The most common question I have been asked after telling people about my travel is, ”Why start in Albania?” This is an excellent question. It is not an obvious choice and is a little off the beaten path. Tourism in Albania is growing in recent years, but certainly for people from the United States it is not yet a big tourist destination. When I would tell people at home I was going to Albania, most of them knew next to nothing about it.
But I’m skipping ahead. The truth is, I didn’t know much about Albania either until right before I decided to visit!
I first got inspired to learn about Albania from a friend Melia Dunn who spent two years there serving in the Peace Corps. She had a passion for the country that was infectious and hearing her talk about the people and the natural beauty had me instantly hooked on finding out more about this country that I had hardly heard of.
After talking to Melia, I started to research the country. At this point, I knew I wanted to travel, but had no idea exactly where, and Albania had me curious. I wanted to go to a country that had natural beauty, was full of kind people, had some people who spoke English and was inexpensive. It was a high bar, but hey, start with high expectations, right?
I was also drawn to a place that would push me and challenge me as a traveler. Choosing a place that had fewer travelers and less infrastructure for travelers was appealing.
In addition, I sometimes like to be the center of attention, so the idea of going to a country where I would be unique and stand out was appealing. (Those of you who know me will not be surprised by this.) I think this is borne from some level of insecurity about my desire for people to like me, but as I’m being honest here, it was a motivator.
One of the most compelling things I found was Dear Albania, a film by Eliza Dushku. I watched it multiple times and was enchanted. The film speaks not only to the natural beauty of the country but to the heart and soul of the Albanian people. The story Eliza shares is one of discovery and as I watched, I felt like I was there discovering the country with her. From food to mountains, to art and music, this film brought Albania to life for me.
After doing all this research and watching Dear Albania, I realized I had two very strong, intelligent women saying, ”Go to Albania!” It has taken me awhile to fully integrate this idea, but for me, listening to strong, intelligent women usually pays off. I decided to listen, and it definitely did!
After spending a month in Albania, I can confirm that it is a country with great natural beauty. It has a full coastline of Mediterranean goodness, with gorgeous mountains and rolling hills throughout the country.
The people are generally kind and always willing to help a traveler. Most of the young people speak some English and it was easy to navigate across the language barrier. Finally, it is inexpensive, everything from food to accommodations is much less expensive than the US. I spent $12 to get a forty-five minute shave and haircut that would have easily set me back $60 at home.
I was grateful for how inexpensive it was, but it seems that it would be better for some of the population if some things cost more and salaries went up. These details were unknown to me when considering Albania as a travel destination, but everything I read that said it is a very affordable country turned out to be true. It’s just unfortunate to learn that at least part of this affordability seems to mean some people here are struggling to make a livable wage.
In spite of my feelings about the low wages of some Albanians, I am very thankful for the memories I made while there and the people I got to spend some time with. I think about Ledion, the bar owner at my favorite spot for a beer, and how kind he was to me. He let me know if I needed anything I could reach out to him at any time. He even invited me to this birthday party but unfortunately, I was not able to attend. Their hospitality and kindness made my visit to Albania a special one, and I would recommend anyone travel there who is interested in a country that is rich in culture, history, and friendliness.