When you hear the words Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), what comes to mind? Before learning more about this country in the Balkans, when I heard its name, I drew a blank. I knew a war and genocide had recently taken place there, but that was it. Bosnia, like many places in the world, was a country overlooked by the education system I grew up in and a mysterious place forgotten by most of the Western world. 

As odd as it may sound, I've always found genocide interesting and have been drawn to regions recovering from conflict. So when I heard our group would be studying and visiting Bosnia, I was ecstatic  In preparation for our excursion, we read The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway and Love Thy Neighbor: A Story of War by Peter Maass. 

The Cellist is a fictional story told from the perspectives of four characters living under the siege of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. It does a fantastic job of putting the reader in the shoes of someone daily living under war. It also wrestles with the issue of our humanity, how it can be lost amidst conflict, and the journey of the characters as they seek to reclaim it.

Another eventful week and a half in Hungary has passed by! This week I've continued to explore the city (and the delicious food here) and study Hungarian. I also started service-learning and this past weekend had a lovely day trip to Lake Balaton! Additionally this week I've wrestled with some challenging questions regarding my own privilege in being here and how to be a respectful traveler, not an exploitative tourist.