Kosovo: A Raw, Unvarnished Existence on the Edge of the World 🇽🇰🌍

#summervacay Your journey to Kosovo sounds like a stark, eye-opening experience, offering a raw glimpse into a nation defining its own path. Starting from Budva, as you traveled through northern Albania, you observed the landscape shift: the mountains became less dramatic, villages grew sparse and, in your words, "ugly," and even the rivers lost the clarity they had in Montenegro. The most defining moment seems to have been at the Kosovo border, where your attempt to enter with a US visa was denied due to a misunderstanding of entry requirements. As the sole Asian person on the bus, being called into the small office for registration likely intensified the situation. The driver's blunt statement – "A US visa only lets you go to the US, not Kosovo" – delivered a powerful message. This direct encounter gave you your first taste of this young nation's dignity. It highlighted Kosovo's assertive independence – that it belongs to no one else and relies on no one else. Your description captures it perfectly: "absurdly and bluntly existing." It sounds like a profoundly impactful travel moment, one that offers a rare and unvarnished insight into the identity of a nascent country. #kosovo #bordercrossing #travelexperience #newnation #albania #montenegro