We arrived in Albania six days ago. Since then our schedule has been packed with school time, meeting new people, and eating good food.

One thing I was quick to notice was how warm the people were while maintaining a quiet and composed nature. Americans are loud and take up a lot of room.

We walk 10 minutes every morning to get to the church that has good Wi-Fi so we can do our school and along the way we see a lot of animals. In particular there are a lot of birds kept in cages hanging from the trees. They are outside where they are meant to be, but they are not free. We also see sweet dogs who love attention, but don’t have the normal excitement dogs get when you offer them pets. In a way it mirrors the Albanian people. Thirty-five years ago Albania became a nation free from communism. Many people I have met here remember those times of growing up in a controlled environment. The people have been set free but have yet to see the amount of freedom that comes from leaving the cage. Some, like the birds, stay in the cage merely looking out at the world they live in. Some, like the dogs, enjoy the attention they are given, but don’t fully understand the freedom they have. I am excited to continue to see these amazing people walk in the freedom that they have been given.