I felt like I was a part of history in the making. The first ever Tirana Backpacker's Hostel day hike, and I was on it. Our first break came in a shady grove that was full of daisies.

"In Albania," Ilir, the hostel owner said, "we call these shit flowers."

Everyone not from Albania instinctively shot a furtive glance at one another. What??

Then I looked down, and realized why.

"Well I guess it makes sense," I said to Ilir, and motioned to my left.

He didn't understand. "Why?"

"I don't know...." Wasn't it obvious? "Just look at it."

"Ohh, no, I said sheep flower. Not shit." Everyone busted out laughing -- they were thinking the same thing I had been thinking. "SHEEP flower. Sorry, my English."

After the shit flowers, we kept hiking, and took another break at a castle atop one of the mountains.

No seats for us, just the rocks. The waiter basically had to do some low grade rock climbing to bring us our drinks. Coolest cafe ever.

"I'm gonna call the vegetarian police, man!"

Stewy was deeply offended at the revelation made by his only vegetarian compadre at our fourth and final stop, a restaurant just 15 minutes away from Bajram's Pool Hall.

"You're a vegetarian that eats Big Macs?!"

This guy was a weird Swiss dude. He just maintained his "I definitely have dead bodies buried in my back yard" twisted smile, and served up his defense: "Some say that McDonald's burgers have no meat."

And for the rest of the meal, the Jeffrey Dahmer smile continued.

There are moments when I just lie back, close my eyes, take a deep breath, and say to myself, "Man I am glad I saved enough money in college to be on a random hillside in Albania on a Sunday afternoon in April."

Those are the moments no one can ever take away from me.