I’m so grateful to finally add the Returned to my Peace Corps Volunteer status. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye, which is no surprise. But I’m kind of startled by how excited I am to have completed the two year commitment I made to Albania and to begin a brand-new, unknown chapter of my life.
The Close of Service ceremony is the official the end of every volunteer’s two years in the Peace Corps. Usually a private moment between volunteers, country staff, and a handful of invited guests, the ceremony is short but sweet, an acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication that it takes to serve in the Peace Corps.
This morning as I was getting ready, I put on an outfit completely composed of gifts from my time in service – my dress from my host family in Permet, my earrings from my host cousin in Librazhd, the watch from my students, and my shoes from my sister.
It’s been a crazy day of goodbyes and closure. I’m so thankful for this time to take stock, reflect on my two years in the Peace Corps, and enjoy my last day in the community! This past week has been a whirlwind of cleaning and packing, and finally I was able to enjoy the things I love most about my second home.
I tried to keep my routine as normal as possible because I wanted to experience the things that made me happiest on a daily basis in Permet. Sure, the adventurous trips to the mountains and afternoons spent rafting were fun, but they weren’t my Peace Corps service. My time as a volunteer was all about meaningful relationships, community projects, and feeling at home in Permet. So I spent my final day embracing the smaller moments of joy and taking time to say goodbye to the people that meant the most to me.
The Goodbye Morning Tour
I started the day with a coffee, sharing one final shot of espresso with my friends Ola and Ida as we all pretended it wasn’t the end. We lapsed into periods of silence, gossiped about people in the community, and talked about the time we shared together just like always.
What a lovely, warm, sunny morning! And what better way to spend it than with my favorite students? To celebrate the end of my service with my Model United Nations and Youth Council groups, my host sister Serena and I organized a low-key hike out to the village of Leshice for volleyball, a small bonfire, and relaxation!
Serena and I left together from the house with a huge volleyball net in tow around 10:15am, and when we arrived at our meeting place in the neighborhood, nearly a dozen students had already arrived. Not everyone was there just to say goodbye to me, but my most active students all showed up, and some of their friends came along for the ride, as well.
So it was a loud, excited group that took off from Permet! Volunteers Brianne and Paloma had arrived from Kelcyre, and I chatted with Bri the entire way to the church. The sun was almost uncomfortably warm as we walked the long, unshaded road to Leshice, and even though I run on the village path almost every other day, I still found the scenery beautiful and the experience wonderfully relaxing.
To say a proper goodbye to my work friends, I decided to organize a farewell dinner my last full week in Permet. The only catch? I hate planning events for myself. Birthdays, going away parties, celebrations focused on me – I cringe at them all. But my enthusiastic friend friend Ida was more than happy to help me organize the small event, and after a lot of back and forth, we landed on a dinner at 7:00pm at a local restaurant called Trifilia. I wished that things hadn’t been organized at the last minute, but embracing the Albanian spirit of planning things on the fly, I just rolled with it.
Around 6:30pm, I got dressed in my favorite blue dress and headed out into the city. I felt cautiously optimistic and excited, but also anxious and insecure about the upcoming dinner. I wasn’t sure how many people would come or if I’d forgotten someone who’d be offended later, and overall, I was still feeling strange about organizing an entire celebration for myself.
Still, I figured the dinner wasn’t just for me. It was a way for the new volunteer, Jake, to start meeting some of my friends in Permet, and it was a way for my friends to feel like they were saying a proper goodbye to me. In other words, it was a way for everyone to find closure. The guys of Urbanistika were the first to arrive followed by my other counterparts, Eva and Klaudja. Slowly but surely, a few other close friends rounded out our small but happy group of eleven.
I am one hundred percent wiped. This morning, Brianne and I went to the village of Petran and all the way to Benje on bicycles (approximately 28 km round trip)! Bri came over around 9:00am with an excited and carefree enthusiasm that was almost contagious … at least until I remembered how difficult the last bike ride out to Benje had been. I still shuddered at the thought of the long and grueling trip, and I was nervous about biking all the way out to the thermal waters even though I knew we were both in better shape than ever.
We headed across town with all of our gear and rented bicycles easily, setting out at 9:30am with the sun shining and the weather still brisk and chilly from the rain the night before. We shivered in our light sweatshirts, but it didn’t take long for us to warm up.
The road out to Petran dipped and curved in an exhilarating way. The wind rushed to greet us as we flew down steep slopes while the sun felt hot against our backs as we huffed and puffed up inclines. But honestly, for all my worries, the ride out to Petran was lovely and not incredibly challenging. The scenery was a lush emerald green everywhere we turned, and the quiet calm of being outside in nature was relaxing.
The road to the village of Petran
Arriving in Petran, we joined my host mom Klodi at the village school, and Brianne pulled out her laptop for a lesson. Klodi was teaching her students about computers (specifically Windows operating systems), and Brianne used her laptop as a visual aide while Klodi went through the curriculum, explaining the details of Microsoft Word and Paint.
The students were glued to the screen, especially when Brianne opened the Paint program, and it was clear from Klodi’s brightly decorated classroom and the happy faces of the children that she was a much loved teacher.
With the lesson wrapped up around 11:30am, Brianne and I hurried back to our bikes to beat the afternoon rain. As we were leaving, a group of village students surrounded us at the doors and gave us hugs. So adorable!
Brianne explaining functions on the computer
Back on the road, we faced our toughest challenge yet. The road from Petran to Benje was almost completely uphill, though the incline wasn’t always steep. My heart pounded and my legs and hip flexors ached as we began our endless climb. But honestly, apart from one truly terrible hill, Bri and I made it to Benje without any issues! I controlled my breathing as I learned to do through running, gritted my teeth, and pushed myself to pedal on. And before I knew what was happening, we were flying down the final hill to Benje.
When we arrived, we found the large pool bustling with life and activity. About six other tourists were already in the water, and in our excitement at arriving at Benje, we were ready to join them. We shared some victory chocolate and then hopped straight in.
The warm water felt heavenly on our tired legs, and we floated happily for at least an hour, chatting about our lives and exclaiming about the beauty of Benje. We also did a mini photo shoot before declaring ourselves too prune-y to swim, and we dried off and put our shoes on just as dark, ominous clouds began to roll in.
The gorgeous snow covered mountains and hot springs
We hurried over to one of the shelters and made it just as the rain turned from a light sprinkle into a downpour. We shared snacks and laughed about our good luck, waiting until the rain had passed to hop back on our bikes and begin the long ride back into the city. Thankfully, the road back was much easier and faster than the road to Benje. Our journey was mostly downhill, and the few inclines we did face were tough but absolutely doable, even with our tired legs. We sped back to Permet within an hour and arrived victorious at the bike rental shop at 2:50pm.
Never in a million years would I have imagined myself enjoying a challenging bike ride to Benje. Sure, I took on difficult tasks in the States, but very few were physically demanding. I preferred being comfortable and safe to putting my body through pain and discomfort, and I didn’t want to fail at something new.
But what I’ve learned through my experiences in Permet hiking, biking, rafting, and running is that I’m capable of amazing things. With the right training, fuel, and determination, I can achieve almost any goal. I’ve truly come to love the sweet soreness after an amazing workout!
BONUS: Check out some other photos from the trip!
Walking along my favorite road as we took a break from bikingLooking out into the distance and smiling through the painFinally relaxing in the hot springs
Uprooted Abroad 