This photograph was taken at Tolminska Korita, in the mouth of the cave, Zadlaška jama. After eating trout from the river at Gostilna "Slap" Vinko Pavić and following a tip to knock on the door of Bojan Kavčič to buy delicious Tolmin cheese (http://gugala.si/), we made our way to the southernmost entrance of Triglav National... Continue Reading →
As April 7th approaches, I anticipate what has become inevitable these last few years: sudden emotional unraveling as I move through spring. It's never the date of his birth in April that that brings up feelings of grief, nor is it the anniversary of his death, one month later in May. No. It's the time in between. It's... Continue Reading →
There we were: a biologist, an environmental geographer, a law professor and a writer, in my Ljubljana kitchen, each of us decked out with significant others and/or children. Most of us had met in Washington D.C. last summer at a Fulbright conference and bonded over photographs of the albino cave salamander--the proteus--and glasses of cold... Continue Reading →
We sat at a mountaintop cafe eating walnut bread, drinking hot tea and brandy. "What's this herb called in English?" I asked my Slovenian friend. "There's no translation. You don't have this herb in your country." "Well what's it close to?" "It's not like anything in the U.S. It’s from here. You have to come... Continue Reading →
Fear. I have been incredibly fortunate in my life. I have never fled war or known terror. But I've had small moments of being afraid. I knew fear when I was eighteen and had an expired inspection sticker on my New York City Honda and was driving through Louisiana and the cops pulled me over... Continue Reading →
I was mostly alone for two months before I had any friends or family in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where I'm living for the year on a Fulbright Grant. At the pre-departure orientation in DC this summer, we were told about the three phases of culture shock when adjusting to living in a new country. Phase one... Continue Reading →
At first, the children and people of the town, in the Ljubljana children's opera L. and I saw last night, followed the cheery organ grinder around the stage. We couldn't understand the lyrics, but it seemed that everyone loved this charismatic character. And yet you felt uneasy as you watched him being hailed. Soon the townspeople... Continue Reading →
https://youtu.be/8Et-G7B5PHs All day I've been in Brooklyn. I've been on seventh avenue with my pink walkman blasting and I've been doing my homework on the D train and I've been thinking about David Bowie. There are those artists who tie you completely to a part of yourself that needs to always exist. It's... Continue Reading →
On Sunday, no shops are open in Skofja Loka. There is no savory food available in town. The only thing to eat is gelato. I have a dish of forest berry at an outdoor café by the river, wrap the smoke from other tables around my body like a bare-threaded dress. The shape of thought... Continue Reading →
I rode my bike in my silk skirt and black leather jacket to the Slovenian National Theatre production of Goethe's "Faust" in Ljubljana. I didn't speak to the person in the box office, just handed her my phone with the email confirmation of my purchased ticket. She handed me back my phone along with a... Continue Reading →
Kelley McKenna 