Harvest Days Have you ever felt like youre on a movie set?

That somehow youve been beamed up by Scotty? Just to be clear, m not a Trekkie ! but thats e"actly how felt as #ill and sat on bales of hay in a horse$drawn carria%e driven by an enthusiastic coachman a few weeks a%o& 'nd to top it off, we were bein% followed by a film crew shootin% another TV show episode about us livin% in the rural Serbian villa%e& (efinitely movie set material& #hen my new friend and collea%ue )*bert, the mayor, invited us to the Harvest (ay celebration, we had no idea what to e"pect& #e pulled into a freshly mown field and instantly saw smoke risin% from hundreds of caldrons in a cookin% contest+ competitors hopin% to sna% the winnin% pri,e& t was like wed been transported back to a time before electricity when cookin% al fresco was the norm& -ein% loaded in the back of the carria%e and sittin% on hay bales seemed a little precarious to me at first. 'nd when we were handed bottles of plinka /a very stron% fruit brandy0, knew we were in for an interestin% ride& So off we went, prancin% throu%h the villa%e streets with me wavin% to no one in particular as if was in a Tournament of )oses parade float& / ve never been in a parade, but somehow knew what to do0& was taken aback at our first stop when we were approached by two ladies with a laundry basket full of freshly baked rolls& asked )*berts wife, sabella /our appointed interrupter0, how much the rolls were and she said they were free& 'ma,in%1 So there we sat at our first stop in front of the 2anda store, with the other villa%ers, eatin% fresh rolls and watchin% traditional Hun%arian dancers do their thin%& t was so inspirin% to see the kids, teens, and adults embracin% their herita%e& #e were part of the community& know this sounds stran%e but that was missin% for me3 to be part of a community& 4f course have ama,in% friends, and do consider them my community, but we all pretty much share the same values, ideas, and interests. which love, but was hun%ry to live someplace where ! like the 5heers son% ! everybody knows your name+ where people talk about you and what youre up to& 'nd believe me we have that in spades here in Serbia& /The most interestin% theory is that were here to spy on a villa%er who received some money from the 6&S& #hy they would pick us to be spies is beyond me0& Theres a lot to be said for small villa%e livin%, where people always say hello /or dobro 7utro0& t feels really %ood to be a part of this, and heres the cool thin%3 we cant participate in the town %ossip because we dont know what the locals are sayin%1 'fter two more Harvest (ay 8estival bondin% stops, we ended back where we started3 the freshly mown field, now feelin% part of a new community, %ivin% thanks and celebratin% the bounty of life& 9 About the Author: 8or :; years, <& (rew =erber has been inspirin% those who want to chan%e the world& 's the 5>4 of #asabi 2ublicity, lauded by the likes of 2) #eek and =ood ?ornin% 'merica, he sparks aha conversations that lead to personal and business success& His 2) firm is known for landin% clients on (r& 2hil, 4prah, 'nderson 5ooper, the #all Street Journal, nc&, >ntrepreneur, and other top media outlets& #asabi 2ublicity lives to launch conversations that

make a difference and chan%e the world& 5ontact (rew at 'sk(rew@2ublicity)esults&com or visit his blo% at www&(estination'ha&com&