I was born just outside of a small town called Wadebridge in the south west of England. Cornwall, the county of which Wadebridge is a part, is a sleepy, green, paradise lined with golden beaches, stunning moorland, and thick, pine forests. Chimneys left over from the era of tin mining permeate the skylines, but now, income for the area is generated predominantly by tourism and fishing.
At the age of 17, I moved to Bristol- the biggest city in the south-west and around 2 hours outside of London. Bristol is a beautiful place- bohemian, loud, multicultural and vibrant- the air smells of weed and jerk chicken, reggae reverberates through the streets, and multicoloured terraced houses line the surrounding hillsides, creating a mosaic of sorts against the velvety green backdrop. I studied in first photography and fine art, and then law in Bristol for several years before deciding that I wasn’t really born for this climate. Rain, grey skies, wind, and around 3 weeks of sunshine every year was not warming enough for my summer soul, so I packed my bags on a whim and moved to the island of Malta.
I spent around 10 years living on this small Mediterranean island. I worked in fashion before moving into marketing, working consecutively for two local law firms. After years of grinding the corporate axe, I decided to go freelance as a writer and marketing consultant and I have not looked back since.
I write on a variety of subjects- politics, financial services, fintech, women’s rights, travel, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology. I write for local and international news and media portals and do a lot of ghostwriting for senior figures in the world of technology and politics, as well as campaigning for social issues such as environmental consciousness, women’s rights, domestic violence awareness and prevention, and the rights of the LGBTI community. I believe passionately in the right for equality in all aspects of our society and I use my words at any opportunity to express my desires and concerns.
After 10 years in Malta, I ventured to Cyprus to pursue a short-term project. Whilst the island and its people are beautiful, I struggled to feel at home. Then, by accident in October 2017, I touched down in Tirana. What started as a holiday, bloomed into a full-blown love affair and my three-day visit turned into a long-term venture.
Within my first two weeks in Tirana, I had met such a wonderful selection of people, as well as had the creative fire within me, well and truly reignited. Returning to Malta, I packed up my belongings and to cats (Fernando and Ophelia) and I returned to the beautiful and vibrant city that had so captured my imagination. I moved in with a friend, fell in love with an Albanian man, and felt more at home here than I ever did before.
I started this blog because in my line of work, I am always being paid to write. More pertinently, I am being paid to write what someone tells me to write- whether it is an editor, a corporate client, or a politician- I am often bound by guidelines and rules. I also began to miss the days I spent as a child, scribbling descriptions of the world around me, writing poems, and creating length and expressive articles on whatever subject popped into my head. My desire to be creative and unbridled had returned, and Albania was fuelling the fire.
Not only did I want to write about my thoughts, experiences, and personal journey, but I also wanted to show my friends and family (and the outside world) what this Balkan gem was really like. When I say that I live in Albania, I am often met with a reaction of confusion- people either know nothing about it or have incorrectly negative preconceptions. My aim is not to whitewash everything and present only the good things, but to write about the good people and experiences I have.
I am aware this country has its issues, and I am aware of the simmering anger that lies just beneath the paper-thin surface of society, but I don’t feel it is my place to comment, nor do I want to. If you want to read about corruption, violence, and depressing topics, I invite you to go and read any other newspaper or just switch on your television. Albania and Albanian people are not defined by corrupt leaders or institutions, they are defined by their spirit, heart and soul and this is what I want to focus on. I want to tell a positive tale about the beautiful things that happen here, despite the prevailing social unrest. When I choose to tackle delicate issues such as LGBTI rights or the shocking rate of domestic violence, then I shall do so in a constructive way, drawing on my experience as an activist in these fields.
If you don’t agree with what I write, that is your prerogative but I will certainly not change my style, topics, or viewpoint. If you wish to correct me on something, please be prepared to do so with unbiased, reliable sources, and if you are going to resort to trolling, then be prepared to get a rather unpleasant response. You see, I am not one to mince my words and my blunt manner and no-nonsense attitude is something I have lovingly cultivated over 31 years. I make no apologies and I am here to write my own narrative, not the agenda that someone wishes to force on me. I am tall, curvy, tattooed, outspoken, friendly, sensitive, liberal, open-minded, argumentative and a little volatile- just the way I like it. After living abroad for most of my adult life, I no longer consider myself English. I would say that more accurately I am half Welsh (Celtic blooded), half English with a Mediterranean soul and a Balkan temper. More than anything I am a digital nomad, a citizen of the world with a hunger to travel and explore new places, cultures, and ways of life.
I love Albania and I love the Albanian people. I love the weather, the food, the wine, the history, the art, the music, the mountains, the sea, the countryside, the architecture, and every aspect of the culture and I love to write about how I see each one of them. Thank you for letting me make this my home, thank you for your support, and thank you for following each step of my journey in this beautiful, wild, and incredibly fascinating place.
Follow The Balkanista!
