What’s the furthest you’ve ever traveled? Most of us have traveled in the country, maybe for the duration of 2-3 hours, but have you ever been to Europe or Albania? Well, Zoga Ajeti, an 8th grader at our school, has!
Zoga loves to travel to new places and has visited four different countries: Turkey, Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro. Most of these countries are located in Southeast Europe or Asia, and the flights to get there can take as long as 14 hours! Zoga said that she “likes to see all the different cultures and see that America’s not the only place in the world and people do things very differently here.” As in, the American people have very different customs from other countries, and it is interesting to see how they differ. When she travels, she enjoys taking pictures and visiting museums to see ancient artifacts.
There is less than 1% of Albanian descent worldwide, and Zoga is a part of it. She has been to Albania (a European country) twice. When asked about Albanian traditions, Zoga mentioned that there are many different customs, such as having big, loud dances and parties during weddings. They can be multi-day celebrations, with big feasts with traditional Albanian food, and elaborate attire. Clothing varies by region, with embroidery, vibrant colors, and other unique styles showing regional heritage.
Zoga likes to do a variety of activities, including figure skating, walking her dog, and hanging out with her family. She has only been figure skating for a few months, and comments that she’s not very good and would like to improve her skills.
Zoga was born in New York and lived there for about 2 years before moving to Pennsylvania, where her little brother and sister were born. Although she likes to travel all over the world, she mentioned that one of her all-time favorite places to go is the beach.
With a rare descent, fun hobbies, and an exciting personality, Zoga Ajeti is someone who is not easy to forget!
