Lya Badgley

Harder Than I Thought It Would Be…literally

Before moving to Serbia, I expected language barriers, cultural differences, and international paperwork.  But, I didn’t adequately prepare for the toughest part

– taking a shower.

Multiple sclerosis has a way of turning ordinary activities into strategic exercises, and every shower now begins with a careful assessment of the terrain and an indepth negotiation with gravity. Judging by the collection of bruises currently decorating my body, gravity has been winning more often than I’d like.

Then there are the sidewalks. Technically, they exist. Practically speaking, they function as supplemental parking. Navigating Belgrade with a mobility device feels less like a stroll and more like an obstacle course designed by someone with a wicked sense of humor.

Of course, every country has its own version of “that’s just how we do things.” Living abroad means encountering those differences daily. Sometimes they’re charming. Sometimes they’re baffling.

And sometimes they leave you sprawled on the floor wondering what life lesson you’re supposed to be learning.

This time of year, Belgrade is fragrant with linden blossoms.

(I recently learned that the linden, or lipa, holds a special place in many Slavic cultures – the honey is delicious.) The perfume follows me down streets, transforming even an ordinary errand into something memorable.

Another joy of living here is being surrounded by layers of history. Belgrade is one of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, shaped by Romans, Ottomans, Austro-Hungarians, Yugoslavs, and modern Serbians alike.

The city feels less like a single place than a conversation between centuries.

There are practical joys as well. Affordable physical therapy twice a week. World class art galleries. Technology allowing me to see the faces of friends and family half a world away, a miracle I suspect we appreciate far less than we should.

And perhaps best of all, I have something every writer dreams of – a room of my own. A quiet space where stories can unfold, where my newest novel is taking shape, and where I can make sense of a world that continues to surprise me.

Author Life

I’m currently working on a novel set in the loud, chaotic underground music scene of 1983 Seattle. The story follows a young guitarist named Scree as he chases a record deal, falls in love, and begins experiencing increasingly strange glimpses of other times hidden beneath the surface of Seattle.

In many ways, the book explores some of the same questions that have always fascinated me. How does the past linger in the present? What stories remain buried beneath the lives we think we know? And how do we find our footing when the world suddenly becomes unfamiliar?

Much like learning to navigate a new country, writing a novel requires equal measures of persistence, curiosity, and faith.

Fortunately, I seem to have plenty of all three.

If the Balkans intrigue you, you might enjoy my most recent novel, The Thirty-Fifth Page. Set in Sarajevo and inspired by the mysteries surrounding the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, it blends historical suspense, folklore, and a touch of magic realism as a conservator uncovers a page that should not exist.