Experience Albania: Travel, Pictures, History, Culture

 
(Above, me with Arta and Ana, dressed up and ready for a day of socializing.)
I have had so many wonderful opportunities and outings with my host family.  How lucky I am that all seven of them in the household are good, sincere, caring people. 
And to expand on that high note, they include me in on [...]

My group and I finally pulled off our long awaited community project on Saturday. We started off with many ideas, but finalized the idea for having a bake sale in order to raise money for the high school in Belsh. It’s a building in great need of repairs and changes.
We wanted to introduce [...]

The last three weeks of teaching were certainly useful and interesting. A variety of students with a variety of skills = more experience to put in my bag of teaching tricks! Glad to have done, though, and to move on to the next steps of training.

Margaret at the chalk board.

Brian and Evan preparing [...]

Hi Laur! Or may I say Dr. Menne?
I’m so excited for you to begin your rotations. Best of luck as you start this new chapter.
I took this photo just for you - this is the pharmacist in Belsh. My mom knows her really well from working at the hospital. Ana and [...]

It is getting both greener and hotter every day - check out the forecast for Tirane and you’ll see what I mean. It’s averaging 80-85 degrees, with a hot, hot sun. It’s only May 20th and I definitely have a tan going. Ring marks on my fingers, a lot of freckles, and [...]

I spent my 23rd birthday in Albania’s capital city, Tirane. I had heard so much about it that it was great to finally go and see it/experience it for myself.
The road from Elbasan to Tirane (takes about an hour and a half) is gorgeous. The hills and mountains, pine trees and lakes are [...]

I had a great birthday last weekend. It began with this beautiful bunch of fresh calla lillies (spelling?) from my mom’s garden…they arrived in my little host nephew’s hands, outside my bedroom door at about 6:45 AM. My host family was so sweet to me, with their gifts (necklaces and skirt) and cute birthday [...]

It all started in Salzburg, Austria … my good friend, Zachary Neil Evan Johnson needed a haircut. I worked with a dull fabric scissor in the community kitchen of our dorm.
But it turned out pretty well (feel free to comment, Zach) and my second job continues on!
Because ever since that guinea pig session, I [...]

Junior Men’s Club

Originally uploaded by nicollet.

Home sweet home … so great to know what moments like this are still happening! Way to hold down the fort, Ben, G, and Mike! I miss you all of course

I brought my camera out with me the other night and here’s what happened …

Me with a bunch of women and children in the neighborhood, right outside my family’s gate.

Such a cutie … little Angelos. One and a half years old - the children are so independent at such an early age here. [...]