Looking back on January: Snow, snow, snow!

At the end of the month I like to look back on where I’ve been and what I’ve done. On how I felt and what was on my mind. My Instagram pictures give a pretty good impression of what it’s like to spend some time in a mountain hut, but they don’t really tell what was on my mind. Or at least not during the second half of January. That’s why I wrote a weekly update as well, filed under “Trebević Tales“. Here’s January’s Photo Story with a whole lot of snow, snow, snow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Ten days above the city

Ten days on Trebević mountain. Ten days already, but it still feels like only three. I’m not easily bored, there’s always something to do, to read, write or think about. And because I’m volunteering in a mountain hut there are always people around. I sometimes even miss the unlimited time alone. For some it might sound horrible, but I feel peaceful when totally alone surrounded with nothing but nature. Nevertheless I’m enjoying the time I get to hang out with friends to the max. Ten days already! Time flies when you’re on the mountain.

Mountain breakfast

Traditional Bosnian breakfast (and/or lunch, and/or dinner) and meza, a plate with different types of cheese and meat. Just yummy! Food credits: Sabina, The Wild One 🙂

Snow, snow, snow!

Black & White

Two nights in town

Two nights in town having a great great time with Terhi, an outdoor blogger (and Balkanlover) from Finland. “It’s not about the adrenaline, but the endorfine” she said. I totally agree, for me its exactly the same. Like so many other things we talked about it was as if I heard myself thinking. So nice to meet another soul who’s wandering and wondering just like me. Heel veel hartjes 💕voor @endorfiininmetsastaja.

Up, up, up

Yes, there’s a cable car from Sarajevo old town to somewhere on Trebević and yes, it’s much much faster than hiking, but I still love to walk the steep streets up. Up, up, up and then voilà: nature. Real nature. I find it so super special that within an hour – or half an hour even – you’re in a totally different world. A white one, a quiet one. A wild one.

Meeting another Sarajevo-lover

This time a Marjolein, a journalist & Sarajevo-lover from the Netherlands accompanied me. The both of us feel there’s something special about the Balkans. Not sure why or what it is exactly, but I think you either love it or hate it. I once compared hiking in BiH with a ride in a roller coaster. It’s going up and down, shaking you around, but when the ride is over you want to stay for the next round.

I had many rides and still like it. Love it. Even if it’s the same hike on the same mountain, there’s always something new. Something special. Thanks Marjolein for joining me in this crazy winter weather, having a minipini adventure together. Happy we finally met! 😘 (note to myself: next time don’t wear that woolen sweater + goretex + Icebreaker while hiking)

Mountain life

There are only a few things that need to be done in and around the hut, but somehow they almost fill the entire day. Or, as we do everything on a pretty slow pace, we magically fill the day with only a few things that needs to be done. That’s mountain life I assume.

The view, view, view

Every moment of the day the mountain looks different. The light, the clouds, the weather, it’s all constantly changing. Changing the mountain. The look. It changes and yet it all stays the same. Same mountain, same city. Same hut, same view. Same me.

Bijambare at the end

And last, but not least I went to Bijambare, a beautiful nature park on the Green Trail. The year before I passed it on my way to Sarajevo, but I didn’t take the time to pay a visit. Luckily Džana took me on a day trip during the last weekend of my stay. So, so happy I finally got to see Bijambare 💕

January’s blog posts

In January I wrote four blog posts or “updates” about my time in and around Jure Franko hut on Trebević.

• Trebević Tales #1 “The Wild One & Me”
• Trebević Tales #2 “Mountain Life”
• Trebević Tales #3 “Snowed in”
• Trebević Tales #4 “UP and DOWN”

WINTERVLOGS

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