The Beginning of a New Year in Albania 🇦🇱

Work with me: https://www.jamesleithart.com/work-wi... This video documents the first days of the new year in Albania. It begins in Pogradec, where the city becomes unusually quiet after New Year’s celebrations, before shifting to the Orthodox Epiphany tradition at Lake Ohrid, where a wooden cross is thrown into the water as part of the January 6 ceremony. The video then follows changing winter weather across southern Albania — days of heavy rain, rising water levels, flooding in parts of the country, and eventually snowfall in the surrounding mountains. Alongside these scenes, I spend time at home, dealing with everyday tasks like caring for houseplants, propagating healthy growth, and adjusting to the slower pace that comes with winter. The second half of the video reflects daily life at the start of the year in Albania: observing seasonal changes, managing small household problems, and thinking about personal goals and work going forward. The video ends with a quiet reflection on starting a new year by focusing on what is still healthy and worth building on. 0:00 - New Years quietness 0:21 - Uji i Bekuar—the Blessing of the Waters 2:09 - Flooding in Albania 3:31 - The first snow of the year 7:09 - A new venture 9:18 - Plant care 10:56 - Reflections I work with people and small teams to tell their story clearly and consistently — without noise or hype. If you’re building something meaningful and want help communicating it well, you can learn more here: https://www.jamesleithart.com/work-wi... Want to support my journey? Join my Patreon:   / jamesleithart   Special thanks to my Patreon/YouTube Memberships supporters: Andy Green Braden Smith Mara Farnham Kristi Panduku Endri Mani Brooklyn Schumaker John C. Bethell Smith Leithart Emeth Grey Giles Simmer Tracy Nelms Douglas Fontenot Xian TJ Leithart Kelly Sevier Peter Leithart Renee Chumbler #Albania Instagram:   / jamesleithart   Secondary Instagram:   / jamesleithart2.0   Twitter:   / jamesleithart   Sign up for my mailing list: https://buttondown.email/jamesleithart www.jamesleithart.com Audio Mixing by W. F. Smith Leithart:   / wfsleithart   Affiliate links: Music for videos: https://soundstripe.com/start/?fpr=ja... NordVPN: https://go.nordvpn.net/aff_c?offer_id...