Every time someone moves to a new country, something interesting happens.
Suddenly, they become the unofficial ambassador for where they live.
- Top ten reasons to move here.
- The cheapest places to rent.
- The best cafés.
- The hidden gems.
There is nothing wrong with that. It is useful for many people.
It is just not the story I want to tell.
I did not move to Albania to convince other people to move to Albania.
- I moved here to build a life.
- To build a business.
- To build community.
To see what happens when you start over in a place where almost nobody knows your name.
The interesting part is not Albania.
The interesting part is what living here is teaching me.
- It is teaching me patience.
- It is teaching me that belonging takes time.
- It is teaching me that community is built one conversation at a time.
- It is teaching me that some of the biggest opportunities begin with simply showing up consistently.
That is also why Mary in the Balkans is not a travel blog.
It is a documentary.
A record of the conversations, mistakes, lessons, friendships, businesses, and communities that are growing from this chapter of my life.
- Some stories will happen in Durrës.
- Some in Tirana.
- Some in Kosovo, North Macedonia, or elsewhere in the Balkans.
But they are not really about the places.
They are about people.
If these reflections help someone feel less alone while building a life somewhere unfamiliar, then they have done their job.
I am not here to tell you where to move.
I am here to document what it looks like to build something meaningful wherever you find yourself.
Question: If you have ever lived somewhere other than where you grew up, what is the biggest lesson that place has taught you?
