My name is Vivian Mançellari. I’m a 26-year-old journalist from a land far, far away: Albania. I am — or by the time this goes to print, was — the intern who was never sent to get the coffee nor was told to “go fetch.
” To quote the big boss, I worked my tail off, or at least I tried to make the most of my time there. From the first day to the last, I kept getting asked about my experience working and briefly living in the U.S.
Some of the curious would come up to me with a sparkle in their eyes, expecting a five-star review of their lovely country. Others, less optimistic, would ask these questions with a look of fear on their faces, as if to say, “Please don’t be brutally honest.” Then I would meet the occasional Shqipe, who would immediately ask “Shqiptare je moj?” (Are you Albanian?) As someone who got to live two lives in the USA — the nine-to-five life (my actual working hours were from 10 a.
m. to 6 p.m.
) and the European tourist life — I have a few not-so-groundbreaking observations to share with whomever is interested: The only thing that shook my love at first sight for Boston was visiting Portland, Maine. However, I would be willing to rekindle that spark and have a second honeymoon with the beautiful Boston. Do I have some regrets? Would I do some things differently if I were to experience this trippy trip over again? Sure! But I’m not going to delve into the downsides, because you don’t get to be a downer when writing about the greates.