Migen was assigned as our guide when we signed up for a 12-day private tour with an Albanian tour company. At the end of the tour, we were very pleased with not only the company but also with Migen's services. When visiting foreign countries, we usually try to take a private escorted tour whenever it is the most appropriate and efficient way to experience the new culture, people and landscape. As Albania was still a mystery to us and we were not certain if we could manage driving and communicating on our own, it was a no brainer to go with a private tour guide. I can say that Migen is unique among all the guides we came across in many countries over the years. Instead of a business transaction, it was clear from the moment we met him that we were starting a trip hosted by a friend who was eager to show off his beautiful country. There were no limits to the number of hours he was willing to spend with us. Many of the other traditional lines between a guide and clients blurred also during our tour. We made a number of changes to the original itinerary, some on the spur of the moment, in order to fit our preferences. Migen was completely focused on whether we were ultimately happy with our choices every day. Most meals were not included in our itinerary initially, but we ended up having a lot of meals together, especially lunch which occurred on most days when we were on the road. We ended up paying for the majority of meals, but he insisted on paying every single time, which we did not allow. I am mentioning this only as an example of how he was obsessed with demonstrating hospitality. Migen was nice enough to arrange a visit to his parents' apartment in the middle of our trip. That kind of home visit is one of best ways to experience how the locals live. He even went out of his way to spring a sweet surprise on us on our anniversary. As we spent a lot of time together, it was inevitable that we got to know some of his personal circumstances. He was going through some difficult times with his family matters, but he did not let that be a distraction. He is a very positive, optimistic, happy-go-lucky person. He is also a good example of why resourcefulness is more valuable in a guide than actual breadth of knowledge of history and archeology while touring a country like Albania. At many of the important museums and religious or historical sites, there are on-site guides with thorough expertise in that particular location. So the key is to figure out how to access this kind of resource and Migen, who seemed to know practically everyone in every town, was extremely good at making sure we could take advantage of the available information. I fully expect to keep in touch with him in the future. Not only did we experience the wonderful country that is Albania, but we feel that we have gained a friend. If we go back to Albania, we would not hesitate to seek his services again.