Where did the time go...

Well, today was our last whole day in Albania. We fly out of here at 11:40 a.m tomorrow. Today we met to watch a parliament session. They had a heated debate over a mandate to remove two women from the parliament. We had just talked about gender issues with the deputy ambassador, so it was a nice tie in for today. After the gender issues, they discussed their budget. I got a little confused because they spoke in Albanian, so I can't really tell you for sure how it ended. After the session, we all had a nice meal at Taiwan, a place we have been eating a lot, mainly because the staff is super friendly. Then we went for crepes, souviner shopping, and finally a nap. We then had "the best pizza in the Balkans," according to Dr. Bego. I can definitely agree it was the best pizza we had eaten. Then, most of us walked to a place called the Sky Tower, where we took an elevator up to drink some coffee and enjoy the view of Tirana. Glenni and his friends accompanied us, so it was nice to be able to thank them for their hospitality. They were the ones that showed us the weekend scenes and took us out for dinner a lot. That's one thing I'll miss the most about Tirana. Their sense of community and family is so much more different than Hastings. As I was packing, I had time to think about what an adventure I had here. I don't think I'll fully understand what I experienced until I get home and adjust. The people, the food, the climate, and the landscape are the things that I will miss the most. I will also miss walking everywhere. It's a big city, but I honestly felt at ease here. I'm also going to miss the group. Luckily, everyone is mainly in a political science major, like myself, so I'm going to see them around a lot. I sure hope to stay in touch with the people that aren't though. This group definitely had some conflicts because we all have such different personalities, but no major drama happened. That says a lot because we were all tired, on the go, and someone was usually sick this whole time. We got a little snappy at times, but for the most part, this trip was full of laughs and smiles. I think it's so cool to have ten random people put on a plane and see how the dynamics of the group turns out. And, like I said, for the most part, it turned out amazing. I would recommend Albania to anyone who asked what I thought. It's safe, beautiful, and compared to the US and parts of Europe, fairly inexpensive. I have plans to come back for an internship. And who knows, maybe kids from Hastings will come here and visit me in the Embassy! It's been real Albania, but I'm ready to go home, see my dog (and family ha!) and make 2014 my year! If that involves an internship in Albania, well, challenge accepted!

Two more days left....

Today was an interesting day full of important people! We left around 9:30 and got some coffee. Then we arrived at the University of Tirana to attend a lecture. This was definitely a new experience. None of us speak Albanian except Dr. Bego, and the lecture was completely in Albanian, obviously. For the most part, we just sat there and tried to pick up the words we know: yes, please, no, thanks, and good. It was uncomfortable though because all of the students kept looking at us and laughing. I felt pretty paranoid, so I was glad to leave. We then met with the Deputy Ambassador of the American Embassy. Our conversation with him was so insightful as to what the embassy does in Albania. They do things from working with battered women to helping Albania grow economically, so it was a delight to here first hand what they are trying to improve. He even gave us a sheet that had links for jobs and internships in the Embassy which is something I am interested in. I can't even imagine what it would be like to internship in the Embassy. That would be such an honor. After our meeting, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed to the t.v. station. Makayla and Ethan were interviewed on national live television, and the rest of us got to sit front row and watch! They mainly talked about why we all like Albania, and what their experiences have been like here. During their interview, I had the pleasure of sitting next to this adorable elderly woman named Natasha who spoke excellent English. She was so interested in what we were doing in Albania. She told me to tell everyone to clap when the others did. It was mainly elders in the audience, but they looked like they were having a blast. I was sitting there talking to Natasha when all of a sudden I felt someone pulling my pony tail up. I looked back and one of Natasha's friends was tracing my dream catcher tattoo with her finger. They were curious as to what it was and what it meant, so I explained to them the importance of it to the Native American culture. They kept telling me, "Beautiful, it's so beautiful." They also kept touching it. I was surprised at their positive reaction to it, mainly because tattoos don't seem totally accepted in America, let alone in Albania. As we were leaving, they told all of us goodbye, and Natasha squeezed my hand and told me to come back anytime. She was such a nice lady! After the t.v. station episode, we walked back to the hotel and have had some free time. Miranda and I have just been reading and laughing at things like ex-boyfriends and silly things that have been happening on the trip. She's been a lot of fun, and I'm glad I got to know her better! For the most part, I think everyone is ready to go home, but yet we don't want to leave if that makes any sense. We all are tired and getting a little sick, but at the same time, the weeks have been flying by. I really think I'm going to be ready for an internship or semester abroad. This trip has showed me I'm ready to leave for longer period of time, so that's another good thing that came out of it!

Kosovo!

Yesterday morning, we left for Kosovo at 8:00 A.M. It was a three and a half hour drive to our next destination: Kosovo! We got another stamp in our passports, so we were all in good spirits. We stopped in Pristina and immediately got some coffee. The people on this trip are addicted to coffee, I swear. I still don't like coffee, but they all talk about how wonderful it is. How odd. Anyway, once we got to the coffee shop, we were all scrambling to get the wifi to work. We were getting a little annoyed because some people's wifi would work on their phones and others wouldn't. It's actually quite comical to think about how much we depend on the internet, and if we don't get our social media fix for the day, we get grumpy! After our coffee, we went to the museum of the war in Kosovo and Serbia. The pictures were gruesome, but it gave us a hindsight of what the people had to endure. Women were a constant target for abuse, and it really hit home that women as war victims are common in not just Kosovo, but all over the world. It really saddened a lot of us, especially the girls, to imagine what they had to go through and how they are healing. That being said, the museum was one of my favorites because it put everything in perspective. We were all young when this war was happening, but in reality, it wasn't that long ago. After another museum, we went and ate lunch, saw a mosque, and walked around the plaza. We then stopped for coffee, and I had some delicious chocolate cheesecake. We then headed for Prizerin, the city that had our hotel in it. The town reminded me of Barat, one of my favorite towns we have seen. The hotel, on the other hand, was a little bit too open for me. Miranda and I entered our room, and you can imagine our shock when we saw a see through shower, in the middle of the room, right in front of our show. We made lots of jokes because obviously that's the only thing you can do in that situation. It was a little awkward, but I just hung out in Makyala and Rachel's room while she showered. It turns out that two other rooms had the same problem. It was, as Dr. Bego puts it, quite the European experience we had. There was some more excitement that night as Makayla had an allergic reaction to some peanuts and was rushed to the hospital around ten o'clock at night, but she's okay now. Because of that, we took it a little easier today. We met at nine, went to another castle, mosque, museum, and then ate lunch and came back to Tirana, the place that we all now call home. It's so nice to have a consistent hotel waiting for us. We don't have to take our whole suitcase when we go to other countries because we can just leave our luggage here. This hotel even did our laundry for us. The staff here is so nice. The Sars'Otel is definitely my favorite! Tomorrow seems busy, as does Thursday, but then I'll be home! I'm excited to come home and get some good sleep, see my friends, and just hang out in Hastings, but I'm going to miss Albania and all the nice people we met!

A bunker with graffiti

Skanderbeg, the Albanian hero

The whole group in front of the European University of Tirana that we toured

The view of Prizterin from the castle

Ruins from the castle

The mosque we toured from the castle

Castle stuff

The ceiling of a mosque we toured

Our last weekend :(

The days have been flying by here. I can't believe that I only will be here for five more days, but mainly four, considering Friday we will be flying the whole day. This has honestly been one of the best experiences of my life, and I can't express how lucky and blessed I am! Friday we met with the minister of foreign affairs. He explained to us Albania's role in the international settings. He expressed the necessity for Albania to join the European Union. He said there is no other alternative at this point if they don't get candidacy. He expressed some off record opinions, and then we got the opportunity for a photo with him. He's high up in the government, so I thought it was cool that he would make time for some college kids from America. After our meeting with the minister, we had free time. I took the best nap known to man. We then had the opportunity to go to a restaurant that had a band of three generations of musically talented people. This older man played the violin; his music and passion was the most wonderful thing. I've never seen anything like it. The restaurant was quite interesting too, because it had animals outside in cages. They had bears, swans, llamas, and some other animals. I'm not sure how I felt about the bears being in a cage, but that's a different issue for a different day.  After dinner, we then went with some staff members to Rock Stock which a nice place that had a live band. They played ACDC, Kiss, and even some more modern music. They had four singers, but the first girl that sang was my favorite.
Saturday was a nice adventure as well. We took the gondola lift to the mountain. Makayla and I rode horses which was really more two guys leading us around. I think I surprised the guy leading my horse because I took the reins out of his hand. We then walk around and enjoyed the view. We had more free time once we got back, so a lot of just walked around the town. It's incredible how comfortable this city feels. It seems like home. We grabbed dinner on our own, and then we enjoyed a nice evening with Glenni. He's been so kind and generous to us while we have been here.
Today, we went to a city higher in the mountains. We went to another castle, saw two museums, and had a nice lunch. We are all pretty tired, and tomorrow we leave for Kosovo at 8:00, so it's important we get some rest. I'll post more pictures tomorrow!

A much needed relaxing day!

Today was a fabulous day. We slept in for the first time we have been here; we woke up around 9:30 A.M. and ate breakfast and did our daily discussion. Normally I would not consider 9:30 as sleeping in, but we are constantly on the go here. After we ate, we had the honor to meet former prime mister of Albania: Sali Berisha. We arrived at the building called "The Coin." The European Commission was meeting there, too, so we saw some security; this was the first time we had seen this because Albania is less strict than the United States. For example, we didn't even go through customs when we arrived. They say we were a big group and waved us through. This would never happen in the United States. We sat down with Dr. Berisha where he briefed us on terms in Albania. He told us that Albania joining NATO was the biggest victory. He also talked about how the poverty was unimaginable after Communism, but the people are strong. He also said he read books by former President Ronald Reagan on how to regain the economy. He did something unusual at the time by letting the industries fail, but that's what Regan said to do in his book. He said it was the hardest but wisest choice he made. Another interesting thing he said is that he had no clue on how to run the economy. He hired people straight out of the university because hey had the desire to learn and an open mindedness. The former prime minister was so welcoming and charismatic. He also had a way of talking. The pride he takes in his country is admirable, and it was awesome to be able to meet such an iconic person in the history of Albania. After we met him, we went out for lunch, followed by free time. I took a nap, and then we got ready for a nice dinner with Dr. Bego's family. We ate at an Italian restaurant, and now we are all back at the hotel, ready for an early morning. Tomorrow we meet with the diplomat of Foreign Affairs. I can't even express how fantastic it is to meet such important people. We leave at 9:00 A.M., so I'm ready for bed!

Cratia, rain, and a long journey home (To Albania of course)

Today started off with an omelette and chocolate in a cute diner in the old city of Dubrovnik, Croatia. The picture that I put on Facebook doesn't even give this city justice. On one hand it was rainy all day, and on the other hand, the city was so adorable that the rain couldn't put a damper on my mood! We broke up in small groups so that we could be free to explore the city. The city looks like it's inside a castle, and there are many museums and old churches within it. Needless to say, it was an exiting day. I paired up with Miranda, a physics major, and we set off in a good mood. Our good mood unfortunately interrupted a movie that was being filmed, and the director quickly told us to be quiet. Luckily, that couldn't ruin our mood either. We explored the city and somehow ended up on top of the city walls, which apparently you have to pay for. We didn't know that, however, so we wondered around for twenty minutes before a man asked us to get down. We then set off to explore the coast of the sea by the city. We found sea glass! We also explored this house area and almost went into a tunnel, but then we thought of the question we are supposed to ask before we do anything suspicious: what would Dr. Bego do? Dr. Bego would not want us to go into the tunnel obviously, and we thought of all the animals and homeless people that might be in there ready to eat us. We then went to a market, where I bought some lemons to eat on the long drive back to Albania. It took six hours, and I am so done with being on a bus for awhile. Tomorrow we get to sleep in! I'm excited for this long sleep. We meet with the former prime minster of Albania. How cool is that?! I obviously need to get my beauty sleep for that. Here are the pictures from the last few days!

The outside of Budva, Montenegro.

The streets of the old city Budva.

The view of the old part of Budva (Our hostel was in this part)

A random building in Montenegro

An old book in the National History Museum of Montenegro

a street view of Dubrovnik Croatia

The port of Dubrovnik

The crystal clear water of Dubrovnik

The secret area that Miranda and I explored (this picture includes the tunnel we wanted to go into)

Overall, it's beautiful! Obviously. I feel like every word out of my mouth includes beautiful, amazing, and pretty. Those words and these pictures don't even describe the places we have seen. I can't wait to come back!

Goodbye Montenegro, hello Croatia!

Last night was filled with some excitement, so it was a early morning today, once again. But it was worth it. We ate breakfast outside along the breathtaking coast. We has some free time today, so we walked around the town. I got Tia a key chain and a cute little notebook, so even over seas I'm being a good sister. We then drove a half hour to check out some museums. While we were there, it started raining, and it set the mood to dreary and dark as we drove to our next destination: Croatia! We are staying in another hostel, and the consensus is that this hostel is cleaner and more comfortable than the last. We also feel a lot more safe! Miranda, Eekie, (a girl we met from Taiwan who is our roommate in the hostel) and myself sat in the common are and met two younger men working all around Croatia. They taught us some Croatian and shared their popcorn while we listened to Croatian music! It's been a slower, peaceful night, but tomorrow is sure to be full of adventure. I'll post more pictures tomorrow, but I need to get some sleep and do the daily readings for tomorrow. The time is flying by here, and I only have ten days left over here. I'm sure to enjoy it!

Let's hope this hostel isn't like the movie.

The new tourist motto of Montenegro is "Experience the Wild

 Beauty." It's fitting, because the landscape of this country is absolutely breathtaking. From lakes and rivers to parks in the city of Podgorica, this land has not let me down. We started off the day early like usual, but for some reason, the early mornings here aren't as bad as they are back home. Maybe because I get to explore new towns and countries as opposed to sitting in lectures back home. Our readings for today gave us a solid background on Yugoslavia, so it's extremely relevant since we are heading to Croatia tomorrow. We did a lot of driving today, but I got a new stamp in my passport, so it was worth it. We stopped at a castle in Shkodra, Albania before we headed to Montenegro. We stopped for coffee, lunch, and a quick walk around Podgorica before we arrived at our hostel in Budva. It's divided into dorms. Ours has three bunk beds, a bathroom, and an adorable kitchen. As I write, my friends are currently playing rummy in the room. It feels like we are camping, but in a new country with wifi!

Me, Miranda, and Makayla on an old castle bridge in Podgorica

Castle Ruins of Shkudra

More ancient ruins

The view from the castle

A park in Podgorica, Montenegro

The beautiful sunset by a river in Podrogica

A church in Podgorica

 

 

Weekend Recap

This weekend flew by. We arrived back to Tirana around 2:00 on Saturday. We ate, rested, and then five of the girls went to a hair salon. We got our hair washed, blow dried, and then styled by Albanian men. It was the best way to relax. While we were there, this woman got her hair done, and then she had them do her makeup. She looked like a model by the time she walked out of there. We realized that getting your hair styled is about ten dollars, so if I lived there I would definitely be getting a makeover all the time. We then had a nice evening in the city. We woke up and explored the town for awhile. Some of us bought small gifts for friends and family. We ate lunch, rested, and then we walked up to a lake hidden on the side of town. It was a must needed break from all of the traffic. The lake was surrounded by trees and tons of paths, so we all walked and talked. I never realized how much I take for granted being able to see the stars or trees in Guide Rock, or even Hastings for that matter. The walk made my head feel clearer. I'm definitely ready for whatever this week brings for me. The plan is to stay in a hostel in Montenegro and Croatia for three to four nights. I cannot wait. I've heard nothing but good things for Croatia, and we are visiting the beach in both countries which thrills me. I honestly think I could become a beach bum for the rest of my life, as along as my dog comes with.
Speaking of dogs, there are so many stray dogs here. Dr. Bego says that many people don't have dogs as pets, and I know it's a large city, but still. If I could, I would go to a developing country and open a rescue center. However, it's not practical. Even if I could afford it myself, many people can't feed their families, let alone an animal. It just goes to show that even if people in the USA consider themselves of a lower class, being able to have a pet puts them in a higher position than many people in the world.
Another thing that has been on my mind lately is all of the homeless people here. I mentioned before how Ethan got attacked by a child begging for money. I felt so bad the other day in Berat when a woman was asking me for money, and I turned her down because I didn't have smaller change for her. I literally just purchased a gift for my mom and dad, and I feel like I should have given her that money instead. Even being able to afford to visit here for three weeks makes me feel slightly guilty. There are children everywhere starving and homeless, and I'm so oblivious to it unless I see it. It really puts things in perspective for me.
Seeing all of the inequality and disparity in places, even in the United States has made me realize I need to be serving the people more. I'm not sure what I can do right now besides get my college degree, but I know as soon as I have that diploma, I'll be doing my best to help those who didn't have the fortune that I did.

Okay it's picture time, while the internet here is still strong!

The Alps on our flight to Albania

The National History museum that we toured

The beautiful ceiling of a mosque

Ruins from the ancient city of Apoloni

The sea at sunset

A castle in Barat

The view from the castle

Berat

Traditional Albanian dishes

Berat at night

 

Berat, and Coffee, Cofee, and more Coffee.

Today began slightly early. We met ready to discuss our readings at 8:00 A.M. sharp. I am not a morning person, so this was quite a hard morning for me, especially after the long day yesterday. Berat is beautiful though, and our hotel overlooks the city, so it's worth it. Our readings today focused on international organizations like NATO and the European Union. We also discussed how a country can have free markets and not be a democracy, as China demonstrates in a case study. After our forty five minute talk, we were lucky to go to Dr. Bego's grandma's apartment for some homemade Albanian sweets. We had baklava, dried figs, and plenty of fresh fruit. Her grandmother and aunt welcomed us into their home and the hospitality was fantastic. I did find one thing strange, however. Her grandmother lives on one of the higher floors, so you must take the stairs to get there. Seeing as her grandmother is ninety years old, she can no longer take the stairs to get up or down. There are no ramps or elevators, and you would never see this situation in the United States. One of the things I chose to further investigate is how the Balkan Islands, mainly Albania, deals with minorities. Although elderly people may not be a minority, no signs of ramps or elevators is a sign that the city is not handicap accessible. The city here is rocky, and the streets are bumpy and uneven, so it must be really hard for anyone with any disability to get around. This helps me understand some of the problems this city faces with minorities, such as disabled people.
After our visit with Dr. Bego's grandmother, we went to her aunt's work place and met the mayor. Here we learned about welfare programs which helped address my minority question even further. For example, one thousand families receive around forty dollars from the government monthly. That is not enough money to buy groceries, pay bills, and take care of a family. Something else highly interesting is that off the one thousand families, twenty percent of them have a woman as head of the household due to divorce, widow status, or other reasons. This is a problem in the United States, but it shows how women don't have the same pay as men, nor do they have the same opportunity for better jobs. The mayor also talked about his budget for the city which is only four million dollars for a city of 75,000. Apparently, Hastings College runs on a budget of around the same amount, so this is quite shocking considering a city has a lot more expenses and people to consider for. The mayor's main focus is expanding the city for tourism. Considering the city is 2,000 years old, many people obviously want to see Berat, but accessibility issues make it hard.
After our brief discussion with the mayor, we were lucky to get to see a facility for people with disabilities which once again answered my curiosity about minorities. At the facility, they have three groups for children, teens, and adults. Each has different activities and curriciulum to suit the group. The people at the facility usually go home at one everyday, but interestingly enough, they also have live in apartments there. Something else I found interesting is the people that help at the facility are state paid. This strikes me as unusual because when I went to a similar facility in the Dominican Republic, it was volunteer based and owned by a couple. The children also lived there full time, since many of their parents couldn't afford to raise them.
We did three more activities after our visit to the facility. We went to a castle (photos below). While there, we went to a museum of a church in the castle, and after that, we went to a museum that was created like a pre-Communist house. That was one of my favorite museums we have seen so far, mainly because it was interactive.
It's weird the weekend is here. Tomorrow we might get our hair done like Albanian women. All of the women here usually look flawless and well kept. It'll be exciting to see what they can do to my hair which I hardly brush. We also are going to a dance club with Glenny, Dr. Bego's cousin. We are all way excited for this. As I write, Tia has just gotten out of school and probably about to go to basketball practice. Mom is probably about to watch The Ellen Show. Usually in an hour, she would call me to tell me Dr. Phil is about to start. My friends are all about out of class at Hastings, and my friends in Superior haven't even started yet. I'm not homesick by any means, but it sure is bittersweet to leave the country.
P.S, the internet is too slow to add pictures. I'll try again tomorrow.

Ancient Ruins and Beaches Galore

Today involved a lot of bus time. We started our journey at 8:00 A.M. We began by discussing how the Balkan Islands are a case study of regime change. From dictatorship to communism, the transition to a democracy has been a long process, much to the surprise of many scholars. After our brief conversation, we headed to Apoloni, an ancient city of Albany. Before we arrived, we stopped to see the Adriatic Sea. We picked up seashells as souvenirs and took a fabulous group picture. We also saw how polluted the sea is. There was trash strewed on the beach, and you could see it floating in the water. After our quick stop, we arrived at the ruins of Apoloni. We took a tour of the city; it was amazing to see the preservation of the items and buildings extracted from the site. We were lucky to have a second tour guide; her name was Lule which means flowers in Albanian. I called her Sal for short. She was an adorable dog that quickly showed us around her home. When we went inside the museum that held many important artifacts dug up, Lule would wait for us outside and whine. Being a dog lover, this obviously made my day. After our lovely tour, we headed to our next destination: another beach! We had lunch in a restaurant with a coastal view. Most of us chose a seafood entrée which was delicious. After our meal, we took a stroll along the beach. The view was incredible. We all took many photographs and just enjoyed the nice evening. The weather here has been absolutely perfect. During the afternoon, no jacket is needed, and at night, a light one works just fine. Our walk ended just as the sun was setting, and we got on the bus once again. By this point, we had been on the bus for a total of four hours, and we still had an hour to go. We did a couple bonding exercises in order to get to know each other. It was another way to pass time.  The roads here are a mixture of old from the Communist period, to new from the current government. Needless to say, most of us began to feel a little motion sickness. By the last half hour of the trip, we were ready to get to our hotel. We concluded our night with a light meal at a local pizza shop, and now we are all currently writing about our days or reading for tomorrow. It’s been a long day. I’ve had some bad luck lately. For example, I sat on my bed tonight, and it folded over on top of me. As I write, I’m currently on the bed, waiting for it to break and kill me. Tomorrow will be an early day, but Saturday we are sleeping in, so tomorrow night I will post the pictures. Hopefully the internet works, as it’s been inconsistent the whole time we have been here. A part of me is glad to be disconnected from the world. I think it makes the experience a lot more meaningful.

Jet lag and Tirana.

            Yesterday we arrived at our final destination: Tirana, Albania. After a nine hour flight to Munich, Germany, and losing much needed sleep, needless to say we were all exhausted. We arrived in Tirana at around 11:00 a.m. We then went to our hotel which is extremely comfortable, and then we went out to eat. After eating a delicious meal of pasta or pizza, we all passed out for a couple hours. We then met up with some of Dr. Bego’s family; they later took us to an Irish Pub, so it was 12:00 A.M. by the time we got back to the hotel. Today we met up at 9:00 in order to discuss the daily reading. Today’s topic was defining what the Balkan Islands are and why it’s so hard to define them due to historical conflicts and diverse backgrounds of each country. We then went to the national history museum, an art gallery, and a mosque. It was fascinating to learn about the history of Albania; the art in the gallery also followed the history, and it was awesome to be able understand the art based on what time period it was created. Each site was highly interesting, but I personally enjoying seeing Muslims worshipping to Mecca. That was a new experience, and it made me more understanding and open towards their religion, especially since there aren’t many Muslims in my community. I’ve made some observations about Tirana in the short time we have been here. One, there traffic is intense to the point of being scary. Cars don’t stop for pedestrians, and they certainly don’t follow any rules like one ways. There have been times where I was convinced I might die from being hit. Plus, I don’t pay attention very well, so I’m trying to be on high alert. Two, inequality is highly noticeable. For instance, on the same street, you might see a person driving a Mercedes Benz, and a homeless person begging for money. There are tons of kids who go up to people and beg. This definitely started pulling on my heart strings a little, until one girl clung on to Ethan for seventy or so yards, asking for money. Dr. Bego finally told the child to leave Ethan alone or she would call the police. They spoke in Albanian for a small time, before the girl finally let go. But when she let go, she slapped Ethan’s arm, and then walked by me and hit me in the leg. I joked that I have a ten year old sister, so I’m use to kids smacking me around. It still shocked me, though, to see how fierce these kids are. We learned they are raised that way by their parent in order to receive more money. Another thing that I find interesting is that Albanians don’t eat lunch until two or three, and they don’t eat dinner until nine or ten. We have had a lot of pasta and pizza here which is something I didn’t expect. It’s amazing, so I have no complaints. It’s also five to six dollars for an average sit down meal. The tipping situation is different here, too. We only leave the change, which as a waitress, I would be irate if that’s all I got. However, it’s just another cultural difference that we have experienced. It’s been a transition, that’s for sure. This is the first time I’ve been in a place where I can’t speak their language or communicate with the people freely. It’s frustrating at times, but it’s a great way to learn nonverbal communication and also to pick up on a new language. We all have learned how to say hello, yes, thank you, no, please, help, bathroom, and cheers! We are also getting a lot better at figuring out how to use Lekk, the Albanian currency. Our schedule for tomorrow is to eat breakfast at 7:45, discuss our daily readings, and then leave for the beach tomorrow by 9:00. The forecast for tomorrow is in the upper 60’s. I heard from Sandra that is snowed, so I’m feeling confident in my decision to leave Nebraska when I did. I do miss everyone very much, but the group of people I’m with is amazing. It’s only day three, but I’ve laughed so much and enjoyed all the new experiences with them. We ended our night by going to a bar. We all just enjoyed talking to Dr. Bego’s cousin and his friend. It was a great way to end the day. I look forward to what the rest of the trip brings.
I'll be posting pictures when I have time, but it's late here and I need sleep! Good night!

My last night in Hastings!

Tonight is the last night I'll be in Nebraska for three weeks. I'm so excited to be blessed with this opportunity to travel, but a part of me is sad that I'll be missing out on J-Term in Hastings with my friends. Last year's J-term was a great time, but I know this J-term will have a lot in store for me. Our itinerary starts today in five hours (5:00 A.M.) when we meet Dr. Bego behind this political science building. From there we drive to Omaha. We will then fly to Newark, NJ, and then fly from there to Munich, Germany. From Germany, we will have about a two hour flight to Albania! It is definitely going to be a lot of flying and airport time which is already stressing me out. I'm still terrified of flying, even though people constantly remind me it's safer to fly than drive. Once we arrive in Albania, we will have time to recover from our jetlag, since the time difference is seven hours.  The countries we visit will include Albania, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, and depending on the weather, Macedonia. This is going to be a wonderful experience! This blog will be a part of my final assignment, so I just wanted to type a quick post and make sure everything is all set up in order to begin my journey. I would really appreciate any prayers or kind words for a safe trip. See everyone in three weeks!