brenna journeys.

Sunday

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.

Monday

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.