It’s been a busy summer, especially considering that I’ve been on vacation since mid-June. The first part of my vacation was dominated by World Cup viewing parties in various locations, including Corovode in southern Albania with my friend Daryoush; a particularly lively bar at the very end of Durres; and various locations with various people here in site. So far this summer I’ve had four visitors, 3 of which were long-term. I’ve loved having the company and watching the games, but it will be nice to have a little break before a busy August.
One of my best friends visited me in Albania for two weeks in July, and for that I’m grateful. Luckily, she’s used to the way things run in this part of the world since her father is from Romania. I hadn’t thought about how difficult it is for foreigners here – especially from cultural and day-to-day perspectives. I guess I’ve assimilated or flat out gotten used to so many things in this year that I don’t even notice it, so it was interesting to see Albania through someone else’s eyes. Who would have thought that a 90 degree bedroom wouldn’t bother me, but actually serve as a place for me to work out? Or that I’d drink 3+ liters of water a day in a constantly losing battle to stay hydrated? Or that I’d be fine with walking or suffering through public transportation in the over 100 degree summer months to get where I was going? Oh god, I’m going to have adjustment issues.
In August, my group will have MSC (mid-service conference). I’m heading up the planning committee which has kept me busy for the last couple weeks. Basically everything that could have gone wrong did, or anything that was inconvenient was the case. Luckily I haven’t had to do it completely alone but this is the last conference I’m going to plan during my service. One is enough when there is a group of almost thirty other adult, human beings all of whom are capable (at least in theory) of doing it. I put a lot of effort into my work and I get frustrated when everyone is content to sit back… even if by constantly volunteering I’m really just enabling passivity. No more.
To think that I’ll be celebrating another birthday in Albania is crazy. It feels like only a couple months ago that Kate and I were celebrating our last ones. It’s weird knowing that at this time next year, I’ll be home (and terrifyingly almost 27 with zero savings to my name, but that’s a panic-laden entry for another day). A lot has gone on this year on so many levels, the least of which involved talk of rings. I’ve undergone so much personal and professional development and I’ve had the chance to really grow here and learn a bit more about myself. I think the problem in America is that we are always so busy with everything else that we forget to nourish ourselves on all kinds of levels. We put financial gain over personal and spiritual growth, which is something that I haven’t agreed with in a long time. This experience just cements that. I don’t know where the road leads from here as my time in Albania grows shorter, but I’m working on finding it out.
In the meantime, I try to remember all these little moments that make up my life here. I take a mental picture and store it away; thinking about how in future years, I’ll look back at a Snickers ice cream cone, a sing along evening, or the sparkle in someone’s eye when you share a moment… and feel that specific nostalgia one reserves for events that are concretely fixed in past.
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