Living in Albania: Is Pepsi Okay?

They love Americans, but American consumerism has yet to seep in.

Photo by Xhoni Mykaj on Unsplash

I don’t often move, but when I do, I really move. 

If you’re new to reading me, or if, I don’t know, you have a life with your own responsibilities and things to take care of, you might not have known that I called South America home for almost four years. Three of those years were in Argentina. 

My time in Argentina ran its course, and for more than a few reasons, I decided it was time to leave (I can cover those reasons in another post). However, I wasn’t ready to move back to the States yet (honestly, I'm not sure when that will happen), so I needed a new place to call home. 

There are a few requirements of any new country, but the two main are my ability to remain in the country for the long term (a year or so) without a filing cabinet worth of paperwork, and most importantly, it needs to allow my dog in. My dog, Leela, is a three-legged pit bull mix that I’ve had since she was one (she’s ten now). Unfortunately, many countries around the globe don’t allow pit bulls in. 

Countries throughout Europe have bans, as does basically all of the Caribbean, and pockets of South America. I would have made the short(er) jump to Colombia had they accepted the import of pit bulls, but they don’t. Ironically, it’s perfectly legal to own one in the country, you just can’t bring one in. 

So, we set our sights on Albania. Now, I wouldn’t call the Balkans country that hugs the Adriatic Sea (with Greece to the south) popular, but it’s certainly picked up steam in recent years. Plus, with nations like Spain and Portugal starting to look down on international expats, digital nomads, and other long-stay visitors, Albania has gobbled up many of these individuals.  

I’ve been here a few weeks, and while I will be writing a longer piece for International Living (I’ll provide that link once it’s live), I wanted to fill you in on what it’s like, and maybe cram in some details I wasn’t able to for the other story.

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First, Albania loves Americans. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a country that so fully embraced people from the States. I was on a train in Thailand when Obama won his first term, and a local in the car was super pumped about it, but that’s about it (I know a ton of South Americans who were pumped about Trump too, so make it as you will). 

How much does Albania love the U.S.? I walk down George W. Bush Avenue every day to go to the gym, and many shopping bags have the American flag on them. I’m guessing your first question is, “Why the hell does such a random country love the United States?” Some questions are difficult to answer. I’m still not sure why there’s a statue of John F. Kennedy in the middle of Lima’s Miraflores district. Thankfully, I can answer this question.