Traveler Bio

Mirëdita! Si Jeni? Good morning! How are you? My name is Lauren Peace, and I’m a 23-year-old journalist currently living in Prishtina, Kosovo. I love this region of the world, but I’m not originally from here! I grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, where I spent a lot of my time outside, hiking in the woods or spending time by the lake with my friends. For college, I moved six hours north to Rochester, New York, where I studied journalism and played soccer at Rochester Institute of Technology! I learned a lot while living in Rochester, like how to use a variety of mediums to tell a story or help somebody share their own. I also learned that I really don’t like the cold... but I’ve been told it builds character!

Perhaps one of the greatest things RIT gave me was the opportunity to study abroad. In the summer of 2016, I traveled with a professor and a small group of classmates to Kosovo, where we spent six weeks working on short documentary projects. I fell in love with the region as both a resident and storyteller, and I knew I had to try to return. In September 2018 I was given the opportunity to do so!

Now I’m back for ten months on a Fulbright grant, pursuing a journalistic project highlighting the incredible work of women in Kosovo. I’m so excited to be here, and I’m even more excited to get to share my experiences with you. It’s going to be a fun few weeks!