Off the Radar

One of the things you’ll have to get used to, dear readers, are the periods of time when I disappear. It’s not intentional, it’s usually do to the fact that I am overwhelmed in some way. The past couple weeks have left me with little time to think; let alone to write.

Cliff’s Notes: three weeks ago, I went to a conference in Tirana with all the other volunteers to meet my future counterparts. Immediately afterwards, I spent three days in my future site doing some assessments and meeting people. Then it was back to Elbasan to finish up training, and everything was capped off by a huge ceremony featuring the US Ambassador to Albania. Two days later, I was packing my bags again and trying not to think too hard about the distance of my friends who were once so close or about how much I’d miss my host family.

And that brings us to now. I’ve been in my permanent site for a few days. It’s such a disorienting feeling, being in Albania for two months and knowing places and people, and then being taken out of your element and asked to do it all over again. This usually involves looking weird and/or doing weird things, and being confused about the most simplest of things most of the time. It’s actually kind of hilarious; if not a little depressing considering the fact that it makes me feel like a child all over again. I’m enjoying unpacking and thinking about staying in one place for (gasp) TWO years and the comfort it will afford me. Getting comfortable is not something I’m familiar with, especially since these last few years have been spent all over the place.

I’ve spent two days at work so far. Perhaps the only real adjustment that I’ll have to make is to the pace of life and the pace of work. Things just go a lot slowly here, and I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing either. As volunteers we have to realize that we can’t come in and immediately implement a zillion projects. Everything takes time. It also takes a lot of coffees to get the ball rolling and getting to know people. All too often the pace of life in America has seemed overwhelming, bewildering even, to me. All we ever want to talk about is business. You spend so much time at work and barely know anything about the person that sits next to you eight or more hours a day. Some aspects about the way we choose (or accept) to do things seem so dehumanizing. Although there are certainly issues with the hours and output of work here, it’s nice to know that it’s not always about being fixated on instant results. As Americans, the Albanian attitude of “avash, avash,” (“slowly, slowly”) might be a little hard to adjust to, but understanding and adjustment are going to be necessary if we want to work within the established system. I’m looking forward to all the ups and downs that will come over the next two years because they will present me with all kinds of learning opportunities.

Provided I can ever get better. I have had a head cold for two weeks. I got some heavy antibiotics and they are assaulting my stomach. Throw in severe coughing that keeps me up at night and it has been a rough couple weeks, healthwise.