[caption id="attachment_933" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The beautiful Mostar Bridge "]<img class="size-medium wp-image-933" title="Mostar Bridge " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/dsc07586.jpg?w=300" alt="The beautiful Mostar Bridge " width="300" height="225" />[/caption]

After my travels, I can't help but wonder what makes a country an EU country? Many of the countries I went to seem as developed as Bulgaria.  This is not to say that Bulgaria should not belong to the EU but just to say that I can help but wonder what the qualifications are.

Sure I know that there's a complicated matrix for membership and lots of hoops to jump through and boxes to check but the thing is--if membership is about development and "modernity" (what ever that means) um, why isn't Croatia a member? or Serbia or  Montenegro for that matter?

Somehow I expected something else, something older, dirtier, grittier.  But what I found was shinny and new.  People were kind and the cities were easy to navigate even as an English speaker.  Sure maybe a the little Bulgarian I know helped me a little bit but really, I was able to get around using English.  In Sofia, at the bus station or train station some basic knowledge of the language is necessary--but in the other countries I traveled to it was not problem to speak English.  Funny how that works.<!--more-->

[caption id="attachment_934" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Kotor at Sunset"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-934" title="Kotor " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/dsc07780.jpg?w=225" alt="Kotor at Sunset" width="225" height="300" />[/caption]

Also, I know that you shouldn't admit countries to the EU that are just plain beautiful (that makes for pretty questionable standards) but as an American I wouldn't be against it.  First it seems like it might make boarder travel easier and second, in many places you can already pay in for meals and drinks in Euro (Bosnia) even though that's not the official currency.

All of this said, I had a wonderful time traveling in these places whether or not they are part of the EU or not.  A part of me just can't help but wonder what's going on? Does EU membership matter that much and what are countries willing to do or risk to gain it?