Living local in a global world.

Some Great Place follows Sam and Stephanie as we live in cities around the world, documenting local culture, daily life, practical realities, and the places that give each stay its character.

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Sam and Stephanie walking hand in hand along a garden path, with a red colonial-era building and mountains behind them.

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Weathered fishing boats on the shore of Lake Ohrid in Pogradec, Albania, with mountains across the water.

Tirana, Albania

Tirana: Same Lake, Different Side

Four months after living on Lake Ohrid in North Macedonia, we returned from Tirana to explore Pogradec, Drilon, and Tushemisht along Albania’s western shore.

Week 5 · August 26, 2026

The Valbona Valley below the trail with the Accursed Mountains rising around the route toward Valbona Pass.

Tirana, Albania

Crossing the Accursed Mountains: Valbona to Theth

A three-day journey into the Albanian Alps, from Komani Lake and Valbona to a ten-mile, 3,140-foot crossing over Valbona Pass and into Theth.

Week 4 · August 18, 2026

The arched concrete entrance tunnel leading into Bunk'Art 1 beneath Mount Dajti near Tirana.

Tirana, Albania

Tirana: Preparing for the War That Never Came

Inside Tirana's Bunk'Art 1, Albania's Cold War history meets daily life, local food, religious landmarks, and the logistics of living abroad.

Week 3 · August 13, 2026

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View of Split from Marjan Hill, with red rooftops, the Adriatic Sea, mountains, and the old city below.

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City and country hubs from every stay.

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Morning light entering the Narrows in Zion National Park as hikers move through the Virgin River between canyon walls.

Field Notes

Essays from the American West, national parks, and the road toward a longer journey.

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