This country really upset me. I saw once again that the government listens to the rich, and cares more about its prestige abroad than improving people’s lives.

I visited Skopje, the capital, and Ohrid. In Skopje’s city square, there were huge statues everywhere - it felt like stepping into a utopia. These statues are part of the Skopje 2014 project, meant to make the country look “modern and European” to outsiders. The cost? 1 billion euros! 1 billion! Macedonia only has 2 million people. If that money had gone to kindergartens, schools, or hospitals, everyone could have felt the difference directly in their lives. Instead, it went into stone.

Nobody seems happy with the country. In the city center, there were dozens of beggars. From what I learned talking to Vural abi, most people work two jobs, almost all young people want to leave, and the state doesn’t provide services - roads are bad, tap water is full of lime, so people use street fountains. Vural abi said Macedonia is 30–40 years behind Turkey, which I found very hard to believe. Hahahahaha.

I liked Ohrid more just because I see less injustice there. Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes in the world, home to 200 unique species. But it was very dirty. There are so many churches - Ohrid is already known as the “Jerusalem of the Balkans” and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Walking alone at night along the Vardar River and Lake Ohrid while listening to music was magnificent.

Life is truly beautiful; the world is truly beautiful. Even though seeing the injustice people suffer makes me sad, I am grateful to be able to experience these things.