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!