Off the Beaten Path

Since coming to Albania for the very first time in 2017, my eyes were opened. It was a country I’d not heard of before, and honestly had to Google where it even was before getting on the flight. But upon arriving not only did I fall in love with the country, I fell in love with this new way of traveling. The kind of traveling where you skip over the places that you see all over the internet, you don’t seek out the spots that you’ve seen on Instagram. Instead, you put yourself as far away from those places as you can. You look for the beauty in the places that are overlooked, or underrated.

Since coming to Albania, my desire to go to well-known countries is slowly diminishing. I want to visit those kinds of places that are so obscure that I have to look on Google Maps to even find out where they are. Not only that, upon arriving in those countries, I want to get lost in their cultures, in the countrysides.

When people tell me they visited Albania, but didn’t even leave the capital city it almost makes me cringe. Were it not for the airport being there, I could very happily live my entire existence in Albania without setting foot in Tirana. Not because I despise Tirana, but because to me the beauty of traveling and living in another country comes in the differences. In Tirana, many people will speak English, so communicating would be too easy. In Tirana, there are shopping malls much like the ones I would find back in the United States. They have Burger King, KFC, and rumor has it that Pizza Hut will be opening soon. But that’s not why I moved outside of the United States. I didn’t pack my life into a few suitcases just to find my little comfort bubble under the rule of a different government.

When people ask me what they should do in Albania, my first answer is almost always to leave Tirana. Sure, it has its uniqueness from other big cities around the world, but at their core all big cities are more or less the same. The charm of Albania - and likely many other countries - comes in the people, the cultures, the traditions… Many of which are dwindling in the capital. It is so quickly becoming westernized that it’s becoming harder and harder to find true Albania in it. Pockets of it exist, sure, but if you want to go swimming would you rather splash from one puddle to the next or jump, headfirst into the deep end of the pool?

Before Visiting Albania

Before traveling anywhere, most people search for a few insider tips on what to expect, how to conduct yourself, and the best times and places to visit. In this video I went over all of those things so that anyone who is hoping to visit the country will get all the information they need. I discuss the currency, how to get around, the language, where to stay, and more!

If you have ever considered coming to Albania, be sure to watch this video before you arrive!

How to get from the Tirana Airport to the City Center

There are two main ways of getting from the Tirana International Airport to the center of the city; taxi and bus. I will give a quick rundown of both of them, but I’ll be honest, the video is very short and simple and easy to follow.

Taxi

A taxi from just outside the center to the airport cost me 2000 lek ($17.50 USD) when I last went. It was super easy, simple and quick. Just found a taxi driver parked on the street and hopped in asking him how much the trip was. The pros of the taxi are that you can get them anywhere in Tirana, they take you right to the front door of the airport, and they are usually quicker than the bus. The con, however, is the price. It may not seem like a lot to tourists, but to those of us living and working in Albania it’s a bit expensive.

Bus

You can catch the bus from the middle of Tirana to the airport for 400 lek ($3.50 USD). There is a specific Airport-Center bus that parks behind the opera building right next to Skanderbeg Square (https://goo.gl/maps/AET3nGtrUTqV1eFf6). This is both the pick up to go to the airport and the drop off when you’re coming back. The bus leaves every hour, basically on the hour, from here to drive to the airport. Pros of taking the bus are that it’s very inexpensive… And that might be it. The main con is the location. If you’re staying nearby it’s fine. If you’re staying further out of town you might need to walk a bit. The bus drop off/pick up at the airport is just outside the doors next to the rental car kiosks. It’s fairly easy to find but just watch the video below if you’re concerned. Overall, the bus is a good option. Usually pretty quick and direct and plenty of space.

Again, to see how simple it all is, just watch the video. I’ll even show you exact locations and what’s around them.

Lake Ohrid

A giant part of the reason I love living in Pogradec is because of Lake Ohrid. In all seasons, the lake provides incredible opportunities for photographs and is a constant source of inspiration for me. Countless people in both the Albania side and Macedonian side of the lakes depend on the lake for food, income, or livelihood. So what makes this lake so interesting, or special? I dive into the importance of the lake for the community as well as some geographical details of it in my newest video.

Vau i Dejës

Two and a half years ago I got an idea for a short video series… Little did I know it would take two and a half years to finally bring it to completion.

After asking over and over about the people and places depicted on Albanian bank notes, I decided to just take matters into my own hands and do the research myself. This brought me to the idea of creating a 5 part series that went through each of the bank notes and gave a short explanation for anyone else that may be interested. To make the videos more interesting not only for myself but also the viewer, I set out to find each of the spots on the notes. After visiting Vlorë, Butrint, Krujë, Frashër, and now - finally - Vau i Dejës, I have completed that journey.

Rock Climbing in Korçë

While I was attending college in northwest Georgia, I had a number of friends who were into rock climbing. Because of where our school was situated, most of the climbing took place outdoors. I wasn’t super into the climbing, so I didn’t buy any shoes for it and because my feet are larger than average, none of my friends had shoes for me to borrow. This led me to being the one in the group to either sit in a hammock and watch, or belay.

Moving forward a few years, I had a handful of jobs working with youth. A few of these jobs had outings to places that had climbing walls, but most of the time I was the one supervising and making sure the children didn’t hurt themselves. If I remember correctly, there was exactly one instance that I have ever set foot on a rock climbing wall. That is, until last week.

I had heard a few things about an indoor climbing gym in Korce, about 40 minutes away from where I live. So i took the opportunity to hang out with a friend, and try this out for the first (real) time.

Where to Buy Food in Albania?

A few weeks ago I asked people in my audience what sort of things they would find interesting to watch. One of my brothers replied and mentioned that he and his kids would be interested in seeing what grocery shopping looked like in Albania. So, I decided to give them a look.

Many things in Albania have become so normal to me that I forget they aren’t necessarily the typical way of life in the rest of the world. For instance, getting any fruits and vegetables from a guy on the street who has his tomatoes and apples sitting on the sidewalk in cardboard boxes. I see it every single day so I forget that it would be something novel to someone who spends most of their life in the United States.

Ujëvara e Shëngjergjit

When I first moved to Albania I was very unaware of the waterfalls. After living in Hawaii back in 2014, I had grown accustomed to exploring streams and admiring the waterfalls at the end. I didn't realize how many there were in Albania, mostly because I just didn't do enough research. 

I was in Tirana this past weekend and had plans to go visit a town a little further north. When the time came, I looked at how long the drive would take and upon realizing that I didn't feel like driving a four hour round trip just to visit a small village, I decided to look for something a bit closer. That's when I stumbled upon the Shen Gjergj waterfall on Google Maps.

It was only an hour away, and through a mountain road that looked super interesting and exciting. So I made the short drive, went on a small hike, and made a video about it: