Our Scouting Trip to Albania Begins
Tirana. The capital of Albania. This is where we will first arrive.
Vlore. A beach town of almost 90,000 people. This town was first on our list for relocation, and it’s still high on the list, but we are considering another location as well. Our hotel reservation is in Vlore.
We recently became aware of Shëngjin, Albania. It’s a small beach town of almost 7,000 people, just four miles from Lezhe, a town of 15,000. Our interest was initially sparked by the fact that real estate is less expensive than in Vlore. But we also like the fact that it is closer to Tirana than Vlore is.
Pogradec. We are Facebook friends with two American expats who live there. We would like to be able to meet up with them, but that remains to be seen.
Excited and Anxious
On Monday our scouting trip to Albania begins. I’m excited and anxious all at the same time. I think most of my anxiety is stemming from leaving Valentino with a dog sitter while we are gone - although she is highly rated and logically, I know it will be fine. He is seven pounds of a momma’s boy lap dog. The separation anxiety is real - mine!
Packing
I’ve never packed for a trip this long before. I keep thinking and re-thinking. When I asked my husband about his packing strategy, he told me was going to build a trebuchet and catapult his clothes into the suitcase. As silly as it sounds, I understand his message of not taking it too seriously. But it’s easier said than done! I will eventually beat this task into submission though.
Update on Mom’s Move
An integral part to this trip was getting mom settled into her new place. Of course leading up to the move, I had doubts that I was doing the right thing, even though it was her suggestion that started the ball rolling.
Within a day, I was reassured that not only was this move was going to be okay, but in fact would in many ways be better for her. All of the staff was friendly, happy, and helpful. And my cousins quelled any remaining insecurities. She will have many more people with whom to interact, and many looking out for her. Best of all, my mom told me she would be happy there in spite of missing. I am grateful.
