Life Before Blogging
My life before blogging was quite different. Most people find it hard to believe but I studied sport management at university. I graduated with honors when I received my bachelor’s and master’s degree.
Unfortunately, even after rigorous studying, volunteering, and internships, I still couldn’t land a job in my field. I started taking it as a sign.
Do I really want to spend most of my life in a cubicle? I decided to think about alternative lifestyles and meanwhile, my love of travel had been growing. People around me encouraged me to start a travel blog, which I mostly ignored until finally I sporadically bought a domain.
This is where Maptrekking was born – a site focused on helping others slow travel and work exchange to have more immersive travel experiences.
Where I’ve Landed
After living abroad in Scotland and Ireland and even the south of Albania, I’ve settled in Shkoder – Albania’s ancient city. Since I’ve been living here, I’ve grown to love northern Albania.
I’ve realized how many attractions are still very much undiscovered here. This is why I wanted to start a site dedicated to creating helpful guides for exploring northern Albania.
Why Northern Albania?
There’s just something special about northern Albania. Not only does it feel more green and lush all year around, but there is a unique north Albanian culture. The official dialect of Albania is Tosk, which the south uses.
The Gheg dialect is spoken in a region called Ghegeria. Usually, the areas where Gheg is spoken are considered ‘northern Albania’ – so anything north of the capital, Tirana. You can’t miss this underrated region since it’s distinct from the rest of Albania.
When visiting, you can learn about the deep history, try the unique foods, and discover the stunning natural beauty for yourself. Here are a few reasons why you should visit Northern Albania.
– It’s easy to find peace
– There are many underrated and unknown places to visit
– Learn more about traditional northern Albania customs
– A lot of incredible traditional foods