"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Untitled Blog Post number 3

December 14th 2012
I’m almost speechless. How the hell can something so terrible happen in the world. The sounds of people asking me if teaching in Albania would be safe come rushing back to me. I picture the security guards at the front gate of our school, and the armed gunmen standing outside of the bank next door. Then I remember my response. “Is anywhere safe anymore? What’s ‘safe’?”

December 16th 2012

I spent my morning cleaning my apartment and was feeling very at home. Then I made a quick trip to Euromax to get butter. As I walked outside it hit me that I live in Tirana. Every once in awhile I get so comfortable I feel like I’m “home.” And then something happens to make me realize that I’m not.

The rest of the day I’ve felt like part of me is missing. I’m not sure where it went or why. My guess is that it is back in Minnesota somewhere. Maybe it was the part of me that craves a relationship. Maybe it finally realized that I’m going to spend the next 3-5 years of my life single. Maybe it realized that the rest of me is content with this fact. Maybe it realized there was no good live music to be found here, and has given up hope. Maybe it needed a hug from my mom. Maybe it couldn’t last any longer without cheddar cheese. Maybe it went home to watch the packer game with my brother. Maybe it’s in Connecticut comforting a fellow teacher.

Maybe it will never come back. Something feels different today, and I’m not sure why.

December 17th 2012
Some days I have to take a breath and remember that I can’t do everything I want to do at once. My life is pretty incredible for 22, and I have plenty of time to accomplish many things. I may have to pick and choose, but I have time. I need to be more thankful for where I am, and the time I have been given.

December 22nd 2012
I’m 2 days away from being in Madrid. And I had quite a fantastic night out yesterday evening. It began with dinner at another school that is owned by the company that owns my school. The school was gorgeous and our director informed us that it is hoped that soon they will be able to purchase land to build a similar school. I also got to eat the best cookie and baklava of my entire life. So good!

Then we headed to rainbow road for one of my fellow teacher’s birthday party. I started the evening with some delicious hot wine, followed by some beer from the beer garden, a 600 lek bottle of wine (which we topped off in about 20 minutes.) Then we decided to head to the plywood place (as we refer to it.) Unfortunately it was closed. So we sat on their tables and drank our travelers. Me and Robert had to pee pretty bad at this point, so we decided the playground nearby would be perfect. Robert informed me, “if anyone comes to yell at us let’s just pretend to be making out.” Little did we know there was already a guy peering in on us. I noticed him just as I was about to unzip. Robert and I ran away laughing super duper hard. I don't think he understood english, but if he did I'm sure he had a good laugh too. Then about 5 minutes later we peed in an alley together. Pretty sure it was a bonding moment and Robert and me can now be considered best friends. On the way home we stopped at Slippys (aka Goodies) and had fries and ice cream. I felt like such a fat girl, but I still managed to be wearing my skinny jeans. Not really sure how this happened.

The point of this story is that I’m always going to remember the time Robert and I peed in the alley together.  

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