Ahh . . . To Be 65 Again!
Actually, I’d be just as happy being 82 again! (88 arrives in just six weeks!) My expectation has been to live to age 96 with as much energy as I had when I was 82, especially since I was so…
Jennifer Grainger Schoenborn
Farmaci
Albanian pharmacies (farmacis) operate very differently from US pharmacies. First, they are located everywhere. I am not exaggerating. There are four in our neighborhood within a block or two of each other. Secondly, just like the doctors here, 99% of…
Guest Video of Tirana at Christmas
Some time back I blogged about needing to get a GoPro camera so we could show you our most wonderful neighborhood, special places in town, and the thrill of taxi rides in this auto-congested city that rival the adrenaline surge…
Christmas Eve Dinner at Tony’s
We had an early Christmas Eve dinner (4:00 pm) at Tony’s American Restaurant, a mere ten-minute stroll from our apartment. Tony’s is the restaurant where we had a lovely traditional Thanksgiving dinner last month. I was quite miffed at myself…
Getting Around Without Owning a Car
A major blessing of living in Tirana, the capital of Albania, is that there’s no need to own a car. Most of what I need is within walking distance. Buses abound and are cheap (0.40 lek $0.46). Taxis are everywhere…
Me and the Bidet
Our apartment master bath includes a bidet. I had no idea how to use it. The thought that I should ask somebody came and went until I thought it was too late to admit I hadn’t used it since I’d…
The Challenge of the Albanian Language
When I use an Albanian phrase in my day-to-day encounters with Albanians, I’m always treated to approving encouragement (often accompanied with a little smile/giggle). Whether the smile/giggle is because I’ve butchered the phrase or because they approve of my moderate…
Video Tour of Our City, Tirana
I wanted to do some videos of our neighborhood but I am a little embarrassed to walk around with my phone on the end of a selfie stick, so we have been shopping for a GoPro camera. In the meantime…
Dinner Guests of an Albanian Family
We are in our tenth month of living in Albania. Our 1,000 lek ($11.50) per-hour-three-hours-once-a-week-cleaning lady, Flora Hyseni has been with us from our first week. She came to us via referral from Sonila, our go-to guide from the ExPatsInAlbania.com…
www.ExPatsInAlbania.com
A Little Background My blog post “Deciding to Retire in Albania” posted July 9, 2025 details the circuitous route that led us from originally targeting Bulgaria as our retirement destination to switching to Albania. This happened about a month before…
Date Night in Tirana
Barry and I don’t have “Date Night” on the calendar. It is more of a spur of the moment thing when one of us invites the other out. If it’s a middle-of-the-day invite it’s to go out for coffee (hot…
Fine Dining in Tirana
Barry discovered a charming restaurant down a side street that is just a three-minute walk from our apartment. It’s called Restorant Berlin (I don’t know why) and has been in business since 1992. Check it out here: We were…
Learning Albanian Phrases
I am progressing with the Albanian language from one-word statements like hello, good, thank you, etc. to phrases: mirë pafshim (goodbye) or just pafshim (bye) and kalofshi e mirë (have a nice day). I know “thank you” is technically two words…
Jennifer’s Health Care Odyssey
If you saw my previous post: Albanian Health Care System posted on August 9, 2025 you know I injured my neck by spending a lazy Sunday reading a book. I was stretched out on the couch with my neck resting…
Albanian Health Care System
Living in Tirana, the capital, gives us access to top quality medical care at very affordable rates. Because medical care is so inexpensive, we chose the minimum health insurance coverage required to qualify for residency. It covers catastrophic events. BUT…
Establishing Our Essential Basics
When Barry and I made the decision to leave the US and make a new home in Albania we agreed we’d be graceful when encountering bureaucracy. There’d be no grousing or grumbling. We were prepared to embody flexibility and adaptability.…
Arriving in Albania
Late afternoon, Wednesday November 6th It took a bit of time to connect with our luggage once we landed in Tirana. We finally spotted our bags in a holding area staffed with three employees. Once they verified our nine suitcases…
Deciding to Retire in Albania
What Led Me to Retire Now I have been working since I was twelve years old. First as a babysitter and then at after-school jobs—first as an usherette in the local theatre followed by a stint as a dime store…