Being in one of the most isolated towns in Albania I don't get to see my Peace Corps friends as much as I would want to because that usually means at least 8 hours of travel plus 3 days out of site. I chat with most of my close friends online every week and we talk about our lives so I still feel close to them even though I probably only get to see them once or twice every few months. Now that everyone is leaving at different times (or just starting their second year of service) we're all making more of an effort to visit each other one last time before we part ways.
Last weekend after the wedding in Bilisht, which was beautiful and an amazing time, Garrett and I headed to Durres for a night then up to Shkoder to see our good friend get presented an honorary black belt and certificate for his involvement at a local judo center in his community. After the presentation we went out to eat pizza and enjoyed some village wine on the lake in his community. Peace Corps Volunteers supporting each other is a big part of service and I was lucky to not only have two amazing sitemates but close friends all over the country as well. Even though a lot of our experiences are night and day, big communities, small communities, lots of work, no work, we all are going through pretty much the same things in our communities when it comes to dealing with being an American in Albania.It's finally come down to it and I have three weeks left in my community. Although I'm excited it is overwhelming with all I have to do before I leave. Some how I've accumulated double of what I brought and only have one pack to fit it all in. Since I'm traveling for two weeks before I head home it then again limits the amount of space I have for things to pack. I'm pretty much leaving all of my hole ridden clothes behind and ditching what I leave when I travel before I get on the plane back to the states, filling up my pack with sentimental items and things I've acquired while traveling outside of Albania.
