Category Archives: Peace Corps

Press, Progress, and Pogradec

Press, Progress, and Pogradec.

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Football Season Opener, Wedding Season Closer

Originally posted on WildKat Formation:
Last Saturday, instead of watching football, I went to a wedding. Two well-known facts about me: 1) I love sports. 2) I dread going weddings. So this decision was very out-of-character, but part of joining…

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The Albanian Workplace

Every Peace Corps Volunteer signs a dotted line on their application acknowledging the fact that service is challenging both physically and mentally. I was well aware that Peace Corps service would be difficult before I arrived in Elbasan for orientation. … Continue reading

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Try A Little Harder: An Expat’s Plea

Originally posted on WildKat Formation:
If you’ve never been in a situation where everyone around you speaks a different language, where the man at the post office is talking at rapid-fire speed and you can’t understand a thing, where you…

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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Brownies and Bucket Showers

Originally posted on WildKat Formation:
The Good: After a frustrating Week 2 at-site in beautiful Kavajë, I decided to do what I did in the States to relieve stress: bake. School had ended–or, rather, it was the last week of…

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Avash, avash!

I’m only a week away from my three-month mark, and I can’t believe how much has happened in just twelve weeks! On May 30th I graduated from Pre-Service Training and moved from my host family in Librazhd (east-central Albania) to … Continue reading

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MTV Cribs: Posh Corps Albania Edition

Originally posted on WildKat Formation:
When I first submitted my Peace Corps application, I fully expected that I’d be living in a mud hut with no electricity or running water somewhere in the Sahara Desert. I imagined taking bucket showers…

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25 Things I Learned in Pre-Service Training

Originally posted on WildKat Formation:
Technically I’m not a Peace Corps Volunteer until this Thursday morning, when I will be officially sworn in. I get to dress up nice and have pictures taken of me and recite an oath like…

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“Would You Like Some Carbs with Those Carbs?”: Albanian Food

Originally posted on WildKat Formation:
I love food. Let me say that again: I LOVE FOOD. I get more excited about food than almost anything else…with the possible exception of sports (real ones, not like golf or soccer), baby animals,…

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Furgons: Getting into Vans with Strangers

Originally posted on WildKat Formation:
I’ve been in Albania for six weeks and some things about living here are already starting to feel normal to me. The power randomly shutting off while you’re taking a shower? Normal. Seven-year-old boys yelling…

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