Touching Down in Tirana!

Amazingly, after countless teary goodbyes, flights from home states across the U.S. to Miami, one day of Miami staging prep events, a bus ride to the airport, an 8-hour flight to Frankfurt, a 4-hour layover, and a 2-hour flight out of Frankfurt... and a 7-hour time zone change... Peace Corps Group 21 touched down in the capital city of Tirana, Albania, around 1:30pm local time. Wow, this is really happening!

I was proud to wear my name card and accept its privileges at the first day of events in Tirana.

I did not take too many photos on my first day here, however. Our group has kept moving between modes of travel and between participatory events frequently so far on this journey. No time allocated yet for sight-seeing. And we've already had some tests, including about 20 of us having luggage items left behind in Frankfurt. Count me among the 20. I'm having to compose this entry on my Android phone instead of my comfy Chrome book. We expect to receive our luggage items, however, tomorrow afternoon.

I'm still very much in the midset of accepting whatever happens. And of being flexible. And it helps, in no small part, that being here is astonishing. The bus ride from the Tirana airport to our hotel was surreal. Except for just a handful of familiar brand names on a few stores, this is a landscape that is alien to me. I'll try to snap some photos of Tirana in the next 3 days that I'm here.

So far, here's what I know: the other volunteers are friendly and enthusiastic; the staff seems capable and attentive; although I have anxieties, I have a strong sense that I'm not alone here;... and the jet lag is punishing, so I'm calling it a first post. Listening to the Stranger Than Fiction movie soundtrack to play us out.

Zzzzzzzzz....