Why Albania?
This is a question that comes up every time I mention that this is now our home - I get it. Your
average person in the U.S. knows little-to-nothing about this country and admittedly, I
straddled that line myself prior to living here. So outside looking in, it’s not difficult to see how
curiosities are piqued by a couple that had successful careers and lives in U.S., jump right to
selling off those lives, moving to a virtual unknown, and ostensibly starting over.
Believe me, there are still days where I find myself asking, “Why Albania?”
Well, I wish I could regale you in tales of research and romance - heeding a heart’s beck-and-
call for adventure to places unknown, but the truth is more mundane than it is storybook. Our
reality in Europe and eventually Albania were decisions born of exhaustion and burnout versus
a desired locale. Simply put, we chose Albania, and Saranda specifically (over the country of Georgia),
because it had palm trees. That was our vigorous vetting process. I saw a picture of the promenade with
lots of palm trees and I said, “I’ve never lived in a place with palms trees before, I think I want to do that.”
A few days later, after devouring a handful of Youtube videos and several travel articles, Saranda was the
destination.
Fast Forward…Next thing we knew, our six month “recovery” period had evolved into a two-
and-a-half-year life that has seen us open businesses, gain residency, buy an apartment, and
find our place within a society that still values authentic human engagement. For the first time
in far too long, we were part of a community. Now, this leads to our real answer to “Why Albania?” or more
accurately, why we stay:
Community.
In our two and a half years of living here, I have made more meaningful connections outside the
quid-pro-quo corporate culture than throughout the entirety of my decade-long laboratory
career. Peoples’ words and actions have real world ramifications here, and they hold one
another accountable. A social decorum that is rarely breached because if you are respectful,
you will be respected. We have shaken off much of our collective burnout and become active participants
in our lives again; surrounded by folks, even if only for a moment, that are genuinely interested in you, the
person - and I never realized how much I missed that feeling. We missed caring about our
neighbors.
From the early morning we arrived in here, people have been wonderful; the
immigrant/expatriate groups and local neighborhood communities here in Saranda. We made
friends on day one that we are still friends with today. As-long-as we are willing to make the
effort, people always seem willing to help - and in Albania if someone you speak with cannot
immediately help you, there is a solid chance they have a cousin somewhere nearby that
can…and will! Moreover, when you take the time to learn some basic Albanian words and phrases, many
people will dramatically warm to you. We now have many different local neighbors that give us
fresh fruits from their gardens solely because we say hello or use a common pleasantry when
crossing paths. When juxtaposed against my adult working life in the U.S. - Saranda is a breath
of fresh air, accompanied by a gorgeous view. That is not to say we have not had our share of difficult
moments throughout our travels in Albania - but it has been minimal comparatively, and the hospitality
you get nearly every place you go far outweighs the few negative experiences. The Albanians have been so
welcoming that it makes living our lives perpetually outside of our personal comfort-zones significantly
less stressful. After all, we do spend our days living in someone else’s backyard and as long as you remain
mindful (and respectful) of this dynamic, Albania will prove an amazing experience.
So for now, and for at least the next few years - we will continue to call Albania our home and
continue this immersive experience of building a successful life outside the prescribed
parameters of our native cultures. There is always another way of living, and in Albania,
specifically Saranda, we have found ours.
So why Albania? How about - why not?
NOTE: This article was originally written and published in April of 2024. Stay tuned for the
follow-up - So much for us to get caught up on!