They always told me that “the more, the merrier”. This principle guided my life for a solid thirteen years. “Well,” I thought, “the more video games I have, the merrier I will be, the more candy I eat, the merrier I will be, the more friends I have, the merrier I will be.” I lived in Germany for almost four years, where portion sizes are enormous and speed limits are extremely high. My mom’s side of the family is Italian, and they are always telling me to put a little more meat on my bones. I never thought that I could be happy with so little. Albania has changed that.

Albania is a developing country, with aspects that fit the definition of a third-world nation. I have lived here for nearly two years, and this country has changed my life dramatically.

Many Albanians live with very little. The average job pays about 2 dollars an hour. Most families live in small houses and apartments. Coffees are never even close to the size of a Starbucks “tall”. The average family has only one car, usually a run-down sedan (and if they can’t afford a car, four-person families will pack onto one motor scooter).

Despite all this, Albanians are some of the happiest people I have seen in my life. They are not bothered by the fact that they have so little. Instead, they do whatever they want to do. They will always invite friends into their house for coffee. They will greet familiar faces on the streets with a smile. They are very happy with the lives that they lead.

This way of life has changed the way I lead my own life. No longer do I long for the newest video game system, no longer do I long for a Super-Sized Big Mac, no longer do I long to visit an American movie theater. Sure, I occasionally want a root beer or something truly American, but I have suppressed that urge. No longer will I guide my life on the principle of “the more, the merrier”. Now, I believe that less is more.