Home for the Holidays

Dear Friends-

After a long process of travel from Sarajevo, through Europe, to home, I arrived safely in the States last week- just a few days before Christmas. I have to admit it was kind of nice arriving so close to Christmas day and seemingly bypassing a lot of the holiday frenzy and hellabaloo that goes with it. Christmas came and Christmas went along with the residual snow then nasty rain then balmy Sunday and now bitter cold- I do thank God for blue December skies and clear winter nights.

What I also thank God for was the amazing life he gifted me with in Sarajevo. I could not have asked for a better realization of my time there as I learned and lived well. Not knowing what to expect across the board, I was able to make incredible progress with the Bosnian language, make a "home" complete with many friends and sense of community, and I was able to define my future volunteering and professional opportunities.

All of that, I believe, is leading me back to a round 2 return trip to Bosnia at the end of January with a potential three month stay in mind. I am excited for this stepping stone period to continue language learning and develop my relationship with Fondaciju Mozaik as I finish the existing design project, seeing where that leads, and jump into other ongoing projects. Also, daily life will be similar and different as I continue teaching English and visiting old friends but will also have an apartment in town and more opportunities to spend time with friends and colleagues.

In a real sense I believe many of you have shared this adventure with me. I thank you for your kind notes of encouragement and interest and I trust I will be able to spend quality moments with you as I am home this January. I have a story to tell and so do you and we can learn from each other. Needing a break, the blog will be on the "down-low" for a while but I promise to revamp it when I return to Bosnia.

Feel free to contact me whenever by phone- 484 941 2450- or by email at
luke.kasitz@gmail.com
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and blessings upon you.
Luka