Experience Albania: Travel, Pictures, History, Culture

We were talking about pizza at the dinner table last night, which lead to the eldest daughter putting together a sausage pizza at 7 AM this morning. It was wonderful - I ate it, along with a hard boiled egg (veze) and an orange (portokall) on my 5 minute walk to school (skholle … [...]

This is my new name here in Albania! They have the name “Katie” but it is pronounced more like “Kay-ti” and with a wonderfully elevated intonation at the end. I love it!
As I love everything that has happened since Sunday afternoon - my new town, my host family, and everything that has come [...]

No, thank you. I want water.
And my Albanian continues to progress!
One of my groupmates brought a wireless router and set it up in the Peace Corps office. Picture 15 volunteers crowded around it with their laptops!
It’s quite nice here - in the 60’s, not too much rain today.
We had bread, vegetable soup, and [...]

Greetings from Elbesan, Albania - all is going so well and I am so happy to be here!  The journey over here went great.  Austrian Airlines treated us well and got us to Tirane in one piece.  We have been welcomed and treated to a T by every single person - from those at the [...]

I’m dressed, I’m packed, I’m ready to go -
I leave Philadelphia today with more confidence and people/new friends to start this adventure.
And while every emotion that comes along with starting a two year journey rumbles and goes on inside of me, I’m so lucky that people (you reading this!) are giving me support, and showing [...]

Here I am, in the heart of Philadelphia, just a block away from the U Penn campus (very pretty and old). It is a very neat city and my group and I have had plenty of time to get out and explore it in the past two days.
…which have been fast-paced and very busy!
Monday [...]

Travel is such a great word. And it’s nice to know we all travel every single day, in various forms and for various reasons.
Here are some deviations from the word “travel” (I have put a * by my favorite ones) and a handful of photos to illustrate its asthetic appeal.
(Interlaken, Switzerland)

adventure, carry, cover, cover [...]

Here I am at another Dunn Bros Coffee shop - I wanted to do some reading and writing, but first I must share some wisdom. It comes from seven paintings that hang in front of me this very minute.
All look to be from the same artist. Very colorful and bright, each has a [...]

A little insight into what fills my days …
I’m making progress and sifting through an inevitable pile of stuff which has taken shape in my room. There’s a fine line I’m trying to find.

Not too little, as I don’t want to regret not bringing something …

But not too much, as I would like to [...]

I’ve eaten so many amazing meals cooked by Brian - I don’t quite understand that this one was my last for quite a while!
But what a way to go … stir-fried vegetables and shrimp in a Thai peanut sauce, plus cream cheese puffs and egg rolls. I encourage anyone to encourage Brian to make [...]