Where Roots Speak Louder Than Words
Written by Flaka Krivanjeva, a proud OriginAL alumna residing in Kosovë.
A Journey Begins: The Call of OriginAL OriginAL wasn’t just a program. It was a quiet calling, an invitation to see my homeland through new eyes. Not just my own, but through the hearts of those born far away, who love this land as deeply as I do. I walk the streets of Prishtina every day. But now, each corner holds echoes of laughter, shared stories, and the warmth of people who once stood beside me, marveling at the “NEWBORN” monument. I see them in every photo snapped by a new visitor, and I smile.
From Doubt to Belonging On the first day, I felt something stir. A spark. But also, a whisper of doubt: “Am I enough for them? Can I truly understand them?” They were young people from the diaspora, precious to our homeland, to Kosova and Albania. And I, a girl born before Kosova’s independence, raised in its streets, could I really connect with them? That fear melted the moment we began. Their respect, curiosity, and love dissolved every barrier. We became one.
Seeing My Country Through New Eyes
Every place we visited in Kosovë, glowed differently.
In Prekaz, as we stood in silence before the home of the Jashari Family, I felt a wave of pride and pain crash over me. The air was thick with memory of sacrifice, of resistance, of love for a homeland. I had been here before, but never like this. Watching the diaspora participants, some with tears in their eyes, others holding their breath, experience this sacred ground for the first time, I felt something shift. My heart swelled not just with emotion, but with a deep sense of unity. Their grief was mine. Their reverence, shared. In that moment, we weren’t separated by oceans or passports, we were one people, mourning and remembering together.
I thought I knew these places, Krushë e Madhe, Prizren, Gjakova. I had walked their streets, heard their stories, felt their pulse. But this time, everything shimmered with a different light. It was as if I was rediscovering them through the eyes of those who had only dreamed of them. I saw my home not as a backdrop to my life, but as a gift I could finally share.
At the Prizren Fortress, we gathered in a circle and began to sing “Mora fjalë.” Our voices rose into the twilight, trembling with emotion, carried by the wind across centuries of history. It wasn’t just a song, it was a prayer, a promise, a homecoming. I looked around and saw eyes closed, hands held, hearts open. In that moment, we weren’t just singing to the sky, we were singing to our ancestors, to the land, to each other. And the fortress, ancient and silent, seemed to listen.
In Rahovec, the vineyards stretched like brushstrokes across the hills—green, golden, and glowing in the afternoon sun. We wandered between the vines, plucking grapes still warm from the light, laughing like old friends. The wine was sweet, but the company sweeter. As we clinked glasses and shared stories, I realized something simple and profound: joy multiplies when it’s shared. The taste of the land, the laughter echoing between rows of vines, the feeling of belonging, it all lingered on my tongue like the finest vintage. In that moment, we weren’t just visitors. We were home.
Albania That United Us
In Shkodër, the summer evening wrapped around us like a warm embrace. The sky blushed with soft hues as we wandered through the city, capturing moments with our cameras and hearts. Every laugh echoed like music in the streets, blending with the scent of roasted corn and the hum of passing bicycles. It wasn’t just a night, it was a memory being born, stitched together by joy and belonging. In Gjirokastër, we danced through cobbled streets that had witnessed centuries. The stones beneath our feet felt ancient, yet they welcomed us like old friends. We twirled and laughed like children set free, our steps unburdened by time or reason. It was joy in its purest form spontaneous, shared, and sacred. For a moment, we weren’t tourists or strangers. We were part of the city’s heartbeat. In Saranda, the sea whispered stories as we rested between its waves and the rhythms of our dances. The salt clung to our skin, the breeze tangled in our hair, and the horizon stretched endlessly before us. We lay on sun-warmed stones, eyes closed, hearts open. It was peace. It was connection. It was the kind of silence that speaks volumes when shared with people who feel like home.
We experienced Kosova and Albania, the mountains and the sea, Gheg’ and Tosk’ not as separate places, but as one long, beautiful journey. And we weren’t just exploring geography, we were rediscovering identity.
And at the Tirana-style wedding during Albanian Nights, when we danced in traditional clothing, something shifted. The music pulsed through our veins, the fabrics shimmered with pride, and the circle we formed felt unbreakable. We were no longer just participants. We were a family, celebrating our roots, our unity, and the joy of being
exactly where we belonged.
A Love That Doesn’t Fade
When the end came, after the wedding where everyone looked more beautiful than ever, I felt indescribable joy. But saying goodbye was the hardest part.
How do you say “see you soon” when you fear you may never share days like these again?
A Reflection That Changed Me
When I returned home, everything was in its place, but I wasn’t.
OriginAL changed me. It taught me to understand our diaspora more deeply, their experiences, their longing, their love for our language and homeland.
Had I not joined, I would have missed so much. These people, these stories, these shared moments and a part of myself. Now when I hear anything for any of the countries that my people live around the world, I instantly think about that person from that place, what is he/she doing, do they miss us, do they feel “Mall” for Kosova and Albania…
I want to thank each one of them, for their emotions, purity and courage to come back alone and
experience our hommeland like no other time, nor people of their own families.
A Call from Kosovë to You
Dear future OriginAL Participant, if you’re reading this and have doubts about joining OriginAL, just do it, you are on the right place.
It’s a calling from your ancestors, inviting you to rediscover your land, your language, and your traditions. To laugh, to cry, to love unconditionally…. because don’t forget, “Guri i ran’ peshon n’ven t’vet.”
Have you ever felt your roots calling you home?
I’d love to hear your story.
Thank You!
