in through volunteering at Belgrade’s Institute for Urban Planning and actually living as a Beogradjanin for a little while. I will also travel to nearby Zrenjanin and Novi Sad in the agricultural Vojvodina province, and possibly to the mountainous and forested Sumadija region.

Some of the experiences I look forward to include:

    • Strolling through magnificent streets, parks, and public spaces in Belgrade.
    • Taking in the kafana (“cafe”) culture as I chat with local Beogradjani.
    • Connecting to my Serbian heritage through visiting historic museums, cultural events, and ancient monasteries.
    • Experiencing the hustle and bustle of shopping at Belgrade’s many pijace or “green markets” and eating delicious pastries from the pekara (“bakery”).
    • Meeting some of Belgrade’s top urban planners and architects and interviewing the Minister of Agriculture.
    • Visiting my mother’s hometown, Zrenjanin, where my cousin and his family have just started a raspberry farm.
    • Exploring the beautiful Northern city of Novi Sad and nearby monasteries along the Fruska Gora mountain range.

Budapest
Vienna
Prague
Berlin
Paris
Lausanne
Florence
Rome