I just read an amazing post by my friend, you can read it here I am an adventurer. Bravo to living and following dreams! And she is right, you are not too fat, too old, nor too poor to follow them. I am sitting here jamming with my wireless headset, listening to Albanian music and remembering. Remembering this summer when I threw caution and bank book to the wind and flew to Pristina, Kosovo (Albanian - Prishtinë, Kosova or Kosovë) in Europe to marry my sweetheart. We had met online the beginning of the year, and as crazy as it sounds, I didn't care, because we knew we were for each other.
I was nervous....my first flight outside the USA, and a 15 hour flight with 3 hops and 4 airports. Chicago > Brussels > Budapest > Prishtina, and I only speak English. My fears were unfounded though, because all I needed to do was follow the "Transfer" signs. Everyone in the service industry speaks English and umpteen other languages. Announcements were always in three languages including English. Finally the long flight was behind me and there he was, standing in the doorway of the airport. The rest is history, our story.
We spent a wonderful 6 weeks together. We walked all over Prishtina (because his car broke down forever on day 3). We drank coffee together in coffee shops (they are all over Prishtina) and shared stories about our life experiences. We walked along Mother Theresa Boulevard at night and listened to live bands. We walked all the way down to the statue of Skanderbeg. We shopped together and cooked together and chatted with family (even though I only know maybe 5 words in Albanian). We got married at the Municipality in Prishtina. Then we went by tour bus to Albania. We swam in the Adriatic Sea. We walked under night skies so dark I could see the Milky Way. We bruised our feet on rocky back roads in Velipoja and sat on the balcony of our room to catch the cool night air. We came back to Kosovo and time was coming to a close. Leaving was hard, so hard. But I had all the documents to bring to the immigration lawyer. I left with bags stuffed to the gills with gifts, clothes, a cup and saucer set from Turkey, a gjezve from Slovenia for making coffee, and a tepsija (pan for baking burek), and my hubby's Albanian-English dictionary.
My Adventurer friend often speaks of dancing like no one is watching. I did, and I am. Literally, my heart is dancing, and I grab my little weights and and I dance to one my favorite Alban Skenderaj songs Rrufe Ne Qeill Te Hapur. It's a great workout song. I pick up a few more Albanian words and surprise hubby. And then I get back to work, so I can afford to bring my hubby to me.
I was nervous....my first flight outside the USA, and a 15 hour flight with 3 hops and 4 airports. Chicago > Brussels > Budapest > Prishtina, and I only speak English. My fears were unfounded though, because all I needed to do was follow the "Transfer" signs. Everyone in the service industry speaks English and umpteen other languages. Announcements were always in three languages including English. Finally the long flight was behind me and there he was, standing in the doorway of the airport. The rest is history, our story.
We spent a wonderful 6 weeks together. We walked all over Prishtina (because his car broke down forever on day 3). We drank coffee together in coffee shops (they are all over Prishtina) and shared stories about our life experiences. We walked along Mother Theresa Boulevard at night and listened to live bands. We walked all the way down to the statue of Skanderbeg. We shopped together and cooked together and chatted with family (even though I only know maybe 5 words in Albanian). We got married at the Municipality in Prishtina. Then we went by tour bus to Albania. We swam in the Adriatic Sea. We walked under night skies so dark I could see the Milky Way. We bruised our feet on rocky back roads in Velipoja and sat on the balcony of our room to catch the cool night air. We came back to Kosovo and time was coming to a close. Leaving was hard, so hard. But I had all the documents to bring to the immigration lawyer. I left with bags stuffed to the gills with gifts, clothes, a cup and saucer set from Turkey, a gjezve from Slovenia for making coffee, and a tepsija (pan for baking burek), and my hubby's Albanian-English dictionary.
Me in front of the statue of the great Albanian warrior, George Kastrioti Skanderbeg (Albanian - Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu)
My Adventurer friend often speaks of dancing like no one is watching. I did, and I am. Literally, my heart is dancing, and I grab my little weights and and I dance to one my favorite Alban Skenderaj songs Rrufe Ne Qeill Te Hapur. It's a great workout song. I pick up a few more Albanian words and surprise hubby. And then I get back to work, so I can afford to bring my hubby to me.
Coffee set, tiny spoons, bag of finely ground coffee and a gjezve for cooking it
Tepsija - this is a very small one! But it had to fit in my luggage LOL
Napkins from places where we ate and food labels. I love Jeta burgers! I don't know what they put on them but I order them with everything. I love burek, too, and mantia me mish, and it's a yogurt-lover's paradise over there! Lots and lots of yogurt, all kinds and flavors. And Dannon, too LOL!!
Yummy so sinfully yummy almond sugar cookies drenched in syrup
Kosovo has very good spring water!
Gifts from my new family. I used the cam on my laptop to take the picture. You can see it reflected in the glass.
Diten e mir
1 comments:
:-) I'm really happy for you!!
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