Landings

A slight redux of Landing in Albania for the first time.

The plane skidded low across the Albanian landscape from Germany, and I could see rolling hills dotted with brightly colored houses. At least, when I was conscious. I thought that it was a great idea to stay up for the 13 hour plane ride from Washington D.C. to Munich Germany. To that end, I remember the one hour flight from Germany to Albania as a series of waking dreams, punctuated by unconsciousness, and then waking up to find a small lake of drool gathering on the tray table in front of me. This would be the beginning of a year and a half spent waking up having no idea where I am.
At one point, after realizing the torrent of drool streaming from my open mouth, and that I was sitting next to a one of the Peace Corps Volunteers in my group I decided to attempt to get to know him. I swung my head to him ladling drool back into my mouth and said something charming akin to:
“SORRYIwasjustazzzleep! Stayed up the whole flight. Di-ju sleep at all?”
I then stared red-eyed at him expecting a response as if I had spoken something like English.
“Um.” He said-
“SO WHAT KINNA MUSIK YOU LIKE!?” I yelled, not realizing my ears hadn’t popped.
“I like…” He began-


And then I was out like a light again. When I realized that it was time to animate my limbs, we were on the ground. A feeling that I would describe as incredibly hilarious terror gripped me as I realized that neither I, nor the plane would be returning to America any time soon. I gazed outside of the window, thinking that there should be more development around an international airport, and there shouldn’t be a cow grazing near the tarmac.

My first impression of Albania was that it looked like Barstow California if it had been conquered by the Ottoman Empire for a brief period. As I looked out the window I briefly questioned if I would be able to breathe the air out there.


When we finally disembarked, I took my last breath of recycled German air and took a lung full of Albania. I emerged from the airplane in a fatigue ridden giggling stupor, with blood shot eyes, and weak limbs. Upon seeing me, one would have thought that we had hot-boxed the airplane. But, I was just… so tired.
And that’s when it hit me, everybody was speaking Albanian.