Half Way

    Today is my five month anniversary. In short, it means I am at the half way mark of my exchange. In five months I will be back home in Oregon, graduated from high school, and about to move forward with the rest of my life. It's just strange that it has flown by so fast. It always felt like forever from the beginning of the school year until winter break and now it feels like it's hardly been any time at all. People always say that exchange flies by in a blink of an eye and it has felt like that. So here I am, five month anniversary, excited to see what the next five months here bring.

    As for news of what's been happening in my life, I just got back from Mostar yesterday! I was there for a youth conference with my church where I met up with a lot of friends that I met at the last event in October. It was a lot of fun and not to mention we stayed at an American missionary's house and it felt like a home away from home. As soon as she pulled out the top sheet for the bed we had to make, I was in a flurry of, "Oh my gosh it's a top sheet! I haven't seen one of these since August!" All the Bosnians thought I was acting really strange and they thought the top sheet was the weirdest thing in the world. Then later she pulled out Reese's Peanut Butter cups and I swear, I could have died happy in that moment. I also managed to meet a couple Brits and even another Katie from Scotland! We bonded over the fact that our name was both Katie and it wasn't short for anything. However, I managed to make a fool out of myself when I responded to her once with a British accent. I swear, I did not mean to do that, it just happened! She didn't seem to notice, but I mentally slapped myself. Too much 'Doctor Who' and 'Sherlock' and Jane Austen stuff and One Direction. Oh well, I'm not complaining.
    Although the weather was quite rainy and cold, we did plenty of walking around and I saw more of Mostar than when I went in November. Surprisingly, I remembered a lot where everything was and I felt immensely proud of myself.

    The beauty of my weekend in Mostar was how quite a lot of people actually spoke Bosnian with me. One person in particular refused to speak English and we managed to have an actual conversation in Bosnian. Yes, I would not know a few words and ask for help, but ultimately, I felt very proud of my skills. Even if they told me I sound more like a Russian.

    And then today, best thing of all happened...

    LETTERS AND CARE PACKAGES. If you are wondering why I am so excited about this, it's because I hadn't received one. I have been here five months and not one letter nor package had came. But I come home from Mostar with letters from my cousin, best friend, and a package waiting for me at the post office. Now. I thought that I would have to go get the package myself. But no. This morning (at an unreasonably early hour after talking for three hours with my best friend from Canada the night before), my Granny (host grandma) yelled from the bottom floor telling me that my package had arrived! I booked downstairs (not before grabbing socks! Bosnian customs are getting to me) and then Granny told me to grab my passport, money, and receipt so I could claim it. Dashing back up and down the stairs with my things, I quickly signed off on the package and, giggling like a fool, I ran back up to my room to rip it open.

    Out pours the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Cards from my friends, jewelry, a scarf, Goldfish crackers, Starbucks hot chocolate, and comics! I was smiling and laughing, despite my tired state, but I have been waiting since December for this package and it's finally here! So thank you to Es, Char, Grace, Soph, Ash, Anna, and Mom for all the lovely gifts. I love you all very much!

   Anyway, I should probably go do my Bosnian homework for tomorrow.

   Until something cool happens,
-Katie Wells