Water deposits and water colors..

So after being gone for what seemed like forever, I knew, as usual, it would take some getting used to and catching up once I got back home. No matter if you're gone for a month or a day, everyone always wants to know where you've been, what you've been doing, if you were somewhere else how was it, was it better there than it is here? So there's a lot of going through that with my coworkers, produce stores, neighbors, waiters and people that know me but I don't know them.

I always try to make the 7 hour journey from the capital and allow myself that day and a complete day to myself to unpack, mess around the house, get groceries, you know, resettle. This time, my plan was rudely interrupted. I returned home on Friday to Bajram Curri to seemed what to be a completely different town. The roads were plowed, people were out and about, the sun was visible and the snow had accumulated into 15 foot mud splattered eye sores.

This would work out perfect, I would have Friday night to hang out with my sitemates who I hadn't seen in a while and all day Saturday to renest into my apartment. Wrong. Friday was great, Garrett, Eric, Kim and I hung out and had another normal night in my apartment. Simultaneously (I'm not exaggerating), the next morning, Kim and I both woke up puking. Not to go into any more detail that I have to it was kind of like this scene from a popular movie right now (warning: while though hilarious, a bit graphic).

This continued all day. Now, we had drank a little the night before but this was not from drinking. Let me take you back to the night before my Peace Corps interview in Raleigh. I woke up at 4:00am with this same kind of sickness and actually was so poisoned by food I had to call in and reschedule my interview. Culprit: Sushi from Harris Teeter.

I've also had food poisoning in Albania twice before (cheese and a mystery food) and let me tell you, it's no fun feet being sick in a Turkish toilet, although I must say I've gotten better. "What did you eat?" you might ask. Well, Sunday, when Kim and I could actually talk about food (still not at the point of eating it again) we narrowed it down to one meal where it could have been: chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions or cheese. In all foreign countries the food is just something you accept, in on way or another. Albania actually has, for the most part, pretty trust worthy produce, meat and cheese. I stay clear of the 'village milk' which is straight from the cow but we all choose our battles.

Anyways, since my readjusting day was taken away by recuperating, I did all my errands today. My water depot was also fixed! Three weeks with no water and finally I got to do laundry today and fill up my tank! Oh happy day. I also spent the afternoon celebrating the water by watercolor painting.

I also found out on my days away from my community that our grant was funded! The first project I wanted to do when I came to Bajram Curri was to fix up the basketball courts and that's what we're going to do! It started at PDM with Endrit a few months ago, we wrote the grant and found out last week that we were awarded the money. It's so exciting and something tangible that the community can see which is great. We invision restarting the community basketball teams as well which will hopefully play into the new sports stadium being renovated at the end of town. Even though I miss playing basketball like crazy, this is an awesome way to keep in the game.

The view from my office..

Similarities of being a PCV worldwide..

I found this blog of a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia and I could not have said it better than he did, on describing day to day life as a Peace Corps volunteer. I too find myself sometimes painting a picture of what my life in Albania is like that isn't completely accurate. I don't necessarily take pictures or focus on some of the harder things in day to day life in my postings because I don't want to. And I guess it's hard to see when you're in it and I have been here almost a year now and have gotten used to a lot of things but I think he captures it way better than I ever could. I know a lot of the things he said really hit home to other volunteers in Albania but I just wanted to share it on my blog to kind of give a better perspective of life as a volunteer.


He talks about the drastic differences from volunteers, even in the same country which is completely true to Albania as well. What should you expect? Nothing is the best answer. Expect nothing and you will be pleasantly surprised. Every experience is different.


He references the want and need to work out to let off stress and how it actually turns into more of a stressful situation. Most volunteers assume they will run to let off steam in their new country. However, running here is a cause of stress more so than a release. You get stared at as a foreigner here. These are stares that know no shame. Stares that you can feel without seeing. They are honest and curious stares, but can crack even the kindest of spirits. But a foreigner in shorts? Running? That is unheard of. Running here means being followed by hordes of children, the last thing you need when trying to let off steam.

The biggest thing that hit home to me were these few paragraphs: 

Peace Corps is defined by a strange dichotomy. Freedom and containment. I wake up every day with a blank slate. I can do anything. I can do nothing. And while the possibilities are only limited by my own imagination, the ability to do as I please is corrupted by a number of social, political, and cultural practices.

Doing something like the Peace Corps will be your lowest of lows and your highest of highs. Highs that shatter your previous world views.  You will feel refreshed, walk in a forest and quote Thoreau. The lows can last so long that you need a fleeting moment of existentialism just to make it through the rainy season. Well, that, and a ton of movies. You will consider going home. You will count down the days until you leave. You will count up from the day you arrived. “I can’t believe we’ve been here for a year.” “I can’t believe we’ll be here another year!” 


You will understand yourself, question yourself. Compare where you came from to where you are. I have days when I miss America. I have days when I loathe it. Why do people care about Charlie Sheen and Amy Winehouse?


Almost every part of this blog posting applied to my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer as it did to his... in a completely different country and continent. Thank you Waid in Ethiopia for being able to put this into words better than I ever could have.


Click here to read the rest of this post to get a better look into a PCV's life.

Pyramid in Tirane...

 Jemi nje or 'we are one'...

'Stomp homophobia'...

This pyramid was designed by the daughter of the communist dictator Enver Hoxha. It was built to serve as a museum about his legacy but ended up serving as a conference and party venue, then later as a NATO base during the Kosovo war. It began to be destroyed during and after the fall of the government in 1997 and now is an empty building and under consideration for demolition. However, it currently serves as a place of free expression and here are some shots of that.

The life of a Durres Princess..

Well, a week and a half later, the Peace Corps still hasn’t lifted the ‘stand-fast’ action for all Peace Corps Volunteers in country, basically prohibiting us from traveling from outside of our sites. Since I was out of my community, in Elbasan for the Outdoor Ambassadors Conference when this was issued I’ve had to find somewhere to stay, south of Tirane, until this is lifted.

I spent Valentines Day in Corovode hanging out and editing film for the documentary.  Ever since I have been in Durres with my dear friend Kim. Now let me tell you a little about Durres for those who are familiar with it. It’s the second largest city in Albania, located on the coast of the Adriatic City and very much the complete opposite of where I’m living now.

Since being in Durres I’ve experienced things that I haven’t been able to in my home in a long time: a western toilet, hot water, running water 24/7 and above freezing temperatures inside. Since Kim does have these luxuries, me and my sitemates have deemed her ‘the Durres Princess,’ and call her that pretty much every chance we get.

Then the question comes to my mind, am I becoming a Durres Princess myself? I’ve lived comfortably, on Kim’s couch for over a week now. I’ve enjoyed choosing which super market we were going to by groceries from, I’ve indulged in produce that has been imported from neighboring Italy (two of my favorites, eggplant and kiwi are both out of season). We can go to a coffee place and not be the only women or the center of attention because people in Durres are more used to foreigners. Since Durres is a large city, the ‘fame’ that I experience in my community every time I walk out of the door doesn’t exist, she can literally leave her house for the day and come back and not have seen a soul that she knows. Durres is also a more progressive community where as Bajram Curri is more traditional and conservative.

This, once again, brings me back to the oh so ever cliche but true phrase “everyone’s Peace Corps experience is different.” This sentence is probably one of the only things that has held true to me this entire time. Although she enjoys these modern day conveniences she doesn’t have that since of community that most expect when joining the Peace Corps. Although she has what some days I yearn for I realize that some days she wishes she had what I do with a small community.

I haven’t been given any solid information on when I’ll be able to go back home but for now I’m trying to enjoy the hot showers and food selections as much as possible; oh, also the company! Since when I am at home most of my day is spent alone, it’s kind of nice to have someone to hang out with all day. Word from Bajram Curri says the snow is melting, ever so slowly, and the temperature is just on the brink of not being below freezing. 

Sunset over the bay in Durres..

Donations during a time of need..

The University of Vitrina in Tirana donated supplies to the Tropoje region in their state of emergency due to the snow.

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day from Corovode!

Click here for: 12 Reasons to date a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer

Valentines Day in Skrapar..

Vegetarian fajitas..

Table is set..

Laurens cat she's taking home to America in a few months..

Winter news in Shqiperia..

In Albania, Can a U.S. Diploma Deliver?

Snow isolates northern Albanian towns

Child pulled from a flattened house from snow in Kosovo

Europe's cold snap, no sign of ending

Tirana, the dream of Albanian's

Bajram Curri, my home.

Outdoor Ambassadors Leadership Training..

Officially snowed out..

I left Bajram Curri for the Outdoor Amabassador Conference in Elbasan, that went great by the way. Just at 40 kids from all parts of Albania got to attend the training on leadership and environmental stewardship. The money for the conference was funded by a Peace Corps Partnership grant and all the kids who attended were able to attended, no charge to them. I gave two sessions over the weekend and the kids were really receptive and eager to learn.

Anyways, I got a phone call from Peace Corps Saturday evening telling me not to even try to get back to Bajram Curri for at least a week because all the roads are completely blocked.  The Prime Minister declared a stage of Natural Disaster in the North of Albania today. We have almost 15 feet of snow. 15 feet of snow. I've been reading all over the news what a horrible winter this is for Europe and now it has snuck it's way up to my back door.. literally creeping closer and closer everyday. I talked to my sitemates and they said it was probably a good thing that I'm not there right now. As of now my plan is just to hang out in the south of Albania, I'm in Corovode right now working on editing the G.A.D. documentary we started. Most of the south of Albania, besides a few regions, is just getting a lot of rain instead of snow.

I read an article that there was an avalanche in a small village of Kosovo, on the border of Kosovo and Albania, that trapped and killed 9 people. The scary thing is that this village is right by the road that we travel to get to Bajram Curri and has probably received almost the same amount of snow as we have. A small girl was saved from the snow pile but her entire family was lost in this tragedy.

I don't know when I'll be able to return back to my apartment, but I only packed for 3 days so looks like I'm going to be marinating a lot or stopping by a market to pick up some second hand clothes. That's honestly small problems compared to what I would be having if I was home.

Water reserves on deck..

So.. since my last post about snow, it hasn't stopped snowing. We now have over a meter of snow and Bajram Curri has turned into a life sized ant farm with paved out pathways to stores and bars with walls of over three feet of snow locking you into the paths. 

School has been cancelled until further notice, there is no public transportation in or out of the town and I haven't had water for almost 5 days. Which has led me to using my reserve of water that my landlady made me fill up this summer and has been sitting in my bathroom since then. So glad I didn't ask questions and just listened to her because it's the only thing washing my dishes and helping me cook. I have no idea when I'll get water next or if my pipes are frozen or not.. It's kind of hard to tell anything but I do know now that the 'it's summer and that's why we don't have a lot of water' answer is now proven false. We haven't been losing power as much as I would expect with this much so, but I don't want to speak too soon.

We went on a walk yesterday and it was beautiful, I wanted to enjoy the snow before it got mushy. It's going to be around for a while because the forecast reads nothing but negative degrees celsius. The town does have a somewhat eery feeling though because it's so quite and a lot of people are just staying inside all day.

I've heard from a lot of people that this is the most snow that they've had in years. People are scraping off the snow from tops of buildings so they don't cave in, cars are completely covered in snow and look like hills.. this is the most snow I've ever seen in my life and I don't hate it. 

I know the first thing people worry about in the states with winter weather is getting food and losing power.. since I walk to get my food and lose power a lot anyways, it makes it way different. It's hard to run out of bread when there's 5 places in town that make their own bread or chickens that lay the eggs in the villages around us.

The most snow in Tropoja since 1984..

Outside my apartment building..

Our walk around town in the snow..

Albanian birthday tradition..

In America, it's always so exciting to go out with your friends and family because you know that your dinner and drinks with be taken care of, why? Because it's your birthday. Well, in Albania, the tradition is 100% ass-backwards. The person who's birthday it is is responsible for taking everyone out for drinks and coffee. Today was my counterparts birthday. After the staff meeting, we all trekked through the 1.5 feet of snow to go to the nicest lokal in Bajram Curri for drinks.

The women all ordered tea or coffee while the men ordered round after round of coffee/raki, red bull/vodka, coffee/Jack Daniels, etc. Now, typically at the end of coffees there is a huge fight about who is going to pay. It is not Albanian tradition for everyone to pay for their own, the idea is that someone pays this time and someone else will get it the next time, kind of like bar hopping where one person buys the rounds at one bar and the next person gets the next round, and so on..

Not this coffee. I counted, there were 27 people at 5 tables pushed together and guess who gets the tab? That's right, the birthday boy. I mean, I guess you could compare it to having a party and the person who has the party generally forks out the money, but this is the equivalent to going for drinks with 25 coworkers and being left with the bill because it's your birthday. I saw him later on through the day, it's a small town, having coffees with relatives and friends, all of which he was expected to pay for, and did.  I made him a birthday card, one in English, one in Shqip, which everyone just got such a kick out of because 'why was I giving him something on his birthday.' There's a lot of things I accept or traditions I go along with, even if I don't understand them, but this one is by far the craziest to me.

It also makes me kinda glad my birthday is in August, 'pushim month' which is typically the vacation month and no one is around.

52 centimeters of snow and counting..

Which is a little over a 1.5 feet, for those still on the metric system. Who am I kidding, I used my phone's converter to figure out how much it was today after the engineer measured. Its snowing all over Albania this week and I don't think we got the most out of everyone but we got enough. I've never been in this snow before in my life.. almost two feet? Okay, maybe when I was 8 during that huge ice and snow storm we had that one time. I mean, it's so different when you don't have a car, can walk to work, don't have centralized heating, hot water, are used to the power going out.. I mean the idea of a 'snow day' doesn't really exist. Everyone runs late anyways, the people in the villages get to run a little more late than everyone today, I guess that's a plus. School only went half a day today and is called off tomorrow because a lot of the kids come from villages by furgon and the roads are the best.

So for all of you stateside, enjoying that nice 18 degree weather, wishing that you had more of a winter.. just remember me, sitting in my apartment with my wood stove on, my water pipes frozen, three layers, handwarmers and 4 blankets on. Yeah, thats 65 degrees fahrenheit.