Experience Albania: Travel, Pictures, History, Culture

My group and I just had our ‘Close of Service’ conference last week. Those of us left (34 out of the original 40) gathered together for five days in a town called Kruja for one last round of informational sessions about the technical parts (a lot of paper work, reports to write and medical clearances) of leaving Albania and finishing our Peace Corps assignments. It was our very last gathering as a group and was a chance for us to network with each other regarding post Peace Corps plans. One of my favorite parts was when a panel of previous volunteers who work at the US Embassy and other American NGOs in Tirane came to speak to us. They talked about how they handled and coped with leaving the Peace Corps world and getting back into things at ‘home’ in America.

March 20, 2006 was such a significant date, the day I left for orientation in Philadelphia. Then it was March 22, 2006, the day my group and I flew from NYC to Vienna to Tirane.

June 16, 2006 became the next date of importance as we swore in as official Peace Corps volunteers and moved to the towns and cities that would become our homes for the next two years.

Today, on January 24, 2008 I can say I have less than four months to live this ‘Albanian’ life. Living in Albania means so many things to me now, having lived here for 22 months. These months have been …
worthwhile, challenging, positive, trying, confusing and uplifting. These months have been my life and it’s pretty crazy to realize it’s almost over.

It’s another stage, a new experience. Unchartered waters, this ending of a life and starting anew back home. It’s part of the deal and this conference reiterated the fact that you must prepare to leave a place, a life and people that have meant so much to you.

I’m excited to return home!
I can’t wait to spend time daily with the people I’ve loved and missed throughout this entire experience.
I look forward to signing myself up with new, meaningful work. I want to play tennis and take a German class. I want to be at weddings and graduation . I want to bake cookies and eat sushi. I want to volunteer and go to concerts and reach out to people at home, in Minnesota.