kaseydugan
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The Big Hat
About a month ago, I managed to somehow knock over an entire mug of hot peppermint tea onto my open laptop. I let out a cry for help and Aleksa quickly grabbed some towels. But it was no use. My screen faded into what the tech savvy dub “the black screen of death.” It is…
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Flying First Class
There I was — soaring through the sky, 11 kilometers above the earth — watching 50 Shades of Grey from a bed. Yes, a bed. And there was a plate of warm nuts. And there was a complimentary bag filled with lotions I can’t pronounce. And there was Chrstian Grey’s contract, and the matter of Ana not…
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A Love Letter to Malls (in Serbia)
Gone are the days of walking through a blissful, gorgeous — and mostly empty — Galerija. Now the mall, which used to be my favorite mall among all the Belgrade malls, is packed with people. Tired mothers pushing strollers; teenagers laughing at everything; men taking long drags from smelly cigarettes. The cafes are busy. The stores…
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I’m Slavic After All
There’s a fur store in my neighborhood. It’s small — tucked between a cheese shop and a hair salon — and it’s almost always empty. For the last six months, I’ve passed this store on my daily walk. I’ve glanced at the display or occasionally peered into the windows; only fur coats and fur hats. And…
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Would we consider living in Serbia?
Recently, Aleksa and I took on the joyous task that is moving apartments in New York City. And after a month of scouring Facebook Marketplace for new furniture and surviving without air conditioning, the place is really starting to come along. We’re still on the hunt for a bigger bed — and we still haven’t…
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The Comeback
Writing a blog is a tricky business. It’s an informal, casual writing style that seems to invite two perceptions: that you want to be Carrie Bradshaw, or that you’re not much of a writer at all. And if the latter is the case — I’ve been a pretty lousy writer. It’s been a year since…
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Back in Belgrade
“Kasey, I can’t sleep like this,” Aleksa has said, for the past four nights, pointing to the air conditioner in our rental space. “Serbians don’t do well with this cold air.” “Aleksa,” I keep saying back to him, “I can’t sleep with it off.” I’m back in Belgrade. You’d think that the most telling sign…
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Where have I been?
Hi friends. It’s been three chaotic months for That American Girl. Aleksa went back to Serbia and I went back to graduate school. Two dear friends passed away. Grief, like a ghost, took over my home. The winter went on and on and on … even though spring had arrived. We have not had news…
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You’ve Reunited With Your LDR Partner … Now What?
When I touch down in Belgrade, I go through the usual motions of long-haul flight exhaustion: eye dryness, sensitive stomach, sweaty clothes, sore glutes. All I want to do is go to bed. Only I still have to go through customs, collect my luggage, and — oh yeah — reunite with Aleksa after 6+ months.…
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How to Make a Long Distance Relationship “Work”
For months, friends and followers alike have asked me to write a blog on how to successfully make a long-distance relationship “work.” The first attempt at this blog was back in November. All the talk of Thanksgiving travel plans had me reminiscing about my love affair with travel: my packing rituals, my airport stories, even…
That American Girl 