As the end of my fellowship nears, it is only fitting that I finally see rain. I’ve been in Macedonia for nine weeks now, and for those nine weeks this part of the world has experienced a heat wave and numerous wildfires. It doesn’t seem surprising, given my luck, that my trip to the beach in Ohrid was interrupted by a thunderstorm. I can’t complain, though; I had two beautiful days in the city. In case you’re interested, I have uploaded my pictures from Ohrid onto my flickr account.

Our office was closed for most of the week, as were most businesses in Macedonia, for Ilinden or Saint Elijah’s Day, which is held in commemoration of the 1903 uprising against Ottoman rule. Ohrid was jammed with tourists from all over the country, including many who fled to the beaches in an attempt to escape the heat. Even though Sunday’s deluge cut my vacation short, the drop in temperature is a much welcome reprieve.

The rest of YCC’s staff is now gearing up for Bitola Open City, which will take place in two weeks. They have managed to round up an impressive lineup of artists from the Balkans, so it’s unfortunate that I will have to miss out.

I will spend my final week here working on the English language content on YCC’s website; my work to organize projects that introduce volunteering to a new audience in Macedonia is almost complete.

Because this is my last week at the YCC office, this will likely be my last blog for AP. It’s been an exciting summer, and I want to take a moment to thank The Advocacy Project, the Institute for Sustainable Communities, and my local hosts, the Youth Cultural Center – Bitola, for this amazing opportunity. I can only hope that I have been able to contribute something positive to YCC’s body of work. YCC is truly an ambitious and worthy organization, and I’m sure they would welcome any future interest in their work. They can be reached via email at mkcbt@mt.net.mk.