I spent two and a half months at the University of Vlora as part of an internship that turned out to be a truly life-changing experience. Honestly, at the beginning I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into and felt a bit anxious, but in the end, I enjoyed my stay much more than I ever expected.
I gained new skills, discovered a different working environment, and every day brought a surprise – like the university marathon, which I learned about just five minutes before the start.
The organization of the internship wasn’t exactly the best, which was hard for me to accept at first with my diligent approach, but one quickly learns that this is the Balkans. And I’d say I’ve almost become a local now – a little delay? No problem, the main thing is that I’ll get there eventually.
Some of the results of our water analyses opened my eyes and made me appreciate how good we have it in the Czech Republic. Our environmental protection is actually not that bad. Here, it’s almost nonexistent. It broke my heart every time I saw piles of waste dumped into a riverbed or in the middle of a forest. And don’t get me started on throwing huge hard-plastic water barrels into mixed garbage bins…
The workload wasn’t too demanding, which gave me plenty of free time to travel (as much as possible) across Albania. And why “as much as possible”? Because transportation here is a chapter of its own. Fixed timetables practically don’t exist, and although buses do run between cities, they are far from punctual. You’re just happy if you manage to reach your destination within the same day.
Still, Albania has a lot to offer – from its beautiful coastline to mountain hikes. You just need to endure the endless heat. People here are friendly, and I felt safe, but making deeper connections was harder – often either they don’t speak English or they are too shy to use it. One big advantage was the cheap dormitory, but it came with a catch – showers were only available two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening.
Despite all the challenges and the feeling of being in a “different world,” I made the most of every moment and definitely don’t regret it. It was an amazing opportunity to learn more patience, flexibility, and also to grow personally. I will always look back on Albania with fondness and will keep telling all the stories, which now, in hindsight, are nothing but funny.
The internship took place at Universiteti Ismail Qemali Vlorë as part of the Erasmus+ KA171 program (2023 call).
Kristýna Kantoříková
