My First Month in Montenegro
Today marks one month since I arrived in Podgorica. I have experienced a great deal in the past few weeks. I would’ve loved to post weekly updates, but as you can imagine, moving to another country, getting settled in, and meeting everyone at the Embassy, American Corners, and the school took a lot of my time and energy. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy all of it–just my mind was in other places than this blog! So, I thought I would give a debrief today on everything I have experienced.
When I landed in Podgorica, I had been in airports for the past 25 hours. Customs was nothing like it is in America, so it was a fairly quick process after getting off my plane. I hauled my three suitcases from the baggage carousel outside. The extremely hot Montenegrin weather that I would soon grow accustomed to immediately made me start to sweat. Forest fires had been occurring throughout Montenegro, so I was expecting more of a dry heat as opposed to the humidity I was experiencing. The surrounding area did look very dry, though.
My landlord was kind enough to pick me up–former Fulbrighters had lived in the same apartment in previous years. We made it to the apartment, and she helped me lug my suitcases up the three flights of stairs. The view from my apartment’s porch was amazing–I overlooked the Morača River and had the beautiful mountains in the background. Now, I spend many mornings sitting there, reading and eating my breakfast. Exhausted from all the traveling at the time, I quickly showered and passed out, unpacking nothing. Looking back, that first week was kind of a half-asleep blur. Two important things did happen that week, though. The Embassy helped me get my tourist visa, and I met the people at American Corners, which is where I will volunteer and help host different English-language events throughout the school year. I will get to lead a Discussion Club along with the other ETAs, which is something I am extremely eager to do while serving as a Fulbright ETA.
The next week, after I had unpacked and gotten a bit settled in, I finally started to explore. I would leave my apartment and walk just about anywhere–spending most of my time on foot. Taxis exist here, but so far, it has been hard for me to get one. There are some apps, but for the most part, you text/call taxi companies through Viber (an app similar to WhatsApp that is popular in the Balkans). Regardless, I think walking around is a great way to explore and get to know a city. I was able to move at a relaxed pace since I knew I had the whole year to explore. I live fairly close to the center of Zabjelo, one of the neighborhoods here in Podgorica, so I have become very familiar with that area. I now know which restaurants and coffee shops I like the best, and which places in this area I still need to try. I am also near Gorica Park, which is a cute (but hilly) park I have been to a few times to run or walk. I can’t wait to make travel guides for Montenegro and lists of my favorite places to go here!
The second week I was there, I went to Gimnazija “Slobodan Škerović”, the school where I would be an ETA, and met the teachers I would be assisting. It was very nice and also exciting to finally be in the school and meet the teachers. I was told I would be in classes with each grade, freshman through senior. Here, though, freshmen are ‘first graders’ and seniors are ‘fourth graders’. School started September 1st, so I’ve had classes for about two weeks now. In a future post, I’ll be sure to talk about my experiences while teaching!
My overall impression is that life is very laid back here–at any time of the day, you’ll walk past coffee shops filled with people of all ages. I, personally, love it. Life is not just about work; they also make time for themselves and take the time to spend with friends and family. Everyone is very kind and patient here. No one minds that my Montenegrin isn’t the best, and I have always been able to at least try to speak in Montenegrin while ordering or shopping. Thankfully, most people here have a very high level of English, so it hasn’t been an issue that I don’t know the language that well. Something I wasn’t expecting was all of the stray dogs and cats wandering around the city. They all seem to be fed well, but they are just everywhere.
Going to the grocery store for the first time was a bit overwhelming, but I’m used to it now. I should mention that almost no stores are open on Sundays, which I found out the hard way when I was stuck with no food on a Sunday evening. At supermarkets here, you have to weigh your own produce, and I still have yet to find a place where I can just buy turkey breasts (having to cut the whole wing at home grosses me out). Before moving here, I never ate red meat, but I have started to eat it just to simplify everything. However, I have met plenty of people who are vegetarians here, and there always seem to be vegetarian options on menus! I just decided I would change for a bit and see if it worked for me. I did find an amazing market, though, with tons of fresh fruits and vegetables!
In this first month, I went to a soccer game between Montenegro’s National Team and the Czech Republic. Although we lost, it was such a cool experience! I had only been to college soccer games before this, so this was very new to me. I tried Nikšićko beer, a beer that is brewed in Nikšić, Montenegro. As someone who doesn’t usually enjoy beer, I surprisingly like it! I joined a new gym here, too, which has been an adventure. I don’t know if gym etiquette is the same here as it is back in the States…and I have had some awkward encounters there. Lately, I have been going at 6 AM just to avoid any crowds. I should probably add here that I am training for the Podgorica Millennium Run, where I’ll be running my FIRST marathon! I’ve run a few half marathons in the past, but this training has been completely different. It’s been a lot to balance with starting this new “job” and being in a completely new country, but I’m hoping it will pay off. I also took a weekend trip to Albania (which I will be sure to post about later), took a day trip to Cetinje, which is a town about 45 minutes away by bus, and met the U.S. Ambassador to Montenegro!
I arrived in the country before the two other ETAs because they will be working at universities, which start after high school. I just met them in the past week, and I’m excited to get to know them! I have made some friends, though, which has made my first month much better. I met one of the former ETAs who moved here, along with two other extremely nice and fun girls who are originally from Montenegro. I can’t wait to continue making memories with them, meet more people, and continue teaching at Gimnazija!
