Three days after the last exam of the June session, I was already packed and on a plane back to Bosnia. Don’t get me wrong – I love Italy, and Parma has become a second home to me –  but by the end of the exam period, I was tired in a way that sleep alone could not fix. Being an international student, I had an idea what I was signing up for and I would do it all over again, but taking a step “back” to my comfort zone is what I really needed.

It’s a really strange feeling. At 8 AM I am sitting alone with my moka, sipping coffee while listening to distant Italian chatter outside my window. By 3 PM, I am in the middle of Sarajevo, sitting around a table with my whole family, catching up over lunch as if I had never left. So much can change within a few hours, I can go from one version of my everyday life to another—two places, two routines, and yet both somehow feel right.

I was welcomed home by a wave of football euphoria. On every corner of the city there was a place to watch the games, every café had a match playing on its TV, people would stop in the streets to catch the tense moments and it seemed like every third person was walking around in a football shirt. It’s like I came just in time to be a part of this. On the 2^nd of July, Bosnia was playing their first ever World Cup knockout phase game. That was a perfect occasion to gather with all my friends around a very big table after many months away. We watched the game until the early morning hours. Unfortunately, it was also my first and last time enjoying that atmosphere—we lost.

Game watching / credits Nadža Poljo

But the biggest event of my summer was yet to come: my friend’s wedding. Since we are architects friends group, of course there was going to be a lot of creative DIY projects. In the following weeks before the wedding, my whole life evolved around it. From drawing table numbering signs to transporting three meters long decorations in my mom’s Renault Twingo, we spent every day together.

Table decoration workshop / credits Nadža Poljo

Another thing that made this wedding special was the fact that it took place on the other side of the country, a small town in the north called Odžak. Our trip there itself was a project on its own. In the end, there were sixteen of us staying in her aunt’s house. What could have easily been a logistical nightmare was the best part of the experience. Being from a small country, I got used to people leaving. At some point it became normal to say goodbye in the end of the summer, knowing that so much will change until we meet again. Now when I think about it, maybe that is why summer was always my favorite season. Not because of the weather or the summer break, but because everyone was there. Sitting in that room with all of these people brought me straight back to those last after-lecture coffees at university at the end of our third year, before so many of us left.

Late night bridesmaids rehearsal and wedding day  / credits Nadža Poljo

Before I even got the chance to process the wedding, I was repacking my suitcase for  a trip to the Croatian coast. This five hour drive follows the Neretva river through the dramatic landscape of Herzegovina. Since I moved to Italy , I don’t think I could count how many times I was asked, what is the meaning of the second word in “Bosnia and Herzegovina”. A lot of people, myself included, simply say “Bosnia”, because of the country’s long name. But Herzegovina is not just an addition to the name. It is a region in the south of the country, with its own distinct landscape, climate and character. If I was to bring it a bit closer to you, Herzegovina is very similar to the south of Italy. We often refer it to as “the land of karts and olives”.

The old town of Komiža, Vis (island), Croatia  / credits Nadža Poljo

We spent one week on island of Vis. It is one of the country’s more remote inhabited islands, located about 60 kilometers from the mainland, which is around three hours by ferry from the coastal city of Split. The journey is quite long, but the peaceful beaches and crystal-clearwater make it worth it. You may have heard of Vis if you are an ABBA fan, as the second Mamma Mia! movie was filmed there. And luckily enough, there was an outdoor screening of the movie on the very night of my birthday. It was definitely a top-tier birthday experience.

Mamma mia chasing cats around the island / credits Nadža Poljo

I would never usually listen to “August” by Taylor Swift, but somehow it comes to my mind every August (definitely not because its in every other Instagram story) The lyrics truly do perfectly capture the melancholic feelings about August.

“But I can see us
Lost in the memory August slipped away into a moment in time
‘Cause it was never mine”

Because August truly does feel like that last little bit of summer that everyone tries to hold on to so dearly, even though you can already smell autumn in the morning air.

Visit from my friends from Italy, Olympic Museum, Sarajevo / credits Nadža Poljo

In Sarajevo, however, summer is not over before the biggest event of the year takes place: the Sarajevo Film Festival. It began as a symbol of resistance in a very difficult time, when the city was under siege.

Today, the festival represents a week where Sarajevo becomes the cultural capital of the region. It was often visited by celebs such as Angelina Jolie, (who also directed “In the Land of Blood and Honey”, a film set during the Bosnian War), Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Willem Dafoe and many others. My favorite movie that I watched this year was No mans land, which is a genius satire that perfectly portraits the sheer stupidity and absurdity of war.

It is also the only film from Bosnia and Herzegovina to have won an Oscar, making it an especially meaningful choice to watch at the Sarajevo Film Festival. Other than that, it was cool to watch Woody Harrelson in “Welcome to Sarajevo” and then see him receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo in person.

Apart from the movie scene, this week is known for the insane nightlife. During these seven days the city never sleeps. One of the things I love about SFF is that I can casually walk home at 2 AM because somehow the city always feels like it is 8 PM on a Friday night.

Woody Harrelson recieve the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo and Dino Merlin concert / credits Nadža Poljo

And just like that, summer was coming to end. My final days in Sarajevo were spent between quality time with family and friends and figuring out how to fit three times more stuff in the same suitcase I already brought full from Parma. This is the first time since my move to Italy that I went back home for such a long period. As much as it felt strange at times, it made me realize one really important thing: home doesn’t necessarily have to be one place, Sarajevo or Parma. There is a strange privilege in living abroad-you get to build a life somewhere new without having to stop belonging to the place you started from.

Afternoon barbecue with family / credits Nadža Poljo