Hello from the village,

It's been another hot week here in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The sort of heat that slows everything down. By mid-afternoon even the dogs have decided that finding a patch of shade is a far better idea than doing anything energetic.

Maybe that's why something has finally dawned on me.

After months, perhaps even a couple of years, of constantly changing direction, questioning what I should create next, worrying about numbers, algorithms and whether I was doing enough, I think I've realised what has been going on.

I don't think I'd ever really accepted that I'm retired.

Although I officially retired some time ago, part of me was still behaving as though I needed another career. Another business. Another project that somehow justified getting up every morning.

Looking back, I can see how often I'd changed direction. Video... then podcasts... then newsletters... then courses... then back again. None of those things were mistakes. They were all things I enjoyed. But I think I was still trying to turn every hobby into work.

This week, sitting outside with a Yorkshire tea (as I am now), while the crickets carry on regardless, I've found myself thinking...

What if I simply allowed these things to be hobbies?

Not hobbies in the sense of "not taking them seriously." Quite the opposite.

Hobbies that I care about because I enjoy them. Not because they have to earn their keep.

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Oddly enough, that thought brought a sense of relief.

So from here on, I want to spend more time making the kind of audio I genuinely enjoy.

Stories.

Conversations.

The sounds of everyday life.

Those little moments that rarely make the headlines but somehow tell you far more about Bosnia and Herzegovina than another list of places to visit.

The podcast is becoming the place where all of that lives.

One small practical change you’ll notice is that I won’t be embedding the podcast player in Substack anymore. Instead, I’ll include a link to the podcast, where you can listen in your favourite podcast app.

It's a small change, but it means everything lives in one place and makes it easier for people who prefer Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or another app to listen wherever they get their podcasts.

More than anything though, I'd really like to build a community around the podcast.

Not a huge audience.

Just a group of people who enjoy listening, who are curious about life here and who don't mind taking the slower route through a story.

If you've been listening, I'd genuinely love to know what you think. Which episodes have stayed with you? What would you like to hear more of? Even a short email or comment makes more difference than you might imagine.

And if you enjoy the podcast, I'd be grateful if you'd consider following it wherever you normally listen. Every follower helps the podcast find someone else who might appreciate these audio letters from Bosnia.

☕ JOIN ME ON THE PODCAST

As for me, I'll keep wandering with a microphone, recording village mornings, mountain walks, café conversations and whatever catches my attention along the way.

No grand strategy.

Just curiosity.

Somehow, that feels enough.

Until next time, Vidimo se opet 

Bests 

David

I’m back home again after a week away teaching near Sarajevo, in a place called Tarćin.

It’s always slightly strange, that feeling of being away and then returning to the rhythm of home. One moment you’re in a hotel, talking about communications, content, digital media, and the way we tell stories. Then, a few hours later, you’re back among the trees, the garden, the animals, the familiar sounds of the village, and that very particular feeling of northern Bosnia settling around you again.

Tarćin was beautiful in its own way.

I was there for work, but as always in Bosnia, place has a way of getting into the story. Early mornings, mountain air, changing weather, and that quiet sense of being somewhere just outside the rush of everything. I even managed to record some atmosphere while I was there, because, well, I can’t seem to go anywhere these days without listening as much as looking.

Tarćin at Dusk ⬆️

Tarćin at Dawn ⬆️

Latest on YouTube

There’s also a new YouTube video ready for you to watch. A bit of walking, a bit of talking, a bit of weather, a bit of village life, and a few further thoughts from me after being away for the week.

New Podcast Episode

In my latest episode of An Englishman in the Balkans, I introduce you to something I find quietly fascinating: the wooden minarets of Bosnia.

They’re easy to miss if you’re passing quickly. These are not the tall stone minarets that many people might imagine when they think of Islamic architecture. They are smaller, humbler, and often found in villages or more rural places. But for me, that is exactly what makes them so interesting.

They speak of forests, local craftsmanship, faith, village life, and memory.

They are a reminder that Bosnia’s history is not only found in the big places, the famous bridges, the old towns, or the grand monuments. Sometimes it’s there in the smaller details. A wooden minaret above a village mosque. A shape against the sky. Something modest, practical, beautiful, and deeply rooted in place.

That’s what I wanted to explore in this episode.

So, if you’d like to listen, just click the button below:

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE

I suppose that’s what this week has been about, really.

Being away, coming home, and noticing again how much story there is in the ordinary things around us.

A hotel balcony in Tarćin before dawn and at dusk.

A walk through the garden after a week away.

A wooden minaret in a Bosnian village.

Small details, perhaps.

But here in Bosnia, small details often open the door to much bigger stories.

Thanks, as always, for being here.

Wherever you are, I hope your Sunday is peaceful.

David

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Music track for this video ⬆️ courtesy of Tamara’s cousin

Hello, and welcome to this week’s edition of The Sunday Sip.

I haven’t been as regular with these Sunday newsletters as I would have liked, but I’m going to try to sort that out from this week onwards. So, every Sunday morning, UK time, the plan is that you’ll receive a fresh edition of The Sunday Sip from me here in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A little update. A few thoughts. Some links to what I’ve been creating. And, hopefully, a gentle window into life here in this much misunderstood, heart-shaped country in the Western Balkans. Because that is still what this is all about for me

Telling stories from Bosnia and Herzegovina. And who knows? Maybe one day they might even encourage you to come and visit. Because if you do, I honestly think you’ll have great adventures, meet wonderful people, experience something real, and maybe put a little money into the pockets of local people here who very much need and deserve it.

Reset Time

For some time now, I’ve been more than a little inconsistent with creating and publishing my text, audio, and video content.

Not because I’ve stopped caring. Quite the opposite, really. I think I’ve been trying to work out where everything belongs. And I’ve finally realised something important. I really don’t want to be a slave to any algorithm anymore.

I’m not chasing every new social platform that appears. These days, my social platform of choice is really Notes here on Substack, where things feel a little calmer, a little more human, and a little less frantic.

Recently, Tamara and I hosted my 19-year-old granddaughter from England for two weeks. Having her here made me think even more deeply about the idea of legacy. The stories. The memories. The small pieces of a life that might mean something to someone one day.

I’m 73 now. I very much hope I’ll still be around for another 20 years, irritating people with microphones, cameras, walking poles, and cups of coffee. But none of us knows.

And I’ve reached a point where I’d like my stories, videos, podcasts, photographs, and reflections to live somewhere a little more permanent.

My Forever Home Online

So, I’ve rebuilt my website. But this time, I’m thinking of it as my forever home online.

You’ll find it at: anenglishmaninthebalkans.com That is where I’m now bringing everything together. I’m not technical enough to run my own web server, and I don’t have endless money to throw at online tools. So I’ve looked carefully at what I pay for, what I actually need, and what I can do without. Squarespace gives me a place I can manage. It gives me a base. And other domain names I own will point there too.

What This Means for Substack

Well, I’m NOT disappearing from Substack. But I am changing how I use it.

From now on, Substack will mainly be the home of this weekly newsletter, The Sunday Sip, and for the occasional Note or update. I’ll use this newsletter to point you towards the new posts, podcasts, and videos on the website.

Why This Matters to Me

Over the years, I’ve seen platforms come and go. Back in the day, we all thought certain sites would last forever. Like Seesmic (a real favourite of mine) and other various video platforms and tools that seemed permanent at the time. And then they weren’t. I hope Substack is around for a long time. I really do. I like it here. So I want to build something that has a better chance of surviving. Something that my grandchildren, and maybe even my great-grandchildren, might one day be able to visit and say: “Oh, that’s what he was doing out there in Bosnia.”

A Few Practical Bits

Below, you’ll find some links to recent posts and content on the website. Some may appear as images you can click. That’s because Substack doesn’t always allow everything to embed neatly, so if you see an image with a note saying “click above” or “click the image”, that’s what’s going on.

The Updates

From Bosnia This Week

Here in Bosnia, we’re just beginning to move towards the serious heat.The 30s are coming.The 40s will probably follow at some point.And when they do, that’s when I start hiding.

Meanwhile, I believe the United Kingdom is enjoying some decent weather at the moment, which is always nice to hear. Long may that continue.

If you enjoy what I’m doing, please do share this newsletter with someone who might also enjoy stories from Bosnia and Herzegovina, slow travel, later-life creativity, podcasting, or simply the view from a slightly different corner of Europe.

Share Coffee and Rakija

And if you’d like the more everyday bits of my life, the small observations, and the occasional daily drivel from David, you’ll probably find that over on Substack Notes.

Thanks again.

I’ll catch you next week, here on The Sunday Sip.