The Worst Part of Living Alone in Albania 🇦🇱

[@MALBANIA]

Such an interesting and honest perspective that rarely makes it on youtube videos. Great job, and the voice content is so smooth and almost poetic. Merry Christmas with best wishes and hope you could meet with your brother! Respect from Tirana 🙏

[@atashkaj7228]

Merry Christmas and advance happy new james. Hope i meet you if im there in Albania🤗take good care always.

[@JH-me]

Ah James it’s just a few over hyped days .. Spring is just around the corner 🌼🌷

[@sadievoorn5861]

Beautiful how open and honest you are. This will be my first Christmas in Albania, and my first one ever in another country. I haven’t celebrated with family for years, it’s just me and my kids and they are here with me. I hope you still manage to find some joy and warmth this holiday season-you’re not alone in feeling this way.

[@JamesLeithart]

it seems like the holidays really hit different when kids are around! i love watching my nieces and nephews on christmas morning.

[@tonyz9384]

Happy Holidays James. May that plan be a joyful one for you and your loved ones. GOD BLESS!

[@annas.5794]

Orthodox and Catholics do celebrate Christmas in Albania in the region you are. Many churches also. Hope you can visit one and see how they do it. They would love to have you join them if you choose. Merry Christmas!

[@MrBUNNYBASS]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays James! I know very well the feeling you have in those moments. And I tell you, even sometimes with the family the holidays in Albania seem as if they don't exist. At least according to my experience of the years 2013-2017 that I lived in Albania, that's the feeling I got, those days seemed to me as if they were like any other day.

[@JamesLeithart]

yeah i can understand that. which is why i want to focus even more on trying to make them special for myself!

[@irdibasha391]

Keep your head up king

[@JamesLeithart]

doing what i can 💪

[@sixakids]

Wish we were there! Merry Christmas, James. Sending our love to you!

[@JamesLeithart]

Thanks! Merry Christmas to you as well.

[@arberia8951]

James my dear friend! You haven't made any friends there? I am sure that if you invite anyone you know they would be more than honored to celebrate with you the joy of Christmas. Everyone knows it will not be the same like back home, but it will be definitely better than by yourself. Try to enjoy Albania on behalf of the other Albanians that are not there. :) !!!!Marry Christmas James!!!!

[@JamesLeithart]

merry christmas to you too!

[@PranveraXhelilaj-p7p]

Hi James One thing I don’t understand why don’t you find a nice Albania lady than you can share the life with. They are beautiful and very family oriented. I wish you luck

[@JamesLeithart]

Thanks for the advice, but I'm not looking for a relationship right now.

[@Atdhetar]

Family oriented? 😂

[@ridik-nl8jm]

​@@AtdhetarI mean they are, but that relationships don't work like that.

[@Atdhetar]

@@ridik-nl8jm they "were", now not anymore

[@ligortreni1660]

More like money oriented 🤑

[@RovialdoKonda]

Merry Christmas James 🎄

[@laertimeri2575]

This video felt painfully honest and I loved every second brother. I know exactly what you mean as I believe that is the reason we call it holiday season, to feel joy and happiness next to our loved ones.

[@JamesLeithart]

Thanks for watching, man.

[@marblesyeah]

Your story telling: *chef's kiss* This is my 5th Christmas in Albania and it doesnt get any easier. My roommates are both traveling home to see family. So I'll wake up alone on Christmas day which will feel strange. But you have set a good model for making the best of it by decorating and eating Tonys pancakes🔥 i feel encouraged to the same

[@JamesLeithart]

It definitely takes getting used to, but you'll get through it!

[@dorinabicaku9855]

Who leaves u alone 4 the God sake u are a beautiful guy in and out educated and don't worry good things come when God wants not what we plan we have nothing in our hands ❤

[@paulmarshall7328]

So be easy for someone that doesn't have family and embraces solitude.

[@ArielHoti]

Keep your head up. And marry Christmas

[@JamesLeithart]

@@ArielHoti doing my best!

[@marafarnham595]

😊🎄🎁❄☃️🎅beautiful! Hugs to you James 🤗🙏❤

[@JamesLeithart]

Glad you enjoyed the video! 🙏

[@marafarnham595]

@JamesLeithart Merry Christmas James 🎅 🎄 ❤️ Happy New Year 🎉

[@nuhii]

Merry Christmas James

[@JamesLeithart]

Merry Christmas to you too!

[@Sketchbook999]

We are all in different stages in our lives. Sometimes its better to not be in a relationship to KNOW oneself.

[@Georgeshetuni]

I also have had to live alone sometimes during the holidays. No matter where you are, living alone has a downside. Abroad might be harder than at home.

[@a.m6539]

Would love to have you over for our church celebration!!

[@tupisamba211]

Same. Same. I even made a list of the last several Xmas/NYE that I've ended up spending alone and I think it was like 75% alone. I'm used to it now but I'm also a completely different person when there's actually something social to do. Somehow I retain both versions of me. Last year, here in Tirana, both days were spent at home on my own. NYE doesn't bother me at all but Xmas is a bit sad.

[@JamesLeithart]

I think if you create your own little traditions to do with yourself it’s easier to make it through!

[@ridik-nl8jm]

There is no reason to spend it alone in Tirana. Plenty of nice people to spent it with.

[@maldingarxenaj2883]

Life is like a 🌊 you get to be high and low , better days will come

[@JamesLeithart]

they always do!

[@karilang9377]

A good one. I know that feeling. Unfortunately.

[@JamesLeithart]

i’m sorry for you. it’s not fun.

[@albusha5150]

Another heart touching video. Yes, Christmas in Albania unfortunately is not the same as here in the States because of communist past that Christmas were prohibited. People suffered executions or long prison terms because they dared to celebrate. In the town of Korca at the time of Easter people were imprisoned because teachers asked their kids in school what did they have in their families for dinner and they answered colored eggs. But New Year celebration is quite celebrated in Albania.

[@JamesLeithart]

I’ve noticed. And it’s somehow combined into the same thing just on a different day New Years tree instead of christmas tree, or new years gifts rather than christmas gifts.

[@patrickoverseas]

Happy holidays buddy. If we bump into each other here in Pogradec Maybe we can step out for a beer. If you see me and my wife walking around, please say hi. We will do the same.

[@JamesLeithart]

Sounds good, I'll keep an eye out!

[@garnettleithart6713]

I'd be lying frfr if I said I didn't get a little teary watching this

[@karilang9377]

Now will look your video

[@liriouri]

Winter depression

[@karilang9377]

😮

[@thepuci7380]

How come after living for 3 years in Albania, you live alone? Is it your choice or other reason? 😊

[@occasionalwind]

Majority of the Albanians (including myself) we do not celebrate Christmas which is too religious & too primitive! What we celebrate & jump with joy & excitement is the New Year (December 31 & the vee hours of January st.) Yes - there is a Christmas tree (which we call New Year Tree) in the middle of the room, with all that 'Christmas' lights & with dangling strands of sparkling lametta in a different colors - silver was always my favorite - but all that glitter is in the name of exchanging of the years (like this year is the expiration of 2024 & arrival of 2025) with hopes that the new year will be the better year than the old year & in midnight we wish upon a star that all our dreams that we dream of will come true & materialize (hopefully) in the next 12 months. Happy New Year ... James!

[@pellesvansl]

yes, majority of Albanians are Muslims

[@arberia8951]

Hmmmm...actually The 31st of December is more primitive than Christmas Day (Dec 25th). 31 December was a pagan festivity, the Church kept it and adapted it to 25 December.