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I'm back.... and I'm having a difficult time returning to normal blogging. I was going through 800+ photos trying to decide what to show, what to write... thinking about making several posts, then changing my mind and deciding not to write about the trip at all.... over-thinking it to the max. Opposite of that, I had no trouble at all writing to my friend, and because I think of you as friends too, I thought the best way would be if I share the email. 
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Hello again!

Somehow I don't feel like writing a long email now.... I have no idea where to start and what to write about. The more I think of our trip the more I realize how amazing it was. I glanced at some of my photos and am getting a bit speechless.... So I'll try the short approach.

At first I thought that I love it there; I'm familiar with everything and everyone, it's home... but I don't feel like I belong there (as I never did). I also know that I don't belong here either. Now that the time passed and we returned I still feel like I don't belong anywhere, but I'm over the feeling that I don't have a "home" anymore... it's more like I have two homes (because going there felt like going home, and coming back felt like coming home too), so that's a good thing.

We were spending each day with two or three different "sets" of friends/relatives.... It was like going from one smiling face to another, from one full table to the next one. It's funny how different it is when you've known someone while growing up (childhood, young adulthood). I can't explain how "normal" it was, how there was absolutely no 10-year long gap in communication with anyone, no awkward silences or forced dialogs... just complete and total acceptance everywhere. And love. What a feeling, eh?

Going to my parents' house was like touching your childhood. My Mom had boxes that I had packed 10 years ago waiting for me to sort through. I had no idea what was in them. Treasures. My kid's first shoes, my dolls, my journals, letters, postcards, stuff like that... Touching things that belonged to my grandmother and reconnecting with my early childhood was something I'll need time to process. It just brings peace to my heart.

So did the visit to that old graveyard I told you about. Believe it or not, it was Hana's first visit to a place like this, and I was glad that she had a chance to see where my grandparents' resting places are. 

I always loved our churches... Could be the fact that they are so old, or it could be the thing that you can walk in them at any time of the day, any day and no one will bother you. You find peace just by walking int. So we went to several... 

Almost every home we visited had a special wine that "so and so" made or brandy from "this and that" fruit or place and they were all amazing.
Totally amazing. 

And the food.... don't even start me on that.... I had every single thing that I wished for. Didn't have to search for it. It was all there. And although very fattening I didn't gain a pound from it.... weird.

We had another visit with a legendary 83-year old sculptor (Svetomir Arsic Basara) in one of his studios... (last time was 10y ago). He very generously allowed me to take pictures of whatever I wanted, said that I should feel like I'm at my own home... so I did. 

I can't describe how that visit felt. They way he talks, thinks, the sound of his voice.... and the way he forms sentences. My goodness!!!! At one point I was totally hypnotized.... I think Sasha moved or something and broke the spell that I didn't realize I was under.

He was talking about the act of creating, the way he feels it, things he found out about art, things he thought about his own art. It was b e a u t i f u l!!!! 

It was coming from his soul, yet at the same time it felt like it was coming from my soul and I had tears in my eyes. Unexplainable... and a once in a lifetime kind of thing. I can't stop thinking about it. It's like it was coming from the deepest parts of me, the parts I don't even know. Weird!!! Very weird!!!

I spent some time (not nearly enough) with a dear, dear friend that is very sick; marveled at how gracefully and positively he is accepting it. Please send some positive thoughts to him. He needs all the good wishes he can get.

I was glad that Sasha's sister joined us in our walk through the oldest part of Belgrade fortress (btw - Belgrade was formed by Celts, in 3rd century B.C. and had a very long history of different invaders, so it's very cool there; not to mention that the fortress overlooks the river Danube). We had a perfect spring day, ate ice-cream, took pictures and simply relaxed...

Oh my. It is turning into a long email. I'll stop. I didn't mean to sound boring, but I guess there is no "short" way about it.
I stopped.

Care to see any photos?

xoxoxo

me