Gramsh it is!

On Friday we found out where we'll be serving for the next two years here in Albania.  They told us one by one and surprisingly I was the 4th person to pop up!! (After a life of living with a last name at the end of the alphabet it was like Christmas)  I'll be going to Gramsh along with one other girl in our group.  Gramsh is a small town in the mountains with a river running through it.  It is only about an hour and a half away from Elbasan and apparently has amazing cheese!

I'm really excited to be going there!  It sounds like the perfect assignment for me and everyone I talk to points out how nice the people in Gramsh are.

Here is some more info about it: http://estateinalbania.com/news/gramsh-city-albania

Weekend in Vlorë

 This weekend all the Trainees had the opportunity to visit current volunteers at their sites.  I got assigned to Vlorë, a large beach town in the south.  I'll follow up with details about the trip later but for now enjoy the pictures!

Vlorë

Vlorë

Finally proof that I'm in Albania!

Oops!

Well I am here!  Sorry it took me so long!  I’m living in a village about 20 minutes outside of Elbasan, which is one of the largest cities in Albania for the next 9 weeks.  There are 5 other volunteers in the same village staying with different host families.  My family is amazing!  I have a host sister who is 22 and a mother and father.  Their two oldest daughters are married and also hosting Peace Corps trainees so we’re all one huge family.  It amazes me that I’ve only been here for one week and barely speak the language yet they take care of me like I’m their other daughter.   A few days ago I went for a run and my host sister had turned on the water heater for me so the shower would be ready when I got back.  I know it sounds small but when you have the vocabulary of a two year old and it is a struggle just to say simple things, little gestures like that make your day.

Overall I’m having a great time here.  We’re in class Monday-Saturday until 3 PM most days and afterwards I typically go on a hike with other trainees or some kids from the village.  We’ve been really lucky in that one of the kids (my host-nephew) takes us around everywhere with him.  Today he waited for us to get out of school and organized a picnic at the top of the hill.  It was beautiful and so much fun.  I think the best thing about being here is that I get to play like a little kid again all the time.  I play Uno.  I jump rope.  I play fight with sticks.  I go exploring in ruined buildings.  It is something new everyday and I couldn’t be happier.

Leaving on a jet plane

I leave for Albania tomorrow. 

It feels so good to finally be writing that sentence.  For those of you who have been there with me throughout this whole process you know that there were multiple times I thought this day would never come.  But after a day of staging and meeting everyone I'll be with for the next two years I'm happy to report that I'm not totally freaking out.  I guess I'll have to save the emotional breakdown for later.

I'm not sure when I'll have internet access or how often I'll have it for the next few months but I will try my hardest to post on here.  See you in Albania!!