Pre-Departure Expectations

A few days remain before my trans-Atlantic flight to Macedonia.  I am starting to become a bit more excited at this point, but packing is still dominating the majority of my thoughts during these final days.  

The most surreal (yeah, I hate that word too, but my mental Thesaurus is not completely functional at this point) thing is that only few days separate what I anticipate Macedonia to be and what I will experience.  So before my bubble is popped, I am listing below what I look forward to and what I will NOT look forward to (based on hearsay, research, etc.)

Things I Look Forward To

1. No cell phones!!!- Well, not exactly.  I am not bring my cell phone from the States because A) it seems a hassle to get it cracked before I depart and B) It is a sh*##y Windows phone that did little for me besides providing me with maps and Outlook.  But it will be nice to live in a society that may not be (assumedly) dominated by cell phone use.  Current PCVs in Macedonia seem to highlight the “Na Gosti” (На Гости) aspect of the Macedonia culture, where neighbors visit you/ you visit neighbors, and each spends hours over Turkish (Macedonian) coffee talking IN PERSON.  I look forward to reverting back to a dumb phone.
2. No Driving to work= No traffic-  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy driving, and I may even miss it.  But my three-year commute of driving back and forth in traffic, driving to the North side to meet others at bars, etc., those days are OVER!  But this gain does not come without its own loss…  (to be explained below)
3. Two Christmases and Two New Years- Macedonia seems to celebrate both traditional Christmas and New Year (based on the Western Standard) as well as the Orthodox Christmas and New Year.  That means more time for Christmas music, more time for that season tidings!  Orthodox New Year 2014 falls on January 14, which means my birthday will fall within the superfecta of holidays!  Of course, this can all change if I am placed in an Albanian/ Muslim community.
4. Mountains and Nature- I will finally live in a place with mountains (and real mountains with glaciers, nothing like those Midwest mountains, which are really big hills and look like mountains to a Flat-Lander like me).  There are also plenty of places to hike and camp throughout the country, and plenty of volunteers who will join me for adventures!
5. Autumn- Autumn is my favorite season, and I have basically missed the best part of it for the past three years!  Since I traveled through Florida each September and October for work for the past three years, my seasons have basically been Summer>Summer2>Winter>Winter2 (because, let’s face it, spring solely exists in Chicago during the last two weeks of May, and is therefore non-existent).  I miss the cooler weather and changing leaves oh-so much!  While in Macedonia, I look forward to the harvest, and hopefully my host family will allow me to participate in the Ajvar-making.
6. FIFA World Cup and NO NFL- I am super excited to be in Macedonia during the 2014 World Cup.  Unfortunately, it does not seem that Macedonia pass forward into the competition.  Nonetheless, watching the World Cup in a European backdrop will be a realized fantasy.  I am also happy that I do not have to pretend that I have knowledge of NFL, standings, Fantasy teams, etc.  But if the Bears win the Super Bowl while I am gone, I may be pissed.

Things I Do NOT Look Forward To

1. Cigarettes and Second-hand Smoke- Supposedly, everybody in Macedonia smokes, and they smoke a lot.  There is a current anti-smoking law on the books for cafes, restaurants, etc, but few seem to follow it and enforcement is weak.  Smoking is expected to be prevalent at home as well.  I was lucky with my host family in Japan, of which did not smoke,  so maybe I will be lucky again?  Or maybe my luck card has already been played…
2. Promaja- Promaja (pronounced PRO-mai-ya) is a Macedonian/ Balkan belief that cross-winds cause all types of disease.  Unfortunately, I do not do well when I lack fresh air.  I do not look forward to those bus rides in the summer where only ONE window is allowed to be ajar.  It sounds like I am in store for some of the worst motion sickness of my life.
3. Queues- Second-World countries are known for their waiting.  Lines for provisions, lines to speak to officials, waiting forever at a bus stop because the service is hardly on schedule.  This may be all hearsay, but at least I will not be in any rush to get anywhere.
4. Stray Dogs and Cats- Supposedly Macedonians rarely spay or neuter their pets, and thus the stray cat and dog situation in Macedonia is rampant.  I will have to find a way to harden my heart against all of the hungry eyes of the stray dogs and cats.