We are having a blast, but I’m finding it hard to let go of traditions. Which isn’t exactly a bad thing. Traditions provide some cohesiveness between different cultures and times. But they are bad when you allow the absence of routines to negatively affect a possibly otherwise great experience.
For me, I’m missing autumn routines. New England has perfected Fall. This year, I’m actively missing things I enjoyed but perhaps never fully appreciated before. Maybe it’s because we are in such a different part of the world, or maybe it’s because I’m conscious of the fact that we are moving to Australia, but I’ve been nostalgic for the things we usually do this time of year, like pick pumpkins, notice leaves gradually change color on the drive to work, watch football, consume pumpkin spice EVERYTHING and choose a Halloween costume.
We specifically chose to spend Halloween in Serbia, because Belgrade, known for its nightlife, seemed likely to have some theme parties. I don’t know if it’s because we prefer pubs over clubs, and thus weren’t exposed to the festivities on offer, or if we just went to bed too early, but we didn’t notice a whole lot of Halloween enthusiasm.
In an attempt to ward off feelings of homesickness and to experience some of Belgrade’s famed nightlife, while meeting others, we joined a pub crawl. While it was fun, and we had a good time conversing with other travelers, we weren’t blown away by any of the bars or clubs we visited. Belgrade’s nightlife is nowhere near as nuts as Barcelona’s.
Likewise, we set about exploring the city, and were similarly underwhelmed. Yes, it has a colorful history, but nothing seemed to really stand out in the city.
Hoping to get some insight into the past, we took a free walking tour, but the tour guide glossed over the war in the 90s. The most interesting tidbit we learned, is that the idea of vampires originated in Serbia, as a way to explain porphyria. We were looking forward to visiting the Tesla Museum (about the physicist, not the car), and were disappointed that it was so crowded we couldn’t see the electricity demonstrations.
Perhaps my emotions influenced my opinion of Serbia, or maybe the drabness of the country was partially responsible for my feelings. Being here didn’t make me any less homesick, but it did give me cause to evaluate traditions, and I’ve come to the conclusion that it might be necessary to let some routines go. That means no staying up til 4am to watch regular season Patriots games (playoff games are a different story). We are on this trip to experience the wonders of other places and cultures, not reminisce about the one we departed a few months ago. Of course I miss my family and friends, but I also need to try to focus on what’s around me at the moment in order to get the most out of this trip.