An end of sorts

This week marks the last week of training. Our languages classes are over, we had our final tests last week, and we have our final assessment interviews with our program managers over the next few days. Thursday we will all be sworn in as official volunteers by the Ambassador and then head off to our sites. It's a pretty exciting time but it's also bittersweet for those of us who have become very close with our host families.

Over the last ten weeks my host family has done so much more for me than I imagined they would when I arrived on their door step. Not that I had low expectations, but I really had no idea what to expect. I had no idea that they would come to mean so much to me.

They helped me with the language so much that I give them almost as much credit as I do my teachers for my level of Shqip. They've helped me integrate by bringing me to parties and family gatherings. They've taught me how to cook some new foods and play some new games. I've translated American movies subtitled in Greek into Shqip for them and they've broken down what was going on in Shqiptar films and television so that I could understand them better. They are always asking about what my life was like before I came here and what America is like. Whenever I tell them I've talked with my family and friends back home they ask how they are doing and want to learn more about them. We've talked a lot about the differences between politics here and in America. We've went on long hikes in the hills and bunkers in the surrounding area and played many games of futboll. They've helped my training group with projects and let us pester them with new phrases and questions when we learned them in class.  They helped us deal with the very few problems we had in the village as well. We've shared tons of laughs and even a few scary times ( like when Ben broke his leg and when we thought Vasil had broken his arm).  

Honestly when I read back over this list it all seems so small. I know they've done a million and one things to help me in the short time that I've been here. No list could ever encompass what they've done for me. I'm just glad I'll have the next two years to say thank you.