Discovering Albania

More and more travel reporters are finally discovering Albania, and their articles now appear on Internet almost daily. Some of them also created lovely blogs about their experiences in the country, such as Carol Pucci, who writes for The Seattle Times.

Her recent article prompted me to read her blog about Albania. There she discloses the fact that she may have Albanian ancestry, as proven by her extended trip into southern Italy, where she could find family roots.

I can attest to the changes mentioned in her article because of my frequent trips to Albania over the past 17 years. Overheard comments from foreign business visitors while traveling to Tirana always confirmed my judgment.

In the early days it was hard to impress upon the locals I knew that what was evolving after more than half a century of hideous dictatorship was noticeable and remarkable. They were too busy trying to grasp what it meant to emerge from a long term isolationist past, and learning how to deal with sudden regained freedom. Now, after almost 2 decades of slow, and at times painful development, there is a greater awareness, thank goodness. With it comes more positive thinking, and greater hopes for the future, but also a host of other drawbacks, which naturally stem from being free. They are too complex to be discussed in this context, but need to be watched, studied, and eventually conquered.