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  • Camping and Përmet

    Ilir’s friend, Juli, has a car. The three of us hopped in the car and headed to Përmeti. We were joined by Ensuid, Ilir’s friend from Tirana. We got a late start to the trip and left after 2pm. I expected that we might leave earlier in the day, but…

  • Language lessons

    Traveling with a few Albanian men, I was able to ask about certain words, phrases, and traditions. I’m grateful for these friendships as they are deepening my understanding of the country and the culture. I enjoyed listening to the 3 guys talking in Albanian. I noticed at least in American…

  • Mësonjëtorja

    Korçë has the first Albanian school. The Mësonjëtorja (it means “classrooms”) opened in of 1887, and was the first place where the written Albanian alphabet was taught to students. The building is now a museum. Knowledge is power, and the occupying Ottomans and the Greeks did not want Shqip (the…

  • Tirana

    Tirana is very walkable and bike-able, and feels safe. I could live happily here. There are a lot of cafes and it seems like there are a lot of things to do here. I went on the free walking tour with a local guide, Eri. He told us about the…

  • Kallmet grapes and the city of bikes

    The town of Shkodër, “the city of bikes” is quite nice. Bikes rule the road and the cars must be very defensive drivers and yield to them. I rented a bike from my hostel and biked a route by Skhodër Lake. The bike seat wasn’t very comfortable, but otherwise it…

  • Theth → Valbonë

    The hike between Theth and Valbonë is a famous hike in the Albanian Alps. When visiting Shkodër, I decided that I should do the hike, too. I had the option to start in either Theth or Valbonë. I opted to start in Theth due to time constraints. (If you start…

  • The helpfulness of a guide

    Typically I try to find my own way around places. This time, I stopped into a tourism office. I am happy that I did. I originally went into the office to ask about the Ethnological Museum of Prizren. My sister’s friend who gave me a lot of recommendations for Kosova…

  • Kosova

    Kosova, ending in an -a, is the Albanian name for the country. Kosovo, ending in -o, is the Serbian name and the accepted English name. The ethnic majority of Kosova is Albanian, being over 90%, with the next largest ethnic group being Serbian. Later in my trip, I will head…

  • Prishtina first impressions

    People drive on the right side of the road. They walk mainly on the left side of the sidewalk, though it seems people will walk on wherever side they want. I have met people from nearby cities: all over Kosovo, as well as Turkey and Montenegro. Everyone is incredibly nice.…

  • Jet-lagged layover in London & airport transfers

    When I originally booked my flight to Europe, I hadn’t mapped out my route yet. I was just trying to find the cheapest way into the continent. After I decided that I was going to spend the majority of my time in the southern parts of Europe, I wish that…

  • Europe bound!

    I have every emotion about this trip.I am eager for the adventures: the new places, foods, languages, ideas.I am nostalgic for what I will miss at home: the people, the events, the fear of missing out.I am grateful for the flexibility, freedom, and courage to be able to go on…