Monday, February 29, 2016

I'm Coming Home!

Partying it up on my 34th birthday, wearing the official group 17 shirt and new qeleshe hat (gift from my friend Arbi)

It's official! My last day as a Peace Corps Volunteer here in Albania will be May 18th, 2016.

I will be returning to the United States (after a few short excursions) in late May, 2016. After all, if you were living in Europe, wouldn't you visit another country for the price of a domestic trip within the US? Although money is getting quite tight (read: extremely tight) after having lived off of bare minimum Peace Corps "wages," I think it worth it to visit a few capital cities before I head back. I'm thinking Istanbul,  Athens, & Reykjavik.

One of my Albanian friends in Librazhd

Also, after careful consideration, I have decided to move to the Washington, DC area for the next phase of my life. Although I've considered San Francisco/Bay Area/San Jose my home for most of my life, I feel that at this point I'd very much like to spend more time with my east-coast family (brother's family, aunts, uncles and cousins). I will also be starting my journey to become a Psychiatric Nurse. That means returning to school after a 11 year break (since graduating from UC Berkeley). I'm very excited to start on the path towards nursing practice, after all these years! I will have a nice chunk of time visiting my home base in SF/Bay Area, from late May through June. I'm looking forward to having many coffees and catching up with friends and family during this time - oh, and finding work and a place to live. lol

My home for the last two years

I still have about two and a half months left in my service and I still have two grants outstanding (Breast Cancer Rural Outreach, and LGBT Community Outreach). I have to finish and report out for both of these projects by mid-April. Doable, but not without its share of hustle. Hustle hustle hustle. It's not a bad thing. Quite the opposite. I appreciate the ability to do such work here in Albania. Both projects are nearing completion, so that's encouraging. So far, through these projects...

At least 186 women living in isolated, rural areas of eastern Albania have received education on Breast Cancer - have gained knowledge on how to do a self-exam and can identify signs, symptoms, and risk factors. 


More than 150 students and community members in communities across Albania have gained awareness and deeper understanding regarding the LGBT civil rights movement in Albania, and have had a chance to ask questions, engage in critical thinking, and interact with an LGBT person (many for the first time).


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