Hello, goodbye.

For the first time since moving to Baltimore I'm starting to feel like I have actual friends here. The worst part of this year- other than the physical assualt, of course- has been feeling so unloved and unwanted. It isn't that people are mean, but I have no connections with anyone here. Until this week I genuinely felt like when I moved to Serbia no one would miss me or even really notice I was gone. I'm not saying that now people will be rending garments and covering their faces in ashes for me, but I am begining to feel more understood and- dare I say it?- cared about by several people here.

It's a good feeling, but it makes the countdown to moving bittersweet.

88 days until Bosnia, 74 of those in Baltimore. I wish I knew how to feel about that.