Is it just me, or did it feel like this was the summer that all of your best friends spent the entire break on gorgeous European beaches surrounded by Italian models? Or eating massive ice cream cones on adorable pastel-colored bikes somewhere in Amsterdam… and left you all alone at home? And all you could do was scroll through your Instagram and sigh as you commented yet another *heart eyes* on yet another photo of your BFF having the time of their life standing next to the Eiffel Tower.
Okay, I have to admit, I didn’t really just sit at home and try to sneak out of work early all summer… I got to spend a couple weeks in Europe, too. But I almost dread telling people that, because whenever they get excited and ask me where I traveled, I have to tell them that I spent my grand European adventure in the tiny and relatively unknown country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. And I am well aware that Bosnia is not anybody’s definition of a “cool vacation destination.”
Honestly, Bosnia probably isn’t the most thrilling place in the world for most people. About twenty years ago, it underwent a civil war and it still has a lot of catching up to do. Nonetheless, this country most people would call a “totally random” place to spend my summer is also where my family is from, and holds a lot of special meaning for me. I think I’ve realized that I don’t want to be embarrassed having to explain to people that my summer traveling experience wasn’t to a glorious and famous and super Westernized place. Instead, it’s up to me to explain to people how amazing it was to spend a couple weeks in a place that most people would consider a little “off the grid.”
So, embrace your atypical summer adventure, to wherever it was. Don’t downplay the fact that you went somewhere that pushed the boundaries of what we consider normal back home; whether it be another “random” country like Bosnia, or any other country or continent outside the Western scope. And, if you really did stay at home all summer, don’t downplay that either—there is nothing wrong with being excited about a spur of the moment camping trip or drive to a town that no one has ever heard of. Who’s to say that your summer adventure HAS to be across seas, or social-media worthy? It’s actually so good to change perspective and enjoy spending time in places that are off the grid; no matter if those place are 10 miles away from your house, or 10,000 miles across the ocean. You had the unique experience of being in a place that not most people have been able to appreciate, whether that’s an undiscovered coffee shop down the street, or an abandoned bobsled track in the middle of a forest (<-- one of my favorite experiences this summer!).
I honestly wouldn’t have chosen to spend my summer in any other place. Bosnia opened up my eyes to a lot of new perspectives and a totally different way of life that very few people get to experience. No, I didn’t get to buy a cute and overpriced souvenir mug as proof of my adventure. However, I did end up with something much more valuable; I embraced a road less traveled, and that truly has made all the difference.