Petty Shqip Talkin’

In Gjyshe’s traditional dress

So I was thinking that I should update my blog. You know, since PST is now almost over. Which is absolutely insane.

The last month and a half has FLOWN by. It’s actually really confusing me that it’s May already, especially since it’s still raining all day every day and averaging in the 60s. Someday this Floridian will wear her jorts.

Back to the subject. PST. I know a lot of shqip, I’ve drank more coffee than I could even imagine, and I’ve eaten more Oreo Milka bars than I care to mention. I’ve been baptized at the Secret Garden, learned to circle dance like a Shqiptare, and made some truly incredible friends.

Georgetown (aka Gjergjan) has been such an incredible host site, and I’m so gracious to have lived here for the past month and a half. My host family has been such a blessing and makes me smile just thinking about them. This is the part where I would keep writing, but my brain is too bleh from conjugating verbs all day.

Since I can’t think of anything else sentimental to write, I’m just going to make a list of my favorite moments, because I love lists. Favorite Moments:

1. Gjysh finding a lightning bug after dinner, bringing into the kitchen, and turning off all of the lights and the TV so that we could watch it fly around and talk in the dark.
2. Realizing that I understood everything that Meli said to me and watching her reaction to me responding correctly.
3. Buying a ginger walnut cookie (they’re incredible) from the bakery in Elbasan on HUB days.
4. Any time I got to talk to Kenneth, especially when he got to hear me speak in Shqip.
5. Randomly circle dancing in the kitchen with Meli when Gjysh turns on the Folk Station.
6. Getting coffee with the teachers from our school. During school. I still don’t really understand why they weren’t teaching in a class, but I just don’t question it.
7. Reading a children’s book out loud to Meli while she helped me sound out words.
8. The day that we found the bunkers for the first time and watched the sun go down over the mountains.
9. Any time I got to pi a birrë in the Secret Garden after HUB.
10. Site visit! Tacos, wine, wifi, youtube videos, Cards Against Humanity, Game of Thrones, and FaceTiming with Kenneth for hours.
11. Eating cereal and American coffee for breakfast during our site visit (site visit is where we visit a current volunteer at their site… Mary Quandt is wonderful). What I would do for a pot of coffee right now.
12. When Gjyshe gave me eight kisses and Meli ran all the way home to hug me when I returned from my site visit.
13. When Meredithi fell down in the road because she was chasing a chicken.
14. Winning at Mulan 9 times in a row against Genti and Geraldi and them getting super frustrated over it.
15. Georgetown picnic, pre-Kevin falling.
16. Any and all massage train and movie parties that happened for stress relief.
17. Attempting to name presidents at Kris’s house and realizing that I legit only know 14 presidents. I don’t know if this is a “favorite,” but it’s too funny (read: shameful) not to include. Shumë terp.
18. ROCKY THE QENI!!!! Rocky is Georgetown’s mascot. He’s a puppy that lives on the main road that we pet every day for puppy therapy.
19. Getting to play a legit match of indoor volleyball with volunteers and trainees, complete with an Albanian up-ref.
20. Sitting on a bunker with my bible on Easter morning, watching rain fall in the distance.
21. Playing soccer in a random field with Kris after the health fair and then talking about life’s important questions, like “is your blue the same color as my blue? Or did we just both learn that color as blue but they’re actually different? Is your blue my brown?”
22. When Geraldi randomly started playing Smash Mouth’s “Allstar” in the kitchen while I was doing dishes, which immediately changed into a mini impromptu concert for my host family.
23. Doing my health presentations and talking to 5^th grade girls about body-image and confidence.
24. Hanging my clothes on the line to dry.
25. Wearing my gjyshe’s traditional Albanian clothing and dancing in the kitchen with my family.

That’s actually a really accurate representation of my time during PST. Any and all gaps in time can be filled with hilarious furgon rides, language training, coffee at Mira’s lokal, and walking through mountains.

I miss home and I miss everything that it entails, but know that I love it here. And know that today is our final site placement day. And since I’m technically not supposed to tell anyone where I live, your one hint is: throw-up, vomit, blowing chunks, hugging the toilet, pearl diving, barf, etc. etc. Now go figure it out and come visit me.

I love you all and I’ll update you as soon as I’ve collected enough new memories to regurgitate them!