This past weekend we had two visitors to Bajram Curri, Eric's brother and a PCV that has never been up here before. It's really easy to get frustrated here and especially at the end of service to just be waiting around to go home. After having two people who had never been here to see what we've done and the relationships we've built here it made me realize I'm about to leave it a little over a month. The weeks and weekends are filling up with things to do before I leave Albania and I'm beginning to feel like I don't have enough time.
Although Bajram Curri is one of the most conservative places still in Albania I've been able to make relationships with men my age and in the high school but I feel like a lot of that has to do with having male Peace Corps Volunteers here as well. When our friend was up here from the south she kept saying "Where are all the women?" or "Brenna, you've done really well making friends here" and it made me realize that as a single, foreign woman I had sort of breached the sex divide in friendships. We had a beer with two of our closest Albanian friends while the other PCV was here and discussed rumors in Albania about different places in Albania, spoke in Spanish, Italian, English, Albanian, Serbian, Japanese and German, when the power went out we started my Ipod up and sang and cheered in the dark.The next day we had basketball and I went and played like I usually do but there was another girl in the gym this Tuesday, our friend and fellow PCV. I came over to chug some water and she once again told me how impressed she was that the boys were treating me how they were, like I was one of their friends and not like foreigner that they're scared to break or talk to. It was so nice to hear an outsiders perspective on my life here because it is easy to take things here for granted, especially on the down slope of service.
