Home Away from Home?

This is my third trip to Albania in 5 months, for a total of 7 weeks and I think that by the end of this trip, I will have spent more time in Albania so far this year, than I have at home! It is starting to feel like home, and it’s not just because of the amount of time I’ve spent here. I really like some of my Albanian colleagues and I feel like I have an instant social life when I arrive with people I really enjoy spending time with, which is a pleasant change from usual work travel.

Today I had my first day in the field in Northern Albania – one hour North of Tirana, which is in the center of the country. I forget sometimes how small this place is. It’s been a while since I was out in the field interviewing farmers and trying to figure out what the key issues are that the project can address to help them boost their incomes. I’m doing an analysis of the melon sector here. It’s such a feel-good assignment; thinking about watermelon just makes me smile. Today I was given 5 of them freshly picked from the field.

On the way home, we stopped off in the town of Kruya visiting Skanderberg’s castle. He’s the Albanian hero that defeated the Turks and (temporarily) prevented Turkish occupation. We ended the day with a meal of delicious Albanian cheeses, olives and pizza (veggie options are somewhat limited) watching the colors of the tangerine sunset reflected in the stone of the mountain face in front of us.

Tomorrow there is more to look forward to. I am going hiking in the mountains with one of my favorite Albanians. I’m looking forward to spending a day out of civilization in this spectacular scenery. And it doesn’t end there. On Monday I leave for a week-long tour of southern Albania, hitting all the melon producing areas, which happen to be some of the most beautiful spots in Albania, including the coast across the straight from Corfu. More photos and postings to follow.