Lists!

Those of you who know me know I am a big fan of lists and make them regularly. And since I’ve been a slacker on my blog updates, I think some lists are in order! Living in a foreign country is exciting and interesting and fun, but it is also stressful and frustrating at times. So here are some lists detailing all that.

The exciting things!
• I HAVE INTERNET IN MY APARTMENT! This has included some Skype dates, making it all worthwhile (cheesy but true).
• We had a GREAT 4th of July party at my house (pictures below). Amberlee who was down from Divjak, and Flori from my office who lived in Alabama for 6 years joined the three of us from Fier for some black bean burgers, potato salad, pasta salad, fruit salad (I carved a watermelon to look like a basket), and an ice cream cake (thanks, Kristen!), including a sparkler. While it wasn’t quite the same as a family outing, I’m making a PC family, too!



• I’ve made friends with the kids from my pallati (apartment building). They are very sweet, and it is super-nice to have smiley faces to come home to, especially because I’m not really used to living alone.
• My counterpart is now a grandfather! His granddaughter Klea lives in Massachusetts, and he is the proudest papa from across the ocean! He also celebrated his birthday, and I made some cinnamon rolls.

• I met up with Laura, Jeff, and Matthew (my site mates in Bishqem) in Tirana for ice cream. It was just so fabulous to see them, as they are some of my closest friends here. What made it the best was that it was as though we hadn’t been apart.
• Libby had a game night at her house which was a good time. The social-ness of Peace Corps continues to surprise me.
• I went back at the end of June to visit with my host family to celebrate Xhuli’s birthday. As it is probably known by now, I really do adore my host sister, Xhuli. Yet, my 18 year old host brother, Eri, is quite the guy and I haven’t given him enough attention in my writing. He just graduated from high school and continues to work his two jobs and be incredibly sweet to his mother and sister. He will be quite the catch!

• On that same trip to my host family, I stopped at Laura’s, Jeff’s, and Matthew’s families too. I came home with 20 eggs, giant squashes, 20 peaches, 30 potatoes, and enough spetz (green peppers) to last a few weeks. I appreciate their kindness and how I have been taken into their famiies.



The frustrating things:
• I had 3 weeks of camp, at 2 different locations. I’ve better camp experiences, but I’m trying to chalk one of the experiences up to the fact that going from 5 to 7 after a full day of work and a 30 minute walk there was a bit too much. Camp 2 is going more smoothly, and I’m learning to like 12 and 13 year olds a bit more. Peace Corps is my opportunity to challenge myself, so here we go! I am finding the way children behave here is differently than in the US, and what I see is a lack of consequences for certain behaviors. My lack of language skills doesn’t make things any better why trying to communicate that something isn’t right.
• Summer is a big break time. Some people at work will leave at 9am and not return till the afternoon. Why really come, I ask? I do believe that Americans do get too caught up in work, but I think there should be a different balance.
• It is hotter than no other here, and it is a humid hot, too. I sweat sitting down. My concrete apartment keeps the heat, so I sleep with frozen water bottles and the fan right on me. Unfortunately, the heat makes me get frustrated faster.

The random things:
• I had to call my coworker to my house to open a jar for me. I felt more than a little silly, but it also felt good to know I have people here I can call about things like that.
• My co-workers have learned how much I like chocolate. If everyone gets a piece of chocolate for something (a wedding announcement, etc.), I get a couple of extra pieces from my co-workers. While it is exceptionally sweet, I need to slow my chocolate intake. (Who would think I would admit something like that?!)
• I have a lizard in my bathroom, and I’m too afraid to get rid of it. When I don’t see it in there, I get freaked out and wonder to where it has moved.


I’ve been realizing too that it will be a LOOOOOOONG two years if I don’t let myself have more fun and focus on the positive parts of life here. Here’s hoping the next lists have even more GREAT things!

As always, miss you!