AMERICAN BECOMES A ZEMUN LOCAL: “Because of What the Serbs Taught Me, My Outlook on Life Completely Changed”

American Gabriel Sofi lives in Zemun, socializes exclusively with Serbs, and reveals what life in Serbia has taught him about family, community, and friendship.

When someone moves to another country, the easiest thing is to find people who speak the same language, share similar habits, and are going through the same experiences. American Gabriel Sofi, however, decided to do exactly the opposite after arriving in Serbia. He did not want to get to know Belgrade through a circle of foreigners, but through people who were born here, their families, customs, and everyday lives.

He says that approach completely changed his experience of living in our country. Today he lives in Zemun, his friends are Serbs, he has been a guest at a slava, a wedding, and a baptism, and his neighbors already recognize him when he walks down the street.

On TikTok, where he posts under the name “gabriel.sofie.coach,” he also explained why he believes many foreigners deprive themselves of the true experience of the country they have moved to.

“All My Friends Are Serbs”

Serbia was one of the first countries Gabriel visited outside the United States, apart from Canada. When he began building a life here, he did not want to remain in the so-called “foreigner bubble.”

Instead of socializing exclusively with people who, like him, had come from abroad, he made an effort to get to know the local population.

– I don’t have a single foreign friend here. All my friends are locals. All my friends are Serbs – he said.

Those very acquaintances opened the door to a completely different experience of Serbia. He was no longer simply a foreigner visiting the city and its famous sights, but a guest at family gatherings and events that hold an important place in local tradition.

He thus had the opportunity to attend weddings, baptisms, slavas, and birthdays and see firsthand what everyday life in Serbian families looks like.

He Didn’t Wait for Someone to “Introduce” Him to Society

Gabriel, however, emphasizes that such closeness with people did not happen overnight. He believes that anyone who wants to get to know the environment in which they live must also show interest themselves.

– I met people simply by making an effort. I live in a local neighborhood. I don’t live at all in the part of the city where foreigners gather – the American explained.

He chose Zemun as his home, and life in that part of Belgrade brought him one of the feelings he values most – that he is no longer a complete stranger.

Over time, he became a familiar face in the neighborhood, so people greet him as he walks down the street.

– It’s really great when you live in Zemun, like I do, and now you can walk around Zemun and people recognize you and greet you – he said.

He Learned One Thing in Particular from Serbs

However, it was not just the socializing and customs that won him over. Gabriel says that life in Serbia changed his perspective on interpersonal relationships.

What impressed him most was the importance placed here on family and people in one’s immediate surroundings.

– One thing I learned from Serbs is that family and community are everything – he emphasized.

That very sense of connection is something that, according to his experience, he does not find to the same extent in America today.

– There is so much that can be learned here about family, but also when it comes to communication and dedication to other people. Serbs really taught me a lot about that – Gabriel said.

That is why he also has clear advice for those planning to leave their country and continue their lives somewhere else. He believes that a real move is not just a change of address, but also a willingness to get to know the society one is entering.

– Socialize with the local population. Let your friends be locals. Get to know their way of life – he urged.

Serbs Delighted by His Story

Gabriel’s account attracted the attention of social media users, and messages of support soon began appearing beneath the video.

Many liked the fact that the American did not try to adapt life in Serbia to the habits he brought with him, but instead decided to get to know the country through its people.

– Life begins outside your comfort zone – one user wrote.

Others simply wished him welcome.

– Bravo and welcome, good man! – reads one of the comments.