My schedule is growing, and so is my love for this country!

I am writing this from a hammock under a tree overflowing with ripe cherries. A yellow lab mix sunbathes next to me. I see mountains in the distance. Yes, I believe I have found my happy place.

I arrived in Shkoder (or Shkodra, people spell it both ways here and it's very confusing), Albania on Saturday, and was greeted at the bus stop by the owner of the hostel on a motorbike. I hopped on the back, and experienced the first motorcycle ride of my life which was slightly terrifying because apparently Albanians don't believe in lanes, but fun nevertheless. 

Shkoder is a small city, but the hostel is located about a 20 minute walk, or 5 minute bike ride from it. The grounds are fairly small, but there are over 40 fruit trees/bushes on the property, and I am taking full advantage of this. Strangely, the neighborhood I'm in has reminded me very slightly of Corinto/Chinandega.  Maybe it's because I haven't been in a neighborhood outside a city like this since I've been traveling, but between the flat land, abundance of bikers, mountains (or volcanoes, in Nicaragua's case) in the distance, and colorful houses closed off by iron gates, they definitely share similarities. The similarities may not be all that notable, but they do add up. 

My few days here, while very enjoyable, have been sloooow. As many people know, I have a strong affinity towards sloths, and these last couple days have me feeling very sloth like. We have one guest right now who arrived this morning, but other than that, the hostel has been pretty empty. I help clean, do laundry, and other household duties, and the rest of my time is spent lounging around. I pick cherries and other fruits, walk Tia the dog (named after the abreviation for the Tirana airport), climb trees, lay in hammocks, explore the city on my bike, and eat cheap and yummy food. Right now I'm battling a particularly nasty cold, so hopefully that clears up soon. The hostel is about a 20 minute bike ride from Lake Skader, and while I haven't been yet, I'm looking forward to going soon. However on my first day we did drive to a cliff jumping spot (with another volunteer who has now left) where I jumped in and swam in the bluest waters I have seen in my life. The water was such bright turquoise it looked like someone had dyed it! I'm here until the end of June, after which I go to Greece, but during my time here I'm looking forward to relaxing, cooking (it's so nice to be in a place for an extended amount of time and buy perishable food!), and doing some day and weekend trips to nearby areas.