CHANGED NAME TO VASILIJE: American moved to Serbia, then found freedom, spirituality, and community! (VIDEO)

A young American who traded life in the USA for Serbia and the name Basil for the name Vasilije, has been getting to know our country for two and a half years in a way that few foreigners succeed in. He came, as he says, out of a need to find the peace and spirituality that he could not find in America. Today, as he prepares to enroll in the Faculty of Theology in Belgrade, he admits that the Balkans won him over faster than he expected.

In an interview for the YouTube channel “Attic Life,” he opened up and explained why he converted to Orthodoxy and why he left the country that has been presented for years as a symbol of opportunity.

“The biggest reason was the feeling that something in the USA was either falling apart or had been broken for a long time,” Basil said at the beginning of the conversation, adding that many in Serbia ask him with surprise why he left his country.

As he explains, the biggest problem in America for him was the way of life itself, especially the relationship of people towards the community.

“The biggest problem for me was cultural. A lot of individualism and very little community. There is no unity in the way of thinking or living. It has gotten even worse over time,” he explains.

When he recently visited the USA, he says he especially felt what had been pressuring him for years.

“Even when I visited the USA this summer, there was tension, people were tense because of politics and the economy,” says Basil, adding that Americans have lost the ability to listen to opposing opinions.

In that regard, he points out, Serbs are completely different.

“Generally, Serbs have a stronger common foundation than Americans. They can disagree, yet still have a sense of community… In some Balkan relationships there may be misunderstandings, but in most cases, there is an ability to have a conversation and for disagreement not to break up a friendship. Here, disagreement does not mean the end of the conversation, but the beginning. In the USA, an argument often breaks up the relationship. Here you can disagree, but still remain on good terms,” he points out.

Unlike Western Europe, he very quickly felt a special warmth and gratitude for the small joys of life in the Balkans.

“People in the Balkans remember difficult times and wars, which shapes their approach to life. Western Europe and the USA have a more comfortable life, so they appreciate what they have less. Serbs appreciate the beautiful moments and material goods more because they know what it’s like when they don’t have them,” he said.

When he talks about his first encounter with Belgrade, his story sounds almost cinematic. Everything was different to him, from the atmosphere on the street to how people behave.

“In the USA, you constantly hear about freedom, but freedom here is different. People do what they want. For example, in the USA, you wouldn’t be able to walk down the street with a beer in your hand. No one controls that here,” he says.

And then he adds a detail that completely caught him off guard:

“Another shock – a bus driver in Belgrade simply drove on the sidewalk to bypass traffic. In the USA, that wouldn’t pass, but here it’s fascinating. The problem here is that public transport sometimes doesn’t work properly. However, there is also charm in that. For example, free public transport is great.”

Today, having already embraced many Serbian customs, he revealed that he goes to church almost every day. He is also currently learning the Serbian language, Cyrillic, and Church Slavonic. He fasts on Wednesdays and Fridays. And while preparing for the Christmas fast, he says that he most admires the family tradition.

“Slava surprised me. There is no custom of a family patron saint celebration in the USA, here it is unique and fascinating,” he says.

The music scene, he says, won him over just as much as the spirituality that he originally came for.

“I discovered techno music here and I’m completely in love. The clubs are different than in the USA, the nightlife is slower, more relaxed, and more inclusive of community,” he reveals.

He says that besides learning the language and Cyrillic, he uses his days to explore the city which, as he admits, has completely changed him.

Dorćol, Knez Mihailova, Senjak, Dedinje — everything has grown dear to his heart, but for different reasons: from relaxed cafes to quieter neighborhoods that give him a break from the city crowd.

His story is not without humor, especially when he talks about our cuisine.

“Barbecue, roast, sarma, stuffed peppers, everything is fantastic. Serbs, however, need to increase their tolerance for spicy food,” he adds with a laugh.

Although he came as a foreigner, today he sounds like someone who chose Serbia from the heart, not by chance.

“In Serbia, I found the freedom that I never felt in America,” Vasilije concluded.