It finally came full circle and I spent an entire (fiscal) year of my life in Albania. I had my 23rd birthday in Albania last summer and last week celebrated my 24th birthday. Last year about 15 other PCV's came up to celebrate mine and another PCV's birthday but this year I laid low and celebrated with the boys and Sara and Kim came up from Durres to celebrate with us. Garrett and Eric made us delicious nachos from a package from Garrett's parents that included nacho cheese and a 3 pound box of tortilla chips (we inhaled them).In a lot of ways I feel like I've learned more this year of my life than any of the years before. Okay, except when I was learning to walk and talk and stuff. But during this year of my life I have been exposed to, I know this is going to sound corny, but the world. We Googled "how many Americans travel outside of America" and we found that only 34% of North Carolinan's actually have their passports issued to them. California has the highest percentage and Mississippi has the lowest at 19%. Only about 1/3 of people in my state even own a passport. Here, people are amazed by the American passport, claiming you can go anywhere and do anything that you want to. During communism Albanian's couldn't leave their town, let along the country and an American passport could be sold for over 3000 Euros during that time.
I actually now have a grasp on the geography of the world, because I've had the opportunity to go there, where countries are in relation to me now (Egypt and Syria are not that far), that Singapore is something called a City-State. Most European's I meet can speak at least three languages: their native language, English (of course) and at least one or two bordering countries languages. The feeling that I'm less than never seems to go away when I meet people who are tri-lingual. In America if you speak two languages I feel like you're considered accomplished but three here is the bare minimal. World geography, foreign languages, foreign history.. all are things that I didn't get from my 15+ years of formal education, but in one year I feel like I have a better grasp on it than I have in my entire life. I've met people from all walks of the world, sat at a table for Christmas Eve dinner with people from 5 different countries (all communicating in English, which was their 2nd or 3rd language), found commonalities between myself and a shepherd who had lived in the Albanian Alps his entire life..
I guess what I'm trying to say is how blessed I feel to have this experience. Being a Peace Corps Volunteer has not only allowed me to submerge myself fully in a culture other than my own but learn and experience so others as well. It's also made me realize how fortunate I am to be an American citizen. I was born an American citizen but after this year of my life I now feel more like a citizen of the world.
Tonight I learned from two Germans the word for cheers "prost" and that if you don't make eye contact with everyone that is cheering that you will have a bad sex life for 14 years. This can be counter acted however by attending a wedding and breaking a lot of your old dishes. Also, there is one very small part of Germany that you go door to door for Christmas, compliment people on their Christmas trees and then you are offered vodka from the host. Then you compliment their lights and are offered vodka. You get the idea.
