Leaving Isa Boletini

Its been a long time since writing... so I almost don't know where to begin – except I've chosen one place to start writing about. I'm leaving the Isa Boletini neighbourhood... That's a strange thing... For the last month or so I've had all my house packed up – ready to leave – part of me couldn't even face being back in my apartment in the last several weeks, and as I write about it here now – part of me feels pretty sad to leave it all. The funny thing is – I don't even know where I'm moving to yet – I've just had this urge to leave...

Sounds like the Joni Mitchell song!

“I get the urge for going, but I never seem to go. I get the urge for going when the meadow grass is turning brown. Summertime is falling down and winter closing in...”

Unlike the song though - I know the reason I'm moving on – and its nothing so adventurous as having a nomadic soul! I came to accept that it just isn't healthy living with a broken down bathroom that shares the smells and leaks of the apartments upstairs and downstairs. It's time to go... its a broken down apartment that I grew to really like and gave my best and it became home – but it was also kind of lonely and kind of smelly! So my bags are packed and I've nowhere yet to go.

Every day I meet the people outside – neighbours that have little shops and nik-naks for sale. They've all grown affectionate towards me. When I see Isa looking out to the mountains in the north and the old apartment blocks – I just feel affection for Albania and wish I knew the country better, wish I was more involved in its life, but as ever I know that it will take its own time, and at least I am fortunate to have a beginning here.

I've travelled around in the last couple of months and been kind of transient – been in different Albanian cities and even to Montenegro. I've been in conferences, on holiday, in language courses, been with my new Albanian and International friends, staying round at their places overnight quite often and even been with my parents for two and a half weeks, I've begun the work of research that I came here for – and I'm growing in my life here – finding an identity in Shkoder, in Albania. I'm longing to be effective. I'm living out the normal Christian life of needing the Lord and enjoying Him and working through a hundred questions about myself and the world! I'm back on blogger and I'm well, and someday soon I'll really be leaving the Isa Boletini neighbourhood....