Far from the sailboats and forts that outline Montenegro’s scenic coastline is a rugged and largely undeveloped area. Tiny, terracotta-roofed villages cluster the valleys, and it is one such village that Education Volunteer Aleksandra Gicala now calls home.

Standing alone on that balcony in Tirana in March gave me a sense of separation I thought I wouldn’t have to confront for another two years. But here it was: the eve of our evacuation back to the United States. We were already going home.