Yesterday we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Albanian Independence from Ottoman rule here in Shkoder. We opted to forgo all the festivities that were going on in Tirana and Vlora and instead spent it in my own historic home, with my uncle Deda and Aunt Bardha, who have lived almost as long as the signing of the Independence and could provide us with more historical  information than we would ever have gotten had we stayed out in the cold all day among the masses.

Albania is on the right path, however there are still insurmountable problems to be ironed out. They have a long way to go but let’s remember it has only been 20 years since the fall a horrible regime, a time when the people were being in held in such a tight communist grip that all they had to eat was 1 kilo of meat per week, some not even that. The stories are many…We have to look to the future now, being mindful of never forgetting the past, with optimism and hope and resolve.

Together Albania can and will become a shining beacon among their Balkan neighbors!

Gezuar!