Albania: My First Thoughts

I have finished my first week of travel and thought it would be a good idea to get some reflections down. I’m just getting used to being out on the road and finding my rhythm between exploring, reflecting, and blogging.

I will start with two things. The first is to come visit Albania. It is beautiful and there is a lot to see. My second thought is that I haven’t yet formed thoughts on Albania as a whole. I really only have thoughts on Tirana.

To me—and to be clear, this is through my lens and all that comes with that—Tirana feels like a young, vibrant, up-and-coming city. It is hectic and chaotic. When you walk around outside much of the city seems to be in disrepair. But when you go inside the buildings, many places are brand new with a fresh look. There are young people everywhere.

It feels like a big city with a lot of people living here, because it is. The population of Albania is 3 million, and a third of them live in Tirana and the surrounding metropolitan area. The traffic is wild, and you have to be extra cautious while crossing the street. Car horns are ever present. Later this month I am scheduled to rent a car. I am thinking of moving my pickup location to the airport to avoid driving in the city center because I don’t understand the local rules of the road.

I took the Tirana Free Walking Tour and the guide was so full of hope and energy. He studied history in college and shared a great understanding of where Albania has come from and a bright outlook on where it can go. While acknowledging their struggles he was optimistic about the future of the country. He was hopeful about becoming a member of the European Union and what that would mean for Albania. If you are in Tirana do this tour, you will love it.

Of course, there are lessons here of the things I take for granted. So far, I am reflecting on the advantages I have just by being born and living in the U.S. The main one that comes to mind is access to clean running water, yet I also fully recognize that not everyone in the U.S. has this. I have read mixed things about drinking the tap water here so as a precaution I am drinking bottled water. It is easy enough, but it does show me how I have always taken for granted that in my house I could turn on the water and presume it was safe. I want to do a better job of not taking these sorts of things for granted when I come home.

Another observation I have made is that I am more introverted than I usually am. One of my goals for travel is to meet and connect with people along the way, yet that has been harder than I thought. This has been a surprise and I will have to keep reflecting on why this is. Despite this, so far in my first week I did meet a traveler who has does the Something of Freedom blog and an Instagram page with 34 thousand followers that I found impressive. So far, I feel this first week of travel is off to a good start.