A month and a half in and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Albania has been good to me and I’ve been welcomed with open arms by everyone I’ve come into contact with. We’ve been working in the preschools and it has been such a fulfilling time for me. I wake up for their little giggles and tiny fingers pulling on my dress. Loving on them and giving them quality time is the highlight of my day and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Something about children and their trusting innocent spirits inspire me to be better, and they help me get through the hard days when I’m missing my home. The people here are very intrigued with the fact that we are Americans, and they don’t try to hide it. Back in the states seeing foreigners isn’t uncommon and you don’t have a second thought when you see someone with different colored skin than you. But here we get double, triple, quadruple takes and cars honking (or stopping in the middle of the road) to look at the white people, which is always fun for us ;-). Learning Albanian is high on my list of priorities and some of the high school and college students we’ve been working next to have been helping me with the basics so I can actually hold a conversation and meet new people. They hang out at our apartment a lot of the time and we’ve just been doing life together. They’ve been so helpful with our transition into their culture and how things work in Durres. Side note: Durres is off the coast so the beach is only like, 30 minutes from our place. (!!!) Also luckily for me, Albanians love their coffee and we’re getting it 2..3..4..5 times a day so I have caffeine pumping through my veins at this point. Here are some photos xo
