Albania: A Quick Wrap-Up
I would say this is a decent topic for my 100th blog post!!! (Congratulations to me!)
Last week I returned home from the greatest adventure I have ever had. Yes, when I served my LDS mission it was quite an adventure but this was was a bit more...how should I say...extraordinary. Ever since I was younger, Europe has been the one place in the world I have wanted to go. Originally, I specified Italy as the first country only because of my deep and abiding love for pasta. To be super technical, Italy was my first place since I had a layover in Rome, and my love for pasta has expanded to all Italian food, much of which was experienced in Albania (which is very close to Italy if you didn't know).
The three months I spent out of the country went by very quickly (especially on the sunny days) and were filled with extensive domestic travels. I would say that for someone who is not from Albania, I am more expert than most. My travels took me from the southern beaches of Vlore to the northern mountains of Shkoder and many places in between. Also highlighting my travels was a couple trips to Kosovo. Between Albania and Kosovo there is enough history to spend years getting to know everything.
Now that I am home, though, I am stuck thinking about my biggest takeaways from my experience. As a typical American, I run on a strict schedule and have found myself seeking out and even stricter schedule. Schedule provide structure but they also can inhibit the emotional responses behind life and its connections. In Albania, it was okay to be a little late to places. Planning something out of the blue was normal (and exciting). Taking the time to stop and talk with someone for a few minutes or detour to see something new or unexpected is fulfilling to the human necessity of curiosity. I do still plan on living by a strict schedule but my stress level of keeping to such a schedule will diminish as I now seek to find emotional value in what I do as opposed to simply productivity.
Another thing I noticed among the people, especially the young adults that I associated often with, is the astounding presence of maturity in the "Millennial Generation". American young adults are still attached at the fringes to the umbrellas of their parents a lot of the time. Parents provide that security net so that if a adult child takes a risk and fails, they can still be buoyed up. The affluence of the average American family in comparison to Albanian families produces in some Americans a lack of care. Living in this way seems almost hedonistic and pleasure-seeking as it deflects responsibility away from oneself. The Albanian young adults are much different. They have to work hard for their opportunities. In many families, the adult child's paycheck is necessary to pay the bills for the house or the food or the necessary hygiene supplies. Though the youth don't always take work seriously, when they reach the age of responsibility (as set within each family) many young adult rise to their responsibility and work for the survival of the family.
I am blessed to have lived in a home with comforts and pleasures but living in Albania has changed my perspective a lot. As a chronic procrastinator, I have avoided work for much of my life always trying to do as little as possible to "get the grade" or "get the paycheck". I never really paid attention to what it all meant. What was I working for? What was my work and schooling preparing me for? Essentially, work and school are what (hopefully) prepare me to take care of my family, put food on the table for them, and help improve the lives of others that I interact with. This is what Albanian young adults did. This is why they are so admirable.
My experience was amazing and the greatest adventure of my life. So many life lessons have been unveiled (only a couple stated here) and I look forward to enhancing my life with the new knowledge I have gained. This chapter is closed and it is time for a new chapter of my life to begin.
Last week I returned home from the greatest adventure I have ever had. Yes, when I served my LDS mission it was quite an adventure but this was was a bit more...how should I say...extraordinary. Ever since I was younger, Europe has been the one place in the world I have wanted to go. Originally, I specified Italy as the first country only because of my deep and abiding love for pasta. To be super technical, Italy was my first place since I had a layover in Rome, and my love for pasta has expanded to all Italian food, much of which was experienced in Albania (which is very close to Italy if you didn't know).
The three months I spent out of the country went by very quickly (especially on the sunny days) and were filled with extensive domestic travels. I would say that for someone who is not from Albania, I am more expert than most. My travels took me from the southern beaches of Vlore to the northern mountains of Shkoder and many places in between. Also highlighting my travels was a couple trips to Kosovo. Between Albania and Kosovo there is enough history to spend years getting to know everything.
Now that I am home, though, I am stuck thinking about my biggest takeaways from my experience. As a typical American, I run on a strict schedule and have found myself seeking out and even stricter schedule. Schedule provide structure but they also can inhibit the emotional responses behind life and its connections. In Albania, it was okay to be a little late to places. Planning something out of the blue was normal (and exciting). Taking the time to stop and talk with someone for a few minutes or detour to see something new or unexpected is fulfilling to the human necessity of curiosity. I do still plan on living by a strict schedule but my stress level of keeping to such a schedule will diminish as I now seek to find emotional value in what I do as opposed to simply productivity.
Another thing I noticed among the people, especially the young adults that I associated often with, is the astounding presence of maturity in the "Millennial Generation". American young adults are still attached at the fringes to the umbrellas of their parents a lot of the time. Parents provide that security net so that if a adult child takes a risk and fails, they can still be buoyed up. The affluence of the average American family in comparison to Albanian families produces in some Americans a lack of care. Living in this way seems almost hedonistic and pleasure-seeking as it deflects responsibility away from oneself. The Albanian young adults are much different. They have to work hard for their opportunities. In many families, the adult child's paycheck is necessary to pay the bills for the house or the food or the necessary hygiene supplies. Though the youth don't always take work seriously, when they reach the age of responsibility (as set within each family) many young adult rise to their responsibility and work for the survival of the family.
I am blessed to have lived in a home with comforts and pleasures but living in Albania has changed my perspective a lot. As a chronic procrastinator, I have avoided work for much of my life always trying to do as little as possible to "get the grade" or "get the paycheck". I never really paid attention to what it all meant. What was I working for? What was my work and schooling preparing me for? Essentially, work and school are what (hopefully) prepare me to take care of my family, put food on the table for them, and help improve the lives of others that I interact with. This is what Albanian young adults did. This is why they are so admirable.
My experience was amazing and the greatest adventure of my life. So many life lessons have been unveiled (only a couple stated here) and I look forward to enhancing my life with the new knowledge I have gained. This chapter is closed and it is time for a new chapter of my life to begin.
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