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We arrived at our Airbnb in Mostar around 1 a.m. Everyone was wiped, hungry, and just trying to survive the night. We hadn’t eaten dinner — we were too focused on just arriving — and now every nearby restaurant and market were closed.

But we had a back-up plan: Nutella and crackers from the trunk. Not ideal, not exactly nutritious, but it would do. Plus, I’ve done worse. 

Except as we pulled it out of the trunk, the jar slipped.

Glass shards flew…

Only I didn’t care. We needed dinner. 

Without speaking, I grabbed the half-intact side and — carefully, slowly — carried it inside. Without speaking, we all hunched over a table in our dimly lit Airbnb and, in between showers, scooped out (hopefully) glass-free Nutella.

And no one complained.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, April 2025
Cliff C.