Over the past two and a half months of ministry and travel, there have been some pretty strange things that have happened. Here’s my list of top 11:
11. I got on a city bus in Novi Sad, Serbia and found friends from camp on the same bus. Twice.
It wasn’t that strange considering the smaller size of the city, but we got pretty strange looks from the locals as the obvious Americans were hugged and tackled by the Serbian teenagers.
10.My teammate almost got run over by a horse-drawn wagon.
The small town of Draganesti-Olt, Romania will make this list multiple times. This particular entry was a few days into our stay. At first, the horses were fairly charming. I mean it’s not every day you wake up to the sounds of a horse trotting past your window. But quickly after arriving, we learned the dangerous side of these charming creatures.
9. I’ve worn the same outfit three days in a row.
Backpacking life makes you question the necessity of every shirt, skirt, and pair of pants. It also makes you question how many days you can wear those pants before they absolutely must be washed.
8. I’ve tried to pay for things in Bulgaria with Serbian money.
It’s a great conversation starter. People are typically curious why an American has Serbian money. It’s apparently not very common for us to visit either country. Also, in my own defense, I’m new at studying the Cyrillic alphabet.
7. I’ve heard the word marriage more times in the past month and a half than I did all of last year.
You have to understand that my roommate was engaged for the majority of the last year to understand how incredible this is. It all started with our wonderful contact Raul in Romania, and it’s carried over to this month as well. So many European women have shown me pictures of their sons with that twinkle in their eye. Thankfully, Adventures’ No Dating Policy provides an easy out in what could be a sticky situation.
6. Instant coffee has become a norm.
It’s cheaper and faster. Does it taste good? No. Does it get the job done? Sort of. While this is a sad reality, it does make finding pour overs in coffee shops that much better.
5. I lived in a house with almost 50 people.
And it worked. Last month, all 41 squad members plus our squad leaders and squad mentor lived in a big house. It consisted of bunk beds and dinner rotations, but the community that grew out of that month was brilliant.
4. I prayed over a bathroom.
Sometimes, you stay in hostels that leave your spirit feeling uneasy. The bathroom in our hostel in Bulgaria made all of us uneasy, so we definitely prayed over that space. Nothing but Jesus resides there now.
3. I ate börek (burek) almost every day for an entire month.
If you’ve never had the gloriously cheesy pastry, look up the recipe and make it. You’ll thank me later.
2. There was a little boy carrying a duckling around the supermarket.
This is apparently very normal in Penny Market because no one else seemed phased by the live animal in the child’s hand. He also jumped around and screamed when the automatic door closed between his mother and him, all while holding the duckling in his hand.
For the strangest thing that’s happened to me, check out my blog next week. It’s so good it needs an entire blog all to itself.
