Top Ten Immediate Consequences of Independence

#10: Due to the media concentration on the protests in Belgrade and Mitrovica, our friends and family back home think we're soooo brave to be serving here.
#9: I should have kept count, but I'll bet I've had at least five free breakfasts and a dozen free espressos and machiattos just because I'm an American.
#8: Enise had three days off school.
#7: Three friends who haven't contacted us since we moved wrote just to see how we are doing.
#6: The Russians are really peeved (I grew up during the Cold War, and this feels really good!).
#5: I added the words "urime" and "pavarisa" to my Albanian vocabulary.
#4: Though things have returned to normal, the water and electicity supply has been extra good lately.
#3: The international chess game of who's going to recognize Kosovo and who isn't has made for great entertainment.
#2: Issues like "justice" and "freedom" are important world topics of discussion.
#1: This is a biggie...getting independence won't be the only thing Kosovars talk about anymore!!