Sometimes the journey is so long and arduous that once you get to the start line you feel like you should have already finished. I’ve had longer journeys to arrive somewhere before, but getting to Bosnia seemed an especially long trip.

I took the plane from Washington, D.C. to Milan, Italy, then a small prop plane to Zagreb, Croatia and a bus from Zagreb to Tuzla, Bosnia. I was excited on the plane rides, which seemed to calm my nerves but by the time I finally got on the bus in Zagreb, I was exhausted from the traveling and lack of sleep. After nearly 24 straight hours of traveling I got to my destination Tuzla, Bosnia, the start line.

As an intern with Bosfam I have only 10 weeks to make an impact. The limited amount of time that I have here in Bosnia makes me feel as though I am running a race, trying to get to the finish line and hopefully win. For the Bosnian people, half their battle has been getting to the start line too. After the war many aid organizations and missions were sent to this area to help with the redevelopment. 10 years have passed since the war and international events have shifted the aid and development focus elsewhere. Bosnia is still trying to recover: physically, economically and mentally.

Where is my place in all this? I’ve been sent here to aid in that recovery and I’m hoping to achieve something in the short time I’ve been given. I’ve got my fingers crossed and am looking forward to the time here in Bosnia.