After the busyness of traveling to Tirana and my future site, taking final language exams, and preparing to leave my host family, the last week with my family flew by!! I couldn’t even mention leaving to my host sister Eliza or else she would start to cry. Somehow I ended up volunteering myself to be 1 of 2 people to give a speech in Albanian at our swearing-in ceremony where we officially became volunteers. I haven’t given many speeches in my life…let alone in a language I’ve only been speaking for 3 months. But it ended up being really fun…and hopefully I got some of the humor across to the audience (which included host family members, Peace Corps staff, mayors of various towns, and the U.S. Ambassador). They did laugh at the places that were supposed to be funny…so I guess that’s good! The other guy who spoke actually went to William and Mary as well. Way to represent Tribe Pride!! At some point it will probably be on YouTube (I’ll post the link when it is)…but until then, if you want a copy (in English, of course!) let me know and I’ll send it to you! We also ended up being in the national news that night! …as we were walking back into our favorite bar in Gostime all dressed up in our finest, right as we were walking in the news spot about Peace Corps came on TV. …impeccable timing!
Otherwise, the last week I spent hanging out with the sitemates drinking beers at our favorite spots in Gostime, and spending time with my host family. If any of you come visit I will have to take you to my favorite restaurant in Gostime…the couple that owned it always made grilled vegetables especially for us and it was FABulous! There’s also another favorite guy of ours that we called the “peanut guy.” When we got beers there, he would bring free peanuts on the first round, free cheese on the 2nd round, and various things for the 3rd round including cherries, walnuts, and hard-boiled eggs that were usually an odd greenish color. Just a slight insight into the Albanian hospitality that we’ve received since we’ve been in the country. They LOVE Americans! …which can’t be said very often in other countries in the world.
The 2nd to last night in the village the site mates and I did a “pub crawl” of our favorite lokals in the village. We ended up at Seth’s host family for a little while, and per usual, his parents cooked all of us dinner and we had a dance party to follow! (his family was a trip…3 brothers + Seth to make 4….his host mom would always be jealous to find that I had a sister in America and just girls in the fam. I told her I would take Albi, the youngest brother back to America with me. And I just might…he’s an adorable 12 year old and the best dancer of the bunch!…and considering how much they all love to dance in his family, that’s a feat! …or a feet!) I do have to admit that I certainly won’t miss walking back home around 10 at night in the pitch-black street with scary dogs and large ditches on both sides of the street. However….I will miss Seth to walk me home at night….though he probably won’t miss walking me home!
The very last night I spent with my host family. The day was actually very reminiscent of my first day with my family as they sat in my room and watched me pack up all of my stuff (the very first day they sat and watched as I unpacked all of it). It ended much as I will remember most nights with my host sister Eliza. We ended up taking about an hour walk around the village talking arm-in-arm and upon returning to the house we played cards for about another 2 hours while eating a ridiculous amount of cookies. She is an amazing girl and I will definitely miss her smile and laugh and her amazing ability for charades when I had no idea what she was talking about! I’m excited to return to visit frequently and am still SO blessed that I had such an amazing family!
…on to new adventures in Burrell where I can finally call a place home for the next 2 years!!
Otherwise, the last week I spent hanging out with the sitemates drinking beers at our favorite spots in Gostime, and spending time with my host family. If any of you come visit I will have to take you to my favorite restaurant in Gostime…the couple that owned it always made grilled vegetables especially for us and it was FABulous! There’s also another favorite guy of ours that we called the “peanut guy.” When we got beers there, he would bring free peanuts on the first round, free cheese on the 2nd round, and various things for the 3rd round including cherries, walnuts, and hard-boiled eggs that were usually an odd greenish color. Just a slight insight into the Albanian hospitality that we’ve received since we’ve been in the country. They LOVE Americans! …which can’t be said very often in other countries in the world.
The 2nd to last night in the village the site mates and I did a “pub crawl” of our favorite lokals in the village. We ended up at Seth’s host family for a little while, and per usual, his parents cooked all of us dinner and we had a dance party to follow! (his family was a trip…3 brothers + Seth to make 4….his host mom would always be jealous to find that I had a sister in America and just girls in the fam. I told her I would take Albi, the youngest brother back to America with me. And I just might…he’s an adorable 12 year old and the best dancer of the bunch!…and considering how much they all love to dance in his family, that’s a feat! …or a feet!) I do have to admit that I certainly won’t miss walking back home around 10 at night in the pitch-black street with scary dogs and large ditches on both sides of the street. However….I will miss Seth to walk me home at night….though he probably won’t miss walking me home!
The very last night I spent with my host family. The day was actually very reminiscent of my first day with my family as they sat in my room and watched me pack up all of my stuff (the very first day they sat and watched as I unpacked all of it). It ended much as I will remember most nights with my host sister Eliza. We ended up taking about an hour walk around the village talking arm-in-arm and upon returning to the house we played cards for about another 2 hours while eating a ridiculous amount of cookies. She is an amazing girl and I will definitely miss her smile and laugh and her amazing ability for charades when I had no idea what she was talking about! I’m excited to return to visit frequently and am still SO blessed that I had such an amazing family!
…on to new adventures in Burrell where I can finally call a place home for the next 2 years!!
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