Off the Beaten Path

Since coming to Albania for the very first time in 2017, my eyes were opened. It was a country I’d not heard of before, and honestly had to Google where it even was before getting on the flight. But upon arriving not only did I fall in love with the country, I fell in love with this new way of traveling. The kind of traveling where you skip over the places that you see all over the internet, you don’t seek out the spots that you’ve seen on Instagram. Instead, you put yourself as far away from those places as you can. You look for the beauty in the places that are overlooked, or underrated.

Since coming to Albania, my desire to go to well-known countries is slowly diminishing. I want to visit those kinds of places that are so obscure that I have to look on Google Maps to even find out where they are. Not only that, upon arriving in those countries, I want to get lost in their cultures, in the countrysides.

When people tell me they visited Albania, but didn’t even leave the capital city it almost makes me cringe. Were it not for the airport being there, I could very happily live my entire existence in Albania without setting foot in Tirana. Not because I despise Tirana, but because to me the beauty of traveling and living in another country comes in the differences. In Tirana, many people will speak English, so communicating would be too easy. In Tirana, there are shopping malls much like the ones I would find back in the United States. They have Burger King, KFC, and rumor has it that Pizza Hut will be opening soon. But that’s not why I moved outside of the United States. I didn’t pack my life into a few suitcases just to find my little comfort bubble under the rule of a different government.

When people ask me what they should do in Albania, my first answer is almost always to leave Tirana. Sure, it has its uniqueness from other big cities around the world, but at their core all big cities are more or less the same. The charm of Albania - and likely many other countries - comes in the people, the cultures, the traditions… Many of which are dwindling in the capital. It is so quickly becoming westernized that it’s becoming harder and harder to find true Albania in it. Pockets of it exist, sure, but if you want to go swimming would you rather splash from one puddle to the next or jump, headfirst into the deep end of the pool?

Before Visiting Albania

Before traveling anywhere, most people search for a few insider tips on what to expect, how to conduct yourself, and the best times and places to visit. In this video I went over all of those things so that anyone who is hoping to visit the country will get all the information they need. I discuss the currency, how to get around, the language, where to stay, and more!

If you have ever considered coming to Albania, be sure to watch this video before you arrive!

Weather

To someone who has spent time reading my website, or watching my videos, it will come as no surprise that I have had struggles with my mental health. Honestly, I’m sure I’m not alone in that by any stretch. I would even venture to say that at some point in their life everyone will wrestle with their mental health in some capacity, some more severe than others. However, what I’ve been making a more conscious effort to do over the past few years is pinpoint the triggers that cause changes in my mental health, whether that be positively or negatively.

Throughout my life, I have lived in a variety of different places and climates ranging from the overcast, dark winters of north Idaho to the seemingly perfect, sunny every day weather of the Hawaiian Islands. Without a doubt, one of the things that is guaranteed to affect my mood more than anything is weather. I know many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder, and while my experiences with weather doesn’t reach that level, it was significant enough for me to take note of.

I never noticed it during the Idaho winters until I moved away and then returned to visit. The days, weeks, or sometimes even months of seemingly endless overcast days was too much for me to handle. I could deal with the cold, or the thick blanket of snow, but not even seeing the sun would wear on me. And still does.

The sun, and its warmth, pulls me out of my bed in the mornings. It motivates me to leave the house. The heat on my skin makes me feel alive. On the flip side of that, when I wake up and see gray clouds outside of my window I’m far more likely to roll over and try to get five more minutes. As you would expect this can quickly become a problem, and destroy any kind of productivity for the rest of the day. Luckily for me, I now live in a place where this happens infrequently.

Albania, on average, has about 300 days on sunshine per year. That doesn’t mean it’s always warm and “perfect” weather like Hawaii is, but the sun is shining. It might be windy, or cold, or even a bit cloudy, but the sun is shining. And even if I have to wrap myself up in two sweatshirts, feeling the sun on my face keeps me balanced.

A week in Germany (and Switzerland...)

After a car ride to the Tiranë airport, flight to Munich, bus to Nuremberg, then car ride to Hubmersberg, I finally arrived at Hotel Lindenhof. It’s a 150 year old hotel that was built seemingly in the middle of nowhere, that has been added on to throughout the last century and a half. Because of the restaurant and bar at the hotel, many of the farmers from the surrounding area would come to have a drink or to eat with their families eventually resulting in the village of Hubmersberg being built surrounding the hotel.

Because this hotel is a partner of the organization I work for in Albania, I was asked to go and take photos in order to update their website, and have social media content. I spent a couple days at the hotel, before traveling to Switzerland and another part of Germany to take event photos for other partners of my work.

Why I Travel

It is my firm belief that everyone travels for some of the same reasons. However, it is also my firm belief that everyone travels for some different reasons. When I really sit down and pick through all the thoughts in my head I can think of countless reasons that I enjoy traveling, some of them more typical than others.

Like so many people, exploring new places is a prominent reason for me. Seeing things for the first time with my own eyes, despite never being able to be the first to discover them. Learning about new and different cultures. Broadening my experiences and knowledge so that I can better understand myself, my fellow man, and everything around us. Pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone. To grow as people we must be pushed, and the easiest way to do that is to push ourselves. Tasting new foods, hiking different trails, feeling the vibes of a city we have never been to… The list of reasons we can all relate to could go on forever. But, honestly, those all feel like the easy answers. They feel like something I would say in order to avoid diving into the real reasons…

For a long time, traveling felt like the only way I could feel appreciated. I would often choose traveling alone and meeting new people over diving deeper into preexisting relationships with friends. The depth scared me, and it seemed like if someone saw who I really was they wouldn’t come back. It happened a few times, so it seemed like a logical reason to go off in search of new acquaintances in order to protect myself from the potential hurt of being let down yet again. People seemed to enjoy talking to me at first but without a doubt, many decided their life would be better without me in it. Few cared to be loyal through my rough patches. So, I traveled in order to feel loved, even if it was only for a single conversation at a time.

Things have changed, however. Over the years I have moved into a place where I crave depth over breadth in my friendships. I have moved on from fair-weathered friends, and not shied away from showing my true self. If they don’t want to accept that, so be it, but I’m not going to run from it any longer. Life is too short.

So now, I tend to fall back to the typical reasons for travel, but with new eyes. Realizing that it could be an escape, yet not letting it be that. I could keep these experiences and wonders for myself, but that starts to feel selfish. There are wonders out there that I have been blessed to see and others have not. So I have places to show. There are adventures that I have been gifted with. So I have experience to share. There are places that are overlooked, and unknown, with some of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever known. So I have stories to tell. 

And that, is why I travel.

How to get from the Tirana Airport to the City Center

There are two main ways of getting from the Tirana International Airport to the center of the city; taxi and bus. I will give a quick rundown of both of them, but I’ll be honest, the video is very short and simple and easy to follow.

Taxi

A taxi from just outside the center to the airport cost me 2000 lek ($17.50 USD) when I last went. It was super easy, simple and quick. Just found a taxi driver parked on the street and hopped in asking him how much the trip was. The pros of the taxi are that you can get them anywhere in Tirana, they take you right to the front door of the airport, and they are usually quicker than the bus. The con, however, is the price. It may not seem like a lot to tourists, but to those of us living and working in Albania it’s a bit expensive.

Bus

You can catch the bus from the middle of Tirana to the airport for 400 lek ($3.50 USD). There is a specific Airport-Center bus that parks behind the opera building right next to Skanderbeg Square (https://goo.gl/maps/AET3nGtrUTqV1eFf6). This is both the pick up to go to the airport and the drop off when you’re coming back. The bus leaves every hour, basically on the hour, from here to drive to the airport. Pros of taking the bus are that it’s very inexpensive… And that might be it. The main con is the location. If you’re staying nearby it’s fine. If you’re staying further out of town you might need to walk a bit. The bus drop off/pick up at the airport is just outside the doors next to the rental car kiosks. It’s fairly easy to find but just watch the video below if you’re concerned. Overall, the bus is a good option. Usually pretty quick and direct and plenty of space.

Again, to see how simple it all is, just watch the video. I’ll even show you exact locations and what’s around them.

Motivation vs. Discipline

When it comes to habit building, I’ve never been the best. I get excited about something and jump into it enthusiastically. The problem arises when I have to continue that thing day after day after day. Habits aren’t built overnight, in order to make something into a habit you have to commit to doing that on a consistent basis.

I’ve always relied on motivation to do things; motivation to accomplish the goal I set for myself, motivation to get better at something, motivation to put myself in a situation to succeed. I would lift weights when I felt motivated to do it. I would make videos when I felt inspired. I would take photos when the situation was right and felt good. But motivation runs out. Whether it was a video getting fewer views, a photo not coming out the way I had envisioned it, or playing poorly in a basketball game, there were constant things that would deter my motivation. Which, as you’d expect, would result in not practicing that skill for days, weeks, and sometimes even months. I knew things would never work for me if I always relied on motivation, but I wasn’t sure where else to look.

In the video I made for my 30th birthday I asked my older siblings to give any words of wisdom they may have for me as I turned 30. One of the things my brother, Jordan, said really struck me:

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“Discipline, self-discipline, will get you to wherever you want to go, no matter where it is. Whatever you want to do in your life, wherever you want to go, whatever you want your life to look like… Discipline will get you there. A little increment every day, gets you to where you want to go.”

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This didn’t stand out to me because I had never thought of it, but rather because this was what I was trying to implement into my life. I was making a conscious effort to be a more disciplined person. So when I received a voice note from Jordan that affirmed what I had already been trying to make common practice, I doubled down.

There’s a popular YouTuber that I watch frequently, Matt D’Avella, who talks a lot about self-improvement and habit building. One of the things that he has mentioned time and time again through his videos is what he calls the Two-Day Rule. Simply put, the Two-Day Rule is that if you are trying to build a habit, you do not allow yourself to take two consecutive days off. It’s virtually impossible to do something every single day without fail, so if you give yourself enough grace to take one day off, force yourself to dive back into things the next day.

As I’ve been making an effort to train myself to become a more disciplined person, I have tried to implement this rule. When I don’t feel well enough to go to the gym, I give myself a break on the condition that I go back tomorrow - no excuses. It has helped me develop a healthy relationship with the habits that I’m trying to build and prevented me from burning out. 

I apply the same thought process into creative endeavors. Whether it’s video, photos, or writing I force myself to do something creative every day that I can. And if a day comes and goes and I can’t do it… take a beat, breathe, and get back to it tomorrow.

Lake Ohrid

A giant part of the reason I love living in Pogradec is because of Lake Ohrid. In all seasons, the lake provides incredible opportunities for photographs and is a constant source of inspiration for me. Countless people in both the Albania side and Macedonian side of the lakes depend on the lake for food, income, or livelihood. So what makes this lake so interesting, or special? I dive into the importance of the lake for the community as well as some geographical details of it in my newest video.