It is kind of cold here in Washington right now. Not cold compared to Europe perhaps, and not with the snow that we had two years ago, but colder than we’ve had for the past weeks. Yet, this morning when I woke up, something was different. Not only did dawn seem to break already before 6:30, but the sun also seemed to be higher and the sunlight warmer. Almost like spring was on its way…

In little less than a month, I am going to Macedonia for a few weeks and I had hoped to meet spring there. I have only been to Skopje once in the winter, so somehow I think of it as eternally warm. But given that many of my colleagues in the Western Balkan were working from home last week due to the cold, and that several places had declared emergency situation due to harsh weather conditions, I probably have to pack my boots instead. It seems more likely that spring will get here first. And I hope it comes soon because spring and summer is so much more fun than winter!

In Skopje, late September, 2011