I walked through downtown Pristina and I couldn’t stop thinking about 2007.

Back then, I was in this part of the world during a very different time, Kosovo was in the middle of its fight for independence, and the region felt heavy with uncertainty. The energy was tense, the future unclear.

Fast forward to now, and I’m strolling through the capital, stopping for dinner at a very modern city restaurant, surrounded by a city that feels unmistakably modern. Pristina has the energy of a place that’s figured itself out.

I also made it out to Gracanica Monastery, just outside the capital. Walking into that 14th-century Serbian Orthodox church was incredibly unreal. No cameras or phones allowed, so no photos, but the walls were covered in paintings that looked like they were only a few years old. Built by King Stefan Milutin in 1321, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site with five domes and Byzantine frescoes that cover every surface – over 4,000 painted faces telling stories from the Bible. The artwork, painted by masters Michael Astrapos and Eutichios between 1318-1321, has survived Ottoman raids, wars, and centuries of upheaval. Standing there, surrounded by all that vivid medieval art, upkept by the community of nuns who live there, the contrast with modern Pristina just down the road was striking – both pieces of the same story, just separated by 700 years.

It’s a full circle moment in the truest sense. The Kosovo I saw this time is confident, vibrant, and moving forward. It’s given the world Dua Lipa, tech startups, and a generation that’s building something new.

Sometimes you need the contrast of where a place was to really appreciate where it is. Pristina reminded me that progress isn’t just possible—it’s happening, even when it takes time to get there.