Today was a real day. A day where I walked by myself instead of in a pack, got lost, people watched, saw things, and did less touristy activities.
It’s totally normal to buy a litre of milk stocked fresh in the morning. Drinking it between two people as they walk through a farmer’s market in a matter of 15 
minutes might be a little less normal. Sophia and I bought a jar from a vending machine and watched the clear bottle fill with the heavenly, silky milk. Why there weren’t lines for it, I do not know. But daily fresh milk that is cold and so smooth? I can promise you, we’ll be back!
The venture down a few stairs into the fresh cheese, meat, and other dairies was also a delight. I lingered too long in front of one cheese case because no one was there so I figured I could look without pressure. Instead, a woman slid in seamlessly saying dobro jutro, good morning, in Slovene and then proceeded to offer us a taste in English. A lover of cottage cheese back home, I must apologize but I am not a fan of it here. Perhaps the fresh milk that still clung to my tastebuds rendered any other dairy taste helpless. 
She allowed us to try “young cheese” as she called it followed by a deliciously salty “older cheese.” She laughed with us when we asked her to repeat the name “older cheese” as it seemed a somewhat insufficient name for a cheese. Sophia and I agreed we would be back next week for some of that, providing we could find it.
Later on after I went to the post office to exchange some money for the group (and had to write the amount needed down for the 
teller because numbers are hard), I decided to pop into the bookstore across the street. People had said Ljubljana is a small city, but I had envisioned (dare I say hoped?) it would be closer to Celje’s size. However, as I approached the glass doors, one of the few people I know outside our group, a university student we had met Thursday, happened to be walking out. Small it had suddenly become; a chance encounter that simply delighted me in making me feel at home. A few minutes of talking like old friends and we were both on our way again.
And finally, of course, the whole challenge of walking in a pack is that 
the only dog whose view changes is the lead dog. This can lead to not 100% remembering where you’re going if you’re always bringing up the rear. Fortunately, despite not having seen many policemen previously, when I officially wasn’t sure where to go, I stumbled upon a car of three of them. They motioned haphazardly behind them and told me in Slovene where to go. I’m so grateful for the timing of our meeting or I may still be out wandering trying to find the group again…
Until next time…
~gervais
Gervais is serving as RCE on the abroad. She is a 2001 Principia College graduate and a soccer coach in the Athletic Department. She loves to learn new things, meet new people, see good photography, and laugh.