This particular trip was a trip brimming with contrast. It all started with me going to a country that I thought I visited a long time ago, when, upon arriving, I came to the sudden realisation, that I have never actually been there. Yet so many things seemed all too familiar: the thin line between poverty and excessive spending, the rundown buildings with plaster falling from its sides to the flamboyant ones separated by just a street (perfectly represented by the newly reconstructed Belgrade waterfront that is just across the street from what looks like a dilapidated apartment building) and bars, restaurants, cafe's filled with people, even though the median salary is only ~ EUR 400.

What I have learned is that these are people that thrive on tradition, revere their history, while also trying to adapt and make their mark on the ever-changing world. The same mentality applies to their work ethics and even their designs of aluminium windows, doors and façades. Now I am in no position to judge whether that works for them or not, I have to admit, that in these couple of days that I have visited multiple companies, I have seen well established companies using rather standard straightforward designs, basing their choices on tradition and the mentality that what is not broken should not be changed, to smaller companies, that thrive on incredible innovation and have come up with designs that would be on par with the best of them. That was a land of contrasts and it was a learning experience, but the main thing to take away from all this - Serbia is a land of opportunities for everyone that has the guts and the capacity to help.

Serbia, along with their companies working in the fenestration industry have yet to make their visible impact in the rest of the world, but my belief is that they will, for the way I see it - it is a land of opportunities and I for one, can't wait to see what they will come up with.