Friday was a huge day, probably one of the single most important days I will have over the next two years: site placement announcements. After attending several sessions at a conference for English teachers, the big moment finally came.
Let me preface this by saying that my only concern about placement was how far I’d be from my family. I’d say that in four weeks here, I’ve grown closer to my Albanian family than I ever did in eleven months with my previous host family. So although I tried to be at peace with whatever was in my envelope, I was worried how I would react if I would be far. In bed the night before, I tried to convince myself that everything would be fine even if I wasn’t close to them… that going through PST and moving out was just the natural progression of things, and that even if I would be far, I could always visit.
With these thoughts in mind, I opened up my placement envelope and nervously looked inside. A wave of relief swept over me when I figured out that I would be about an hour away. As I continued to read the details of my placement, I became more and more at ease. On paper, it looks great: very close to Durres, a large city; teaching at a technical high school focusing on business and tourism; close to another very cool volunteer; and a 5KM-long beach. I don’t want to get too excited, but I see a lot of potential and the ability to use my skill set to really serve my community and my students. The site has had two previous volunteers and I would like to continue with some projects that they have started. In a few weeks, I will meet my future counterparts, students and community stakeholders and see my future site. I can’t wait!
We had mid-training reviews in language and technical aspects, and they told me I might as well go home and pack my bags immediately. Kidding! They went great. I appreciate that our teachers and training managers are always giving and asking for feedback. The team has done so much work to help us learn the language, culture, and customs. Another part of the team looks for our housing and identifies placement sites, which oftentimes involves multiple visits to the sites and frequent contact with community leaders and counterparts. It’s a lot of logistics and organization and it is greatly appreciated.
On Tuesday, our teaching practicum begins. During the next two weeks, we will teach classes and observe many more in the mornings. In the afternoons, we will continue with language study and spend Fridays at the central training hub. It’s really going to start picking up around here, but I’ll try my best to update with all the news.
Today we had a cultural day where we made American food and our families brought Albanian food. The food turned into a giant dance party later. My teacher liked the pierogies I painstakingly made and gave me the “may your hands be blessed,” compliment. I’ve cooked a few things for my host family and so far they have been well-received. It’s no small feat given that I have to incredibly alter my recipes through conversion and lack of ingredients. Creativity is key! Tomorrow I’m going to a wedding with my host parents, so I’ll be getting a bite from the dancing bug again tomorrow.
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