Generally, things are less planned, people don't have concrete schedules, and everything happens at a slower pace than it does in the U.S. One of my Albanian friends asked me "Why do people from America always have so many 'to-do' lists? In Kosovo, we just do things spontaneously." People in Kosovo are a lot more spontaneous--they like to do things without a lot of planning ahead or in the spur of the moment. For example, if I wanted to get coffee with a friend in the U.S., we might both check our schedules and decide that the only free time we have is in two weeks. In Kosovo, you can call up a friend to get coffee and they will meet you in 10 minutes. I can feel this relaxed vibe and go-with-the-flow attitude when I ride the bus and I don't have to pay until the bus has been driving for what feels like a while. I am still getting used to this difference, but I think it is good for me! Being able to go with the flow makes me feel open to new experiences and able to learn new things.
The second thing I noticed about the transportation system is that the government is making changes to adapt to people's and environmental needs. The best example of this is starting the bus from the airport to the center of Pristina. When I visited Kosovo in 2016, this bus didn't exist! Now, I'm so happy that it does. It is very affordable (only two euros!), runs hourly and helps reduce traffic on the street as people don't have to drive personal cars. The buses are bright yellow and very comfortable. Lots of new changes are happening in Kosovo, from new buses to new highways to new buildings. This small country is definitely still growing!
