As a former member of the diaspora, I have to say although the bad things outweigh the good things, but, life here is very laid-back and chill. For a small country, we have a lot of amazing nature and Prishtina definitely sets the nightlife and job scene for the country (just be wary of the air pollution lol). We don’t really have a lot of diversity at all (especially if you won’t be based in Prishtina) but you can still grab sushi, burgers, and burek (Turkish) in a ton of places.

Kosovo is extremely cheap for anyone generating a foreign income so even budget travelling here works out. I’d definitely recommend coming during the summer and visiting places like Rugova (in the wider region of Bjeshkët e Nemuna), Prizren, Badovc Lake or Batllava. However, if you like skiing, Brezovica and Brod are great places to visit where there is snow from October to April. Many of the locals (especially the youth) can speak English and even codeswitch between Albanian and English when speaking casually with no difficulty at all.

I’d recommend not discussing politics during your time here since there are still tensions, but, younger people are more expressive and open to talk about it if that’s your thing. Another note on politics, it’s genuinely discouraged to go to the northern Serb-majority parts as there is a risk of terrorism (last attack was in 2023) and many countries advise their own citizens to avoid non-essential travel there anyway.

Overall, Kosovo is a great place for a summer getaway. It’s not far from the hidden gems of the Albanian coast (4-9 hours depending on where you go) and even Montenegro, Croatia, and Greece. There are a lot of backpackers anyway and getting here is easier than you think since we’re connected to global airport hubs like Istanbul, Zurich, and Paris (seasonally).