Welcome to The Albania Dispatch
The Albania Dispatch is my attempt at making sense of the life I lead in the beautiful country of double-breasted eagles, Albania.
Albania is an incredible country with much to offer. Breathtaking mountain vistas, stunning Mediterranean beaches, delicious food, and a warm and inviting culture have turned this former Communist enclave, closed off to the world until the 90s, into one of Europe’s hottest new tourism destinations.
Join me as I unpack the country’s dense history, translate cryptic yet hilarious idioms, explore ancient myths about the unique legendary creatures that once walked these lands, and talk about what it’s like to be a foreigner in a 99% ethnically homogenous country.
It’s Albania. We’ve got a lot to cover! Hit subscribe to never miss an update.
What Can I Expect if I Subscribe?
Great question.
I’m a writer and traveler. The more of Albania I experience and see, the more I want to share it with the outside world.
I generally post content that falls under one of these categories on a weekly or biweekly basis:
Travel diaries and itineraries: if you enjoy travel and want to discover Albania, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll share my favorite spots in this country and help you learn more about where to visit.
Culture and history: Albania lies in the heart of the Balkans, a corner of the world known for intense and vibrant cultural clashes. A country that’s been invaded and dominated by multiple cultures, empires and states, I like to delve into Albania’s history and culture to help travelers learn more about life, past and present, in this hidden gem.
Legends: The ancient Illyrians, the forefathers of modern-day Albanians, were a paganistic tribe deeply connected to its land and nature. Albania is, therefore, chock-full of ancient myths about legendary creatures like the ora fairies, as well as stories about the origins of some of the animals that roam the countryside today. I explore these and other myths that form the backbone of Albanian culture.
Fiction: I am writing a second novel that takes place in Albania. I sporadically write fiction about my new home country and will publish it here.
A Little About Me
My name is Harel (pronounced ha-RELL) and I moved here in April 2021. I started this newsletter to share my experiences living in Albania as a foreigner with the world.
I was born in Israel and grew up in the United States, where I studied and eventually started a short-lived career in data analytics.
But I was deeply unhappy and needed to make some big changes to my life. During the pandemic, like many people, the forced reprieve from social interactions helped me realize what was important to me and helped me get unstuck.
I started traveling a few years ago - I was inspired to visit Colombia after watching the Netflix series Narcos (I know…cliche). It was an eye-opening experience.
Spending a month alone in a country where I knew nobody completely changed my life and galvanized me to continue exploring this beautiful planet we inhabit. I loved the freedom you can only experience by leaving home and interacting with new cultures and people. The way you get to know yourself in new and foreign environments helped me grow a lot as an individual and to discover myself.
(If you’re curious to learn more about my personal life, I write a little bit about leaving the US in this post.)
So, since Colombia, I’ve visited some thirty countries.
The past three years have seen my life get a little more simplified: I love to travel and write, and I try to focus on pursuing these two passions. I’m also currently working on a tourism project I hope will come to fruition in the next half-year in Albania.
If you subscribe, you’ll get to hear all about it!
What Else?
So happy you asked!
Traveling has helped me refocus on my goals, and I recently achieved the biggest one, my lifelong dream of becoming a published author.
My first novel, The New Angels, is out now, available for purchase on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle eBook, as well as in-person in Tirana (get in touch if you’re around and would like a signed copy).
I’m working on the next one as we speak! I run a fantastic writing group called the Tirana Writing Club, which meets once a week. It’s a space for writers to develop themselves and get feedback and support from others. If you’re around and want to meet creative people and get some writing done, feel free to get in touch via the Instagram page.
That’s all for now. I’d love to hear how you discovered my newsletter and learn more about my subscribers and followers. Feel free to leave a comment below to tell me a little bit about why you subscribed, what brought you here and what you love about Albania, writing or traveling. Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook if you’d like!
