Kristiana Kuqi compares America to her homeland of Albania

Photo Credit: Hollie Chenault

Kuqi in the hallway with her Albanian Flag.

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Carlee Deale
March 31, 2011
Filed under Knight Life

Albania is known for many hot private resorts. Many people go vacationing there for the summer because it’s beautiful and cheap. According to Kristiana Kuqi, a freshman at Spotsylvania High School, it’s the Mexico of Europe.
There are many beaches to visit; the one most people go to is Durresi. Durresi is a public beach ad has many tourist attractions. Albania also has many private beaches; these beaches are mainly for people who have a lot of money or famous people. There are night clubs and parties are on every block.
Kuqi said, “You can do what you what you want there, especially if you’re a tourist. They love Americans there!”
Kuqi was born in Gjakove, Albania, and at age nine she moved to Spotsylvania, Virginia with her mother and her American step-dad. Kuqi said she likes Albania better than America, but she doesn’t plan on moving back because of the bad economy and because it’s not a safe environment over there. According to Kuqi, there are large amounts of sex and drugs over in Albania.
Every summer Kuqi visits her family on the Western Shore of Albania. She’s said an average day for her is: wake up, make a new friend, go get coffee with friends, walk on the beaches or downtown, go to the shopping areas, hangout at the pool, go home and take a nap, get up, go to teen-clubs, do Albanian dances, and go to bed.
Kuqi said, “That’s my day, every day.”
Kuqi became an American citizen in eighth grade during February of 2010. Kuqi’s mother became an American citizen the year before her daughter in 2009. When Kuqi moved to America, she said the toughest part was learning a new language.
Kuqi said she doesn’t like how everything in America is so far away; in Albania the stores are right up the street. Kuqi’s favorite part about American is the many different types of people: Asians, Mexicans, Africans, and other types of Europeans. Kristiana has learned a lot through her journey from Albania to America, but she said she still has a lot to learn.