If there’s one question that keeps popping up again and again, it’s, “Why Albania???”
As a Worldschooling family of three with a deep wanderlust in our hearts, there aren’t too many places on the planet that we *don’t* want to go. Personally, I’m of the mind that if I haven’t been there yet, I probably want to go. And if I have already been there, then I probably have a long list of things I want to experience again, or things I didn’t get to do the last time around, that give me reason to want to go back!
So, how on *earth* did we end up in Albania, of all places???
Our family arrived here seemingly on a whim from Italy, on the advice of my friend and business mentor, Monique Alvarez. She’d been raving about it last summer when she lived here in the capital city of Tirana with her husband and two young boys. We’ve fallen in love with it for so many more reasons than the ease with which we transitioned or the affordable cost of living.
Albania is a gorgeous and welcoming country, and its capital really has big-city aspirations and a small-town vibe. The people we’ve met have been nothing but warm and friendly, and they’re eager to share their culture and customs. Many people in the service industry speak English well, in addition to other languages, so it’s not impossible to get by with little to no Albanian proficiency. Smaller cities are easily accessible for day trips or weekend getaways, and there is so much untapped beauty on offer.
If Albania has not been on your radar as a European destination, I highly recommend that you reconsider this gem of the Balkans!!! 