Winner of the Round 7, Voice of the Region Competition

Hello Tuzla!
Essay by Rijalda Dizdarevic, 24 years, Buzim

The shiny morning promised a lovely and productive day. Everyone in the house was rushing around, getting dressed, trying to have some breakfast and hopefully leave the house. I was the only one still looking at a spot on the ceiling, thinking about a nice day to enjoy. After a few moments of meditation, the alarm went off and I jumped out of bed. My destination for the day was the city of Tuzla. The conference was to be held 12-15 October. Tuzla is situated in North-East Bosnia and Herzegovina, 275 km from the place where I leave, Buzim. Delighted, I asked for a round-trip ticket. The man wished me good and safe journey, advising me to buy some interesting reading as it will last ten hours. At first I was shocked to hear this and thought it was just a joke, but after he explained the whole thing, I decided to return the ticket. He said this was impossible as it was already processed by the system. I was furious. The people in the line behind me were now getting annoyed and I decided to start my ten-hour long adventure. The first part was the hardest. Coming to terms with the fact that you will be sitting on the bus for almost the entire day is not easy and you blame the government, ministries of communication and transport, politics, travel agencies, etc. and the quarrel goes on in your head while the engine runs freely. From time to time the bus would stop, picking up new passengers. It was now 12.30 p.m. and finally time for a break. The moment I stepped on the ground my legs felt a kind of total relaxation and the whole body liven up again. After half an hour we boarded our house on wheels again. My anger grew weaker by every kilometre. I enjoyed the beautiful landscapes, autumn leaf colours, people harvesting crops, sheep scattered all over the meadows like pearls. Meanwhile, I received many phone calls asking me whether I had arrived or how long the journey will last. After explaining it, they were all shocked. It was 6.30 in the afternoon. The city was coming into sight. The excitement grew.  I was dazzled by sunlight but could still see faces that gave me a warm welcome. Bitterness passed into relaxation. Ten hours of travelling would bring me to a city in Europe, but they all laughed and said I was in Tuzla.