26 letters vs. 36 letters

Unlike the English alphabet with 26 letters, the Albanain alphabet has 26 36 letters!

The Albanian alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet.

Here's some links to some Albanian proverbs I found on the web..

Click here   here   and/or here.

Here's some useful phrases in Albanian..

English	Shqip (Albanian)
Welcome	Mirë se vjen
Hello	C'kemi, Tungjatjeta
How are you? I'm fine	Si jeni?
	Mirë
Long time no see	Ka një kohë të gjatë ku s'jemi parë
What's your name? My name is ...	Si te quajnë? (inf) Si ju quajnë? (frm)
	Mua më quajnë ...
Where are you from? I'm from ...	Nga jeni? (frm) Nga je? (inf)
	Unë jam nga ...
Pleased to meet you	Gezohem qe te takova
Good morning	Mirëmëngjes
Good afternoon	Mirëdita
Good evening	Mirëmbrëma
Good night	Natën e mirë
Goodbye	Pacim, Mirupafshim, Shihemi më vonë (see you later)
Good luck	Paç fat!
Cheers/Good health!	Gëzuar! Gezuaror! Shëndeti tuaj!
Have a nice day	Ditën e mirë!
Bon appetit	T'boftë mire!
Bon voyage	Rrugë të mbarë (Tosk) Udhë të mbarë (Gheg)
I don't understand	Nuk kuptoj
Please speak more slowly	Mund të flasësh pak më ngadalë, ju lutem? (frm) Mund të flasësh pak më ngadalë, të lutem? (inf)
Please say that again	Ju lutem, më thuaj edhe një herë
Please write it down	Mund ta shkruash ju lutem? (frm) Mund ta shkruash të lutem? (inf)
Do you speak Albanian? Yes, a little	A flisni Shqip?
	Po, pak
Excuse me/Sorry	Më fal!
How much is this?	Sa kushton ajo?
Thank you Response	Faleminderit / Falemenderit shumë
	Ju lutem
Where's the toilet?	Ku është banjoja?
Will you dance with me?	A doni të vallzoni?
I love you	Të dua
Get well soon	Shërim të shpejtë!
Leave me alone!	Lëmë rehat!
Help! Fire! Stop!	Ndihmë! Zjarr! Ndalo!
Call the police!	Thirrni policinë!

Click here for the source.


Now since the only language I have studied in school has been Spanish some of the letters in the language I have never seen before but I found out so far that a lot of the structure as far as female/male possessive verbs are the same.


For training we are told to bring notecards because they cannot be found in Albania and are very helpful during the language training... just like studying in school.

Mountain of clothes..

Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams,

Telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.

-Led Zepplin

Mother Teresa Airport in 7 days

Packing for 2 years I have found is just as easy as it sounds.. which isn't easy at all. I'm trying to downsize what I have in general so it makes it easier to pack what I truly need and not what I want to bring because I might, maybe need it at some point within the course of two years. It's kind of hard to plan so far in advance but right now my motto for packing is less is more.. well at least that's what I'm telling myself. I just received what I think is my last paper work from the Peace Corps (click here to look at journals from PCV's already in Albania).. a welcoming brochure on some details that should help us during our transition to living in Albania. We've been told that we won't be able to contact anyone back home for probably the first few days maybe even the first week (so I'm trying to give as much information as possible now) be cause of our busy schedule that is planned and trying to get accustomed to our jet lag and our new home for the next two years. They told us that it is not uncommon for our luggage to be lost or delayed 2-3 days after we arrive in Albania. Once we fly into Tirana into the Mother Teresa Airport (that's right, for all you that didn't know, Mother Teresa is an Albanian native) there will be a 2 and a half hour ride to Elbasan which is considered the hub for our community based training for the first three months. The first three days will be spent at the Hotel 'Univers'. Orientation will consist of policies and procedures, medical issues, language classes (click here to listen to some common phrases in Albanian), technical training introduction and host family/cultural orientation. We will receive cellphones at orientation but there is limited time for us during orientation to use them or find an internet cafe. Saturday afternoon we will travel to our host families in one of the 6 satellite training communities. We will be giving up many comforts that we have in the U.S. and we will be adapting to the host families as much as they are adapting to having a foreigner in their home. "You'll be greeted based on how you look. You'll be seen off based on what you talk," is a famous Albanian saying that was printed on the top of our literature. We will be starting our two years off by living with a host family for the first three months during our training in Elbasan and then depending on where we are placed for the next 2 years depends on our living situations from then on. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a little bit nervous. I'm about to embark on a journey that will undoubtabley change my life. Being just a little bit nervous I guess is a little normal. Today I went to eat with my mom and we spent about 3 hours in Borders after wards. I bought a book to teach me how to do more origami pieces since I have been strongly advised to bring things that I can do to pass my free time. When I went to Japan, for part of the class I was in that went along with the Study Abroad program, each student had to make 100+ paper cranes to donate 1000 paper cranes for peace to the Hiroshima Memorial site when we visited where the A-bomb was dropped. I realized then I didn't hate making paper objects and I think it's time for a shout out to my 6th grade teacher Mrs. Guthrie for first teaching me how to make a paper frog. But.. consider this a disclaimer for maybe not hearing from me for a week or so once I get to Albania. Also, when I leave on March 14th to go to DC I will be in the states for another night, however I will not have my cell phone because I will be cutting it off before I leave. Once again, don't say I didn't tell you. Now that I've procrastinated even more on packing by informing everyone about my most recent updates.. I shall call it a night at start again tomorrow.

The Perfect Night

Almost every single person that I love and that has made an impact on my life in a positive way was in one place at one time. How could it not be a good night. I can't believe all the love and support I received at my "Shrimp and Suds" going away party at my Aunt Shell's house.

My friends from high school, my friends and teammates from college, a high school teacher, my great aunt Peggy, my friends parents, my mom & step mom, my aunts friends and relatives, my mom's best friends.. we're all there to show their love and support for my decision to leave for the Peace Corps for 27 months. A lot of tears were shed and a lot of laughs were shared but I could not have asked for a better going away party with my friends and family. All the people I love will probably never be in the same place at the same time ever again in my life and I was so blessed to have such a great send-off party.

My best friend Lanner made a donation in my name to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to adopt a Pygmy Elephant. It was one of the most thoughtful and perfect gifts I have ever received. We decided to name the elephant Branner (Brenna + Lanner).



My best friend Lanner said oh she's just being Brennnna.



"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain
This quote was in a card that one of my closest friends Megan gave me.



"Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do!"
- H. Jackson Brown Jr.
This quote was on the front of a card that Heenan gave me with a journal that she had special ordered with her favorite quote on the front of it.


"I'm not good at good-byes, so let's just pretend we're playing hide and seek"
was on the front of a card given to me by Margaret who will be married next time I see her, crazy.


"Congratulations, today is your day, you're off to great places, you're off and away"
was the Dr. Suess quote read aloud on my "Oh the Places You'll Go" card I received from my favorite high school teacher Mrs. Southers and my great Aunt Peggy.

Raleigh "in the frame"..

I just got back from visiting my friends in Raleigh & Charlotte for the week and it was so good spending some quality time with my friends who have become family. All the support and love I have towards following my dream to being in the Peace Corps and living in another country is amazing. I really don't think I would feel so good about leaving if I didn't have all this support and love from my friends and family.

Catching up with friends this week made me realize that no matter where we end up in life there are always those certain people you can pick up with no matter how much time has passed.


In two weeks my life will change forever. I can't wait to see what the future brings.

Let the countdown begin

For many today is a day they share with the special Valentine.. for me it's the day I received my flight information and staging papers for the Peace Corps. I depart for Washington, DC exactly one month from today then leave for Albania March 15th. We fly DC to Munich, Munich to Tirana. I have a lot of mixed feelings about leaving, probably because I feel like I still have so much to do. Staging it looks like will be a brief overview of exactly what the Peace Corps is and what is expected of the PCV's. Tomorrow, I'm taking my final road-trip to Raleigh to visit with all my friends that still live there! I'm going to be able to catch the Peace/Meredith game, the Senior Game and two of my friends birthdays, I think it will be a great last trip before I leave..

(Dad, Coach Johnson, Me, Momma on Senior Day)

I can't believe my Senior Day was a year ago, time has flown by.. It seems like just yesterday I was playing my last basketball game.. I just booked my flight with SATO travel from Raleigh, NC to Washington DC for March 14th.. My flight leaves out at 8:20am and I arrive in DC at 9:30.. Staging starts at 12:00.. hopefully I have all of the paper work and things I need to be prepared for staging. Everything finally feels real and not like it's never going to happen. Finally having my flights scheduled and a determined date on when I'm leaving is finally making it sink in that I only have 4 more weeks left in the states. Looks like its about time to say goodbye to sweet Ol' North Carolina and hello to Eastern Europe..

Well, a little to the left..

The clock is running out on my time in America so I'm trying to see everyone and anyone I can before I leave for Eastern Europe for two years. Not being exactly sure on what type of communication I will have with people back in the states makes me realize the importance of seeing everyone before I leave. It really sinks in that I'm going to be gone when people are talking about planning beach trips this summer or what they're going to do on their birthdays in a few months. I haven't even began to pack yet, although I have been on a few shopping trips to try and knock out one of 100's of to-do-lists. I'm just going to get what I think is essential and hopefully will be able to get most of my necessities over there.

I'm being aloud 2 checked suitcases that equal 80 lbs. With a sleeping bag, winter boots, a winter coat, the kitchen sink, my two cats, and all of my friends and family, I can imagine this being like a jig-saw puzzle trying to fit everything in. I haven't gotten my official staging papers yet, but an email confirmed we're still on for March 14th as of right now. We just got paperwork asking us questions about our host-families while we're in staging and if we opposed to any "types of family." "Young active family" "single woman home" "elderly couple" "smoking family" were some of the types, I didn't check any expect "no english in the home" but I'm sure I could adapt if need be. When I stayed with my Japan host family, there was very little English on their part and almost zero Japanese on my part and we communicated better than I do with some people that speak English. The closer the date comes the more and more real it becomes.. My going away party that my aunt is so generously throwing me should be a good closure point for me to say my final goodbyes.