Our time in Zlatibor has come to an end, and looking back, it’s amazing to realize we spent almost eight weeks here—one of our longest stays in one place. The mountains, the fresh air, and the rhythm we found as a family (and community) made this summer special.
The kids kept up with their art classes, and even the moms did a session where we made self-portraits—a fun (and humbling!) exercise. Outside of the art studio, the kids discovered a jump pillow and adventure park, where Henry worked hard on his flips—nailing both front and back flips by the end of our stay.
We mixed in little adventures with plenty of simple pleasures. We went to see the new Naked Gun movie at the local theater. We had the entire place to ourselves, and tickets were only $5! Back at “home,” our routine was full of poker nights, movie nights, calisthenics, and endless pickleball games. The moms became grocery pros, knowing exactly where everything was in each supermarket—shopping efficiency at its finest.
This summer wasn’t just about our family, though—it was about community. At one point, there were seven families here together. We had people representing Britain, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, Belgium, Australia, Switzerland, and the U.S. Saying goodbye as people started to leave was bittersweet. One of the highlights was when Roeland, from Belgium, hosted a chocolate mousse–making class, complete with a mini field day. Henry’s team (with Jake, Renee, and Christy) took the win for best chocolate mousse!
Michael and I took another trip around the sun together celebrating our 18th wedding anniversary. We have had a wild ride, and there is so much more in store!
We even managed to track down ingredients for s’mores. Kristian, on a quick trip to the UK for tech gear, came back triumphantly with both vegan and non-vegan marshmallows. Many of our friends had never had s’mores before, and they were a hit!
And of course, no recap of Zlatibor would be complete without mentioning Cookie, Vanelope, Cream, and Mayonaise—the dogs who adopted us (and we adopted right back). They became part of our daily lives, and it will be hard to leave them behind. We hope the community continues to love and care for them.
We’ll also miss our backyard pickleball/sport court—a hub for daily play and laughter. While we know pickleball, padel, and tennis await us at our next stop, it won’t quite be the same as having them right outside our door.
All in all, Zlatibor was good to us: restful, beautiful, and full of connection. It was the perfect place to spend a summer, and it will always hold a special place in our hearts.
