Beginnings

EWR - FRA - SKP

My parents drove me to Newark on the night of Monday the 18th, we said our goodbyes, and then I began my journey to Macedonia. The first sign of a sweet new beginning presented itself immediately: when I looked out the window on the way to my gate, a vibrant rainbow was visible over the tarmac. Whether you think rainbows are symbols of hope and promise or they’re just something lovely to behold, I think we can agree that seeing one is a great way to start a fresh adventure.

I went to a Christian elementary school that had a chapel service every Wednesday after lunch. As a young kid, it was hard to stay awake in a warm room right after lunch, so this weekly meeting slowly gave me the ability to fall asleep in any condition… a fully lit room? Sure. Sitting straight up on a wooden pew? No problem. So, an eye mask and a cushioned airplane seat with a little leg room to stretch all 5’ 6 of me (on a good day) on the way to Frankfurt made for a decent night’s sleep. I had an exit row aisle seat, the best kind… and an empty middle seat next to me! What a score. The flight attendant in the jump seat made friends with me and the man sitting in my row, and brought us business class treats in the middle of the night. 

I’m glad growing up in Huntsville normalized small airports (only 12 gates in a sole terminal to be exact, and of those 12, it seemed only 6 of them are ever used) because Skopje International Airport only has 11 gates. It took maybe 8 minutes from the time I stepped off the plane, went through the customs line, and got my bags. Easy.

The First Week

My landlord picked me up, and our first stop was the police station – once you arrive, you have 48 hours to register with the police precinct in your neighborhood. After parking perpendicularly behind two cars, effectively blocking them in, and saying ‘Let’s just go quickly’, my landlord and I secured my temporary residence card. The US Embassy will provide me with a special ID card in the coming days, and that will allow me to travel in and out for the next 10 months without any visa issues.

(I’m in a temporary apartment until September 30th, due to some logistics that frankly are unimportant. I’m looking forward to getting settled into my new place though - very soon! In the meantime, I’ve become fond of the neighborhood I’m in currently, which fortunately is only about a 15 minute walk from the apartment I’ll live in the rest of the year.)

My third stop was the grocery store. Going to grocery stores abroad is always so fascinating… so much to take in, and it’s a challenge to find what you need… kind of like a game. A little-known fact about me is that I’m a big Cher fan, and I used to watch the Sonny & Cher Show reruns all the time in high school. Well, as I was shopping, what song comes on but “I Got You Babe”. Another glimmer at the beginning of my transition here.

I would not be singing this song to the produce I picked out though, because shortly after the song ended, I was in the check-out lane when the cashier told me I couldn’t purchase those items because they hadn’t been weighed and tagged. Or at least, that’s what I think she said, because she spoke very quickly and made it clear I could not buy them. Unfortunately, this was the moment any and all logical thinking or knowledge of Macedonian went out the window, and I tried my best to ask in English what a solution would be. She didn’t speak any English, and I should add that there was an older man behind me, looking desperate to help me but linguistically unable, and of course (because it must be part of the story) a long line was forming at this specific check-out lane. Stressed to the max and ready to exit, I told her I didn’t need them and paid for what I could. 

At this point, I was feeling a lot of varying emotions and trying to mitigate the negative ones while reminding myself ‘this is alllll new; it’s okay to make mistakes’. Part of ‘going big’ involves frequent risk-taking, and I am aware that situations won’t always turn out the way I’d like. However, this particular instance did ultimately work out for the best… let’s continue the story. 

There are ‘green markets’ all around the city, which are local produce stands that offer fruits and vegetables at lower prices than the grocery store. You can find many Macedonians stopping at them on the way home from work. Motivated by my need for tomatoes (and redemption) I walk up to the man at a market stand and ask, “колку чини за пет домати?” (How much for 5 tomatoes?) He said he would weigh them out and give me a price. He chose five lovely tomatoes and asked me for 60 MKD, about $1.00. Having just been to the grocery store, I luckily had exact change for him, which seemed much appreciated, given the casual vibe of his stand. Money and tomatoes exchanged hands and we wished each other a few pleasantries before I walked away. Boom! A whole 45-second interaction in Macedonian, with no need for English clarification. The 5 minutes between the beginning of the grocery debacle and the end of this interaction were the craziest roller coaster of the day, but things evened out after this. 

Notes for next time: this could become a series, ‘notes for next time’. Tuesday’s note (I wouldn’t dare say “this week’s note” because there will be many other experiences over here on the learning curve…. for now, I’ve made my home on the learning curve) is that I must weigh and tag my produce at the grocery store before purchasing.

Wednesday was my first full day, so I decided to buy a SIM card, get lost exploring, and try some traditional food. Getting the SIM card was pretty simple - they use T-Mobile here, and the internet connection is really reliable. In the evening, I went out for Kebapi, which is a meal of small mixed-meat sausages with bread, onion and peppers, pictured below. The owners of the restaurant were friendly and let me practice Macedonian with them. 😃

On Thursday, I made it my mission to go to a classic Skopje bakery, Силбо Фурна (Silver Oven), and meet up with a new friend. I successfully acquired what I wanted at the bakery, and came home to eat it with yogurt - which is how it’s sometimes done here. There are a few different yogurts which are common - Битолски (from Bitola), Balens, Ayran (which is Turkish), and they’re usually a thin, drinkable consistency. I spent the rest of the day just exploring, and I had a few online meetings in the afternoon. One lovely aspect of Skopje is that it is very hard to actually get lost, so even when I’m walking aimlessly to get acquainted with the city, I always end up in a familiar spot and can find my way back to the temporary apartment.

On Thursday night, I went for dinner with a new acquaintance I was introduced to by a Fulbrighter who lived here last year. He’s with the Peace Corp in a village to the east of Skopje called Облешово, and also happens to be an Auburn fan (just my luck). Still, hearing about his experiences in the country was fascinating and speaking English with another American felt familiar and comfortable. We went to a few spots I hadn’t been to yet, so it was a fun way to get to know the city better. 

I had a slow morning on Friday, then met up with another new friend in the afternoon – a computer programmer from San Francisco. His studio is located in a collaborative work building in a part of Skopje I hadn’t been to yet, and it was around 75 degrees in the late afternoon, so it was refreshing to walk outside. In the middle of the day, it still gets up to the mid-80s here, but in the mornings and evenings it cools off. 

I met up with the same Peace Corps friend later Friday evening, and we took the bus to a music festival. There were some great Macedonian pop and EDM groups performing in the last two slots we arrived for – DNK and Cyrillic. About 30 minutes into Cyrillic’s set, a girl in the group of 20-somethings in front of us turned around and asked where we were from. Soon after, a few others in the group turned to talk with us (read: yell… it was an EDM set, after all). The rest of the concert was spent with them, dancing and talking – one girl in their group left for a few minutes (I thought to get a drink) but when she returned, she had a fresh tattoo! I’m not sure having a tattoo artist set up at a beer-fueled music festival is the greatest idea, but either way, it’s a fun story. 😅 We all made plans to meet up the next night at City Park. 

On Saturday, I met up with an American girl living here with her boyfriend, who plays for one the pro basketball teams, Работнички. We had coffee and then walked to the team’s gym for their last preseason game. The teams were friendly with each other – I think many of them grew up playing together. They ended in a tie, and my new friend, her boyfriend, and I went out to a late lunch, then watched The Office back at their apartment. I invited them to come along with the local group I met the night before, and we all met up at the park and went to a kafana, which is a type of restaurant where many people go to enjoy traditional music, food, drinks, and conversation. We ended the night at City Park. Both Saturday and Sunday were much later nights for me than I’m used to having, so the fact that church wasn’t until 5pm on Sunday was a gift. 

The church congregation is a mix of a little bit of everything: American families, German missionaries, Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Koreans… you name it. They were incredibly welcoming, and in my opinion, they’re doing a great job of loving others well as a community. After the service, they had a potluck dinner, and I got to meet many of them and try homemade food! 

There is another girl from the US who is teaching on a Fulbright in Skopje, so after dinner, I went to her apartment and we got to know one another. She also has a degree in philosophy, so we’re off to a good start. 

I’ve been curious about the bus system here, and I decided the best way to start figuring it out would be just to hop on and see where I end up after a few stops. Many people ride without a bus pass, but occasionally there are attendants who check, so I went to the main bus station to get a monthly pass. Unfortunately, I couldn’t figure out where exactly to get one, but one of my local friends said she would explain it when we met up for board games later on Tuesday night. There’s a board game cafe here that allows you to use their tables and chairs and any games you want for about $1.20 per person. So, 4 of my local friends and I played a few games and sat around talking, then stopped at Силбо before heading home for the night.

My most recurring thoughts one week in: moving abroad by yourself is a really humbling experience; there are many small things to be grateful for every day; most people here are on a much more relaxed timetable than we are in the US; and there are so many kind Macedonians who are willing to help when needed.

(Song Credit: Chicago)