By Kati Cheung, PCV – Albania
Mirëmëngjes, I’m Kati Cheung. I’m a Peace Corps health volunteer serving in Albania. I’m almost halfway through service, which is incredible to me. I feel like I just arrived in Albania, but also that I’ve experienced more than one year could possibly hold, and that’s not to say Peace Corps service is a constant string of big, exciting events. Really, so much of service is actually those quiet moments. It’s moments of self-reflection. Quietly sharing coffee when the language barrier is too great and noticing the subtle points of connection happening in my community.
Peace Corps service is interesting because it requires us volunteers to be self-starters who are highly independent yet passionate about developing relationships. It can sometimes feel like a big thing when you’re in a completely new place, but I think the best things happen in Peace Corps service when you’re building new relationships.
I’m so thankful the Albanians have made me feel incredibly welcomed into their culture and community. Albanians are incredibly generous! When I go on a walk, it seems that at every turn I’m given freshly picked fruits, and even after they fill my hands with them, they’re still shoveling more into my pockets or anywhere else they can put them. One of my big goals in my time in Albania is to become just a little more Albanian in my generosity. For Albanians, it’s not about how much I have to give, but about having that posture of sharing what I do have.
Over the past year, I have been constantly stretched in countless ways. It’s one thing to try to figure out a new job, but another when you’re also uncovering all the layers of cultural differences and navigating them in a new language to oneself. It’s been gratifying to see my capacity expand over the past year. One of the most fun parts of being here has been seeing how Albanians might differ from me in their views on family, respect, or productivity, and then having time to reflect on my own definitions of those things and ask myself how those different understandings can be merged or coexist.
I think “humble” and “grateful” are the words that come most to mind from my whole Peace Corps experience. It’s been humbling to be welcomed into my Albanian community as the only foreigner, and to be part of the changes they want to see in my village. They might not be changes that I see happen during my few years here, but regardless of what happens down the road, I’m just happy to be part of the work they’re doing to get there now. I’m so grateful for that opportunity.
To me, that’s what Peace Corps service is all about.
