Today was a wonderful day!

While I sit here and reflect on the days events I realize that it is an amazing thing to have friends and enjoy those moments you share with people that have entered your path called life. To find people who are passionate about the world around them and enjoy aspects that so many people take for granted is a valuable thing especially if you attempt to achieve elements of happiness that can satisfy the mind and soul of any individual who craves friendship or social interaction.

As I walk along the beaches of Fort Desoto’s North point and gaze across the ocean to segments of land that shape the island in a way that captures true beauty, I wonder how I ever ended up here in the sunshine state. Pavilions with broad white roofs, picnic tables and the beach in view is the ideal location to spend a Sunday afternoon grilling Cevape with Somun laying across the links of beef there ready to soak up all the juices that may try to escape into the hot coals that lie underneath. Pivo at the lips of everyone waiting to indulge in the popular Bosnian dish while those who are enjoying their time outdoors and with space to run, pass a futbol across areas of open fields infested with sand spurs that are there ready to cling to unlucky victims.

What I find so fascinating by it all, as I step back and view my surroundings, is that many of the people in my company are from the country of Bosnia I Herzegovina but have started a new life here in the states. To leave everything behind and have to start anew, traveling down new cultural avenues that seem to be the norm now while desires of returning home indulge topics of discussion among those who long for the fresh mountain water, pita baked to perfection with delicious fillings, Bosnian coffee and small cafes, as call to prayer fills the silence and beautiful minarets pierce the sky. The sound of children as they jump off of the banks of rivers into frigid blue waters, friendly smiles and warm welcomes; where life seems so complex yet so simplistic all at the same time. A country that I have only imagined in dreams yet all this time has existed thousands of miles away for hundreds of years, seeing elements of war over the centuries that if only embraced might be a different sight today.

As soon as I was able to fill my plate with the delights that I had experienced months ago, I began to spread sour cream and drape raw onions on top of my Cevape and somun, giving it the perfect touch before I devoured the delicious food. Card games and chain smoking, European futbol among friends, feeding rabid raccoons and photographing the days events, developing a love for pyrotechnics while capturing the perfect shot of Narcis almost catching on fire, and ending the night with shots of Bacardi and watching the sunset across the ocean. But as we said our good-byes and ended the night on a good note, we raced to leave before the gates were closed and locked for the night. A few of us did not want the night to end so we continued to drink and chat on the beach in St. Pete until the bitter winds and cool temperatures convinced us to conclude the days events. I drove home falling asleep along the way while Stacey attempted to keep me awake and crawled in bed for rest that was well deserved after spending a long day with friends.

And…as I sit here and write my thoughts, I only wonder how I have come to meet such amazing people. That I cherish the moments I get to share with those that come into my life and are a positive attribute to who I have become and will be one day. Some I may have met for the first time, while others I may see on rare occasions but many have been there to watch me develop over the past couple years and I only hope they will continue to be a part of my life in the future.