Trailing Off....: A New Year Begins in Albania

Some cultures believe that the way you spend your first moments of the New Year will be indicative of how your year is going to be. So sad, drunk, and alone at midnight could translate to a year of binge-watching Netflix while squeezing the last drops out of boxes of wine. Lucky for me, at midnight I was relatively sober and standing on a balcony in Sarande, Albania with three of my favourite people whilst watching a firework display over the sea. At midnight we wrote a wish for 2016 on a piece of paper, lit it on fire, and drank the ashes with champagne. I kissed my husband, marvelling at our simple, yet fun life, and feeling a jolt of hope for 2016.

appertivo on the balcony including homemade olive oil made by their landlord

We met Jesse and M when teaching English in Songkhla, Thailand. We left in 2013 and they the following year. In addition to being the same age, American, and prone to wanderlust, they are also childfree, creative types. One big difference is that they have been together since they were 16!

attempting to launch a lantern on NYE

In Songkhla we became fast friends and I spent an occasional night hanging out in seedy bars with M until dawn, baring our souls or just singing along to youtube videos. She even arranged an entire Hen Party for me complete with picnic on a mountain, a massage at a legit spa, and a "pub" crawl. I've only really clicked with a few women in my life, preferring the company of guys or being alone, but she is definitely a kindred spirit. And thank goodness too, as there were NO other women teachers where we were living in Songkhla.

In Songkhla, 2013

Though we kept in touch on facebook, I didn’t imagine that we’d see them again. But then they started moving about in Europe, a few months in Italy, Spain, Croatia, and now Albania. From the comfort of a temporary home in a seaside town, they maintain their on-line business that sells jewellery made with a 3D printer, designed by M and based on her paintings M & J's website. They also do a bit of on-line teaching. Doing all their work on-line means they can move place to place when their tourist visas run out. We had the time and they had a 2-bedroom penthouse apartment overlooking the sea, so we decided to spend a few days there and visit Italy before and after.

view from their balcony of Sarande town

We arrived in the only airport in the country in the capital city, Tirana. The 7-hour bus ride to the seaside resort town was a terrifying crawl through mountains while the driver spoke on the phone and only used one hand to drive. The scenery, though, trumped the terror. Miles and miles of unspoilt land and the occasional village. I didn’t feel as though I were in Europe; it was a different feel of a place altogether. However, anytime the road was near the coast you could see the construction of villas and hotels like in most European resort towns, but further inland you saw more ramshackle housing, people selling chickens on the side of the road, and random piles of rubbish.

view from Butrint, Albania

On New Year’s Day, we got a ride from a random stranger and travelled the 20 minutes to the fascinating UNESCO site, Butrint. Not only is this place a stunning park full of trees and scenic vistas, but more importantly, it is a “microcosm of Mediterranean history spanning two thousand years.” It started as a Greek colony in the 4^th century BC and was quite a cool city during the Roman Empire. It has been seized by Normans, Venetians, and Ottomans. The area has been a veterans’ retirement colony, a bishopric, and a military fort. All of these layers of history weren’t discovered until an Italian archaeologist visited the area in 1928.

The Agora/Forum of the city

Needless to say, it’s an amazing gem of a place. Because it was the holiday, we were the only people there and the ruins seemed more alive and accessible than the overcrowded and (rightfully) protected Pompeii. We were also lucky to have mild temperatures and a deep blue sky. The fresh air, the trees, the mountains in the distance—it was just awesome.

3rd century theatre

Oh and did I mention it’s only a few km from Greece? This car is being transported there on an old-fashioned ferry.

On our last full day in Sarande, we hopped on a bus and travelled just a few km to walk on the promenade and enjoy the views of the Ksamil Islands. Again the weather was mild though definitely too cold to swim. We wandered up and down the promenade and finished our walk with a couple of cold Korca beers in a restaurant overlooking the sea.

One of the Ksamil Islands that you can swim to

I have to admit something. I was a tad nervous about staying in someone else’s living space for four days and being with the same people all that time. I find it difficult to maintain conversations during the 20-minute break I have at school, so I was worried about awkward silences, feeling annoyed or being annoying. Because I rarely socialize, I figured I’d lost the ability. However, the four of us got on spectacularly. We were chilled and never ran out of things to talk about.

photo shoot on our last night

I can’t imagine a better way to have started 2016. I was in a strange and interesting new place with creative, intelligent people whose way of life has inspired me. So here’s hoping to a year in which I can be a bit more out-going, explore and learn, and hopefully, put more words on paper.

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