Alex Thompson, Grade 11
UWC Mostar
Calls to prayer woke me gently most mornings when the window was ajar. An unusual comfort, unknown to my ears before now. Visible from the terrace, the church bells slowly echo through each building.
Unevenly paved streets and the tiled ground become a hazard in darker weather. Crossing a bridge each morning, and the smell of Neretva, whether pleasant or unpleasant, reminds you that you’re alive. The two-floor stair climb that even after so many months is as much of a challenge as the first time.
It’s incredible how quickly you can get used to things you never thought you could.
Each day is like a cup of tea somebody else made you: unpredictable, but worthy of appreciation and kindness. It’s the smallest of details that make the largest impact.
The feeling of curiosity, unabridged and unleashed. Learning to be okay with not always knowing the answer.
Someone’s always coming or going. Half-asleep, maybe the canteen dinner isn’t carrying your feet home, but instead the necessity and a will to get things done.
Ending up with somebody else’s socks and losing your own in the process.
Yet, within the paradigm shift, some things remain unchanged. The familiar, gentle waft of popcorn from the cart marks the near end of the journey home. Cafe-bars light the way from where quiet gossip creeps and the softer glow from the cigarettes juxtapose the evening’s mellow darkness as it sinks into place. The mobile bookstore that burns incense provides a soft relief from the trials of the day.
Photos are a tender reminder that time is passing, whether wanted or not.
Each memory flickers with the candlelight on darker nights and quiet moments, illuminating the room for just a second, rejuvenating the sensation of wilder, more adventurous nights of not being afraid to get lost.
Learning, inside classrooms and walking back home. In passing and unrushed. In articles and personal stories. In music and food from a home that’s not your own. Travelling to the inner worlds of people, in their conversation and thoughts; in thinking and in laughing: in listening purely for connection and not simply for a response.
With each exchange, our hearts become sown closer together, gently reminding us of the importance of listening and having an open heart. It’s not all smooth sailing, even with being in the same ocean, but not the same boat.
Stop to smell the roses. Much like them, you too are blossoming. Progress is slow but sure. Appreciate the paths intersecting around you. We’re all just visiting.
Unevenly paved streets and the tiled ground become a hazard in darker weather. Crossing a bridge each morning, and the smell of Neretva, whether pleasant or unpleasant, reminds you that you’re alive. The two-floor stair climb that even after so many months is as much of a challenge as the first time.
It’s incredible how quickly you can get used to things you never thought you could.
Each day is like a cup of tea somebody else made you: unpredictable, but worthy of appreciation and kindness. It’s the smallest of details that make the largest impact.
The feeling of curiosity, unabridged and unleashed. Learning to be okay with not always knowing the answer.
Someone’s always coming or going. Half-asleep, maybe the canteen dinner isn’t carrying your feet home, but instead the necessity and a will to get things done.
Ending up with somebody else’s socks and losing your own in the process.
Yet, within the paradigm shift, some things remain unchanged. The familiar, gentle waft of popcorn from the cart marks the near end of the journey home. Cafe-bars light the way from where quiet gossip creeps and the softer glow from the cigarettes juxtapose the evening’s mellow darkness as it sinks into place. The mobile bookstore that burns incense provides a soft relief from the trials of the day.
Photos are a tender reminder that time is passing, whether wanted or not.
Each memory flickers with the candlelight on darker nights and quiet moments, illuminating the room for just a second, rejuvenating the sensation of wilder, more adventurous nights of not being afraid to get lost.
Learning, inside classrooms and walking back home. In passing and unrushed. In articles and personal stories. In music and food from a home that’s not your own. Travelling to the inner worlds of people, in their conversation and thoughts; in thinking and in laughing: in listening purely for connection and not simply for a response.
With each exchange, our hearts become sown closer together, gently reminding us of the importance of listening and having an open heart. It’s not all smooth sailing, even with being in the same ocean, but not the same boat.
Stop to smell the roses. Much like them, you too are blossoming. Progress is slow but sure. Appreciate the paths intersecting around you. We’re all just visiting.
www.unitedworldwide.co