Friday was one of the first times that we really started to feel like we were leaving, and we weren’t feeling too good about it. There was a point (sometime in Skopje) where we shifted from being excited to be here, to being sad that we were going to have to leave. Friday, emotions were running a little stronger than usual, and a bunch of factors were muddling our heads. Early in the day, we visited Shayne’s friend Ats, and while she caught up about things that were going on in life, I got a very inexpensive and much needed and appreciated haircut. They exchanged emails and numbers (to make sure their records were current), and then we made plans to meet Ats later at a disco, and headed off.

That afternoon we headed into Kocani to do some business. We needed to post a blog, check emails, change money, call the airline, call hostels, and buy bus tickets. As Shayne has surely attested, she started to freak out a little. Between timing and prices, the end of our journey was becoming a total mess. Eventually we sorted everything out, and landed on a simple and cost effective plan that actually gave us more time in Kocani to spend with friends. All things settled, we set out (by taxi, Shayne and I were too frazzled to navigate hills and things at that moment) to Emilija’s house for a sleepover. The night wrapped up with Emilija insisting that we sleep in their bed. The hospitality we’ve met is always miles beyond what we expect, and it’s sometimes overwhelming.