In May of 2018, I visited Macedonia. Sad to say, my high school history class failed me, I never knew anything about Macedonia. I remember having to memorize the European capitals, but that’s about it.
After spending 5 days in North Macedonia, Skopje & Ohrid, these are the five things I learned:
1. Each country is full of so much history that you may not know a lot about
When I landed in Skopje, there was so much I wanted to know! I knew nothing about their history or their culture. We stayed with a friend of a friend and was able to ask her and her family lots of questions. I learned that Macedonia was part of the Persian empire, the Byzantine Empire, Yugoslavia, and then Macedonia and in 2019, the Republic of North Macedonia. Each place we visited I learned about how the country transformed with each change in power.
2. Food is fresher outside the United States
The tomatoes, in Macedonia and all of the vegetables, were so fresh. It was like I had never tasted a real tomato before. The food has influences from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines and they are known for their excellent growing conditions of vegetables.
3. People are different, but share common traits
We met up with a lot of people, but one thing I learned is we are all similar. We all like to laugh, talk, share stories, dance, and get to know each other.
4. Body language is universal
Many people I met did not speak English, however, body language provides excellent means of communication. You can get by with pointing, facial expressions, and gestures, pretty well. When that fails, there is always google translate.
5. Your dollar can stretch further than you think
Before when I spent a lot of time in western Europe, where your dollar doesn’t stretch too far, but in Macedonia, your dollar goes really far. Food and drinks are very cheap.
While history class cannot provide you with a complete and total understanding of every country. There are so many countries that they don’t even mention, that have important and interesting histories. I love learning about new countries that I visit.