6-month update

Wow, almost two months have passed since my last post. I guess it's safe to say I suck at blogging. I'd like to blame it on the fact that I'm just so busy I don't have time. Or maybe that I'm not really doing anything interesting enough to write about. Or maybe that I'm addicted to Gossip Girl and since my bedroom is a cool 45 degrees, I prefer to snuggle up under my Peace Corps sleeping bag and catch the latest Blair and Chuck drama. To be honest, I think it's a combination of all three: I'm busy, I'm not doing anything that interesting (yet), and I definitely have an addiction. Come on... have you seen Nate Archibald lately?!

Work has drastically picked up over the last 5-6 weeks. I have been conducting three-hour trainings (which we simply refer to as seminars in the States) every Tuesday morning. The trainings are fairly easy, but they take about a week to prepare. After I pick a topic (resume writing, interview skills, how to write a business plan, social media, etc.), then I have to research it, write about it and turn it into a 3-hour session with activities and breaks. If I need any handouts, I have to write those (in Georgian), have them edited by someone who actually knows this crazy language and get them printed. It's very time-consuming to say the least. But my group seems to enjoy it (this particular group is comprised of 15 adults, both men and women). They take a ton of notes, ask a million questions and always play my ridiculous games. 

I also have a youth group that I'm meeting with weekly—or, at least I'm supposed to be meeting with weekly. I will be doing similar trainings with them, but these will be focused more on life skills rather than business/career skills. As someone who has never been a huge fan of kids (sorry, but it's true) I'm interested to see how this turns out, when and if we ever get started. Assuming it goes well, I'd like to eventually turn it into a girls' only group where they can have a safe environment to talk about whatever they want. But for now, we'll let the boys join us.

I'm also working on developing websites for a new winery and a local gunmaker, and I'm consulting with local guesthouses (making recommendations and creating brochures, web listings, etc.). I've assisted the winery on a few lengthy applications for the U.S. government and have started researching and writing grant proposals for my organization. We're also hoping to exhibit at a trade show in the U.S. sometime in the near future, so I've been developing a budget and plan for that. 

Like I said, I'm busy. Like I said, it's not that interesting (yet). And Nate… I don't think I need to explain that one. He's just so pretty!! But I think those are all pretty good reasons to suck at blog-writing...?

Work aside, life in Georgia has been good, albeit a little on the chilly side. Winter is definitely approaching... We had our first snowfall in the mountains 2 weeks ago, Grams has busted out the wood-burning stove, and the flies have all but disappeared (thank god). The leaves have already changed colors and are now falling off the trees. The grapes have all been picked and the winter fruit is starting to appear. All I need now is for the dogs and roosters to shut up... surely that happens in the winter?!

I've been traveling a lot the past few weeks as well. I spent several days at the end of September in Sighnaghi, Georgia's "City of Love," for a Peace Corps business conference. It was so great seeing everyone from my training group again, and we even enjoyed a night out at a… get this… Mexican restaurant! It wasn't the best I've ever had, but there was some spice and it wasn't Georgian food, so I was happy.

Early in October, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a wine tasting competition at the U.S. Embassy, which was awesome! The Embassy itself was impressive, but the wine tasting was even better. Ten wineries from around the country conducted tastings for Embassy staff and military personnel. It was a great turnout and everyone seemed to really love our wines. Unfortunately, due to Embassy security, I don't have any photos of the event, but I had a great time, met a ton of people and got to speak English for 3 solid hours! I even got a quick peek in the Embassy store: Bisquick, Aunt Jemima, Nature Valley granola bars, Gatorade. It was like a mini-Target… a closed mini-Target. Imagine my disappointment. :-( After the wine tasting, I spent the weekend in Tbilisi where the awesomeness continued: I saw, for the first time in Georgia, real American college football! Live on ESPN, no less. Sadly, Texas was being destroyed by Oklahoma, but hey, it was football. I'll take what I can get.

A few weeks later, my boyfriend Gus joined me in Kvareli for a few days. We spent the weekend making churchkhela with my host family (a traditional Georgian candy made with walnuts and a thickened grape juice) and hiking to Nekresi, a 4th century monastery near Kvareli. We ended the day with a small, American-like picnic, complete with granola bars, peanut butter and Chips Ahoy sent from the States (thanks, Mom!). Here are some photos from the weekend if you want to check out the action!

 

Most recently, Gus and I traveled to Turkey for five glorious days (more on that later). We had an unbelievable time and absolutely fell in love with Istanbul. If you haven't been to Turkey – or haven't had a desire to visit – I highly suggest you add this ancient and breathtaking country to the top of your travel list. Besides being an amazing vacation, it was also nice to get out of Georgia for a few days and pretend like we weren't Volunteers. I almost felt like a normal, self-sufficient adult again!













So now it's November. I've been in Georgia for a little more than six months (how is that even possible?!) and have survived a muddy, cold, rainy spring… a hot, humid, sweltering summer… and a beautifully perfect fall. Fingers crossed I'll survive the upcoming winter too. But, in case you don't hear from me again for awhile, just assume I'm in bed, under my blankets and sleeping bag, hiding from the cold. And hoping, most of all, that Chuck and Blair can finally work out their issues.

The boss

Everyone knows it can be intimidating meeting your boss for the first time. You have a million questions running through your mind… wondering if you'll get along, if your work styles will be similar, if he'll like you, etc. You want him to get a sense of who you are, and at the same time get a sense of who he is. You want to impress him. And you want to make a connection. The pressure is on. We've all been there. Except now imagine you don't speak each other's languages. Talk about nerve-wracking!

The first time I met Alex was during PST at the Supervisors' Conference, where we were paired up with our future counterparts. We were all standing in the lobby of our hotel… 42 Volunteers on one side, 42 Georgian counterparts on the other. One by one, they would call our names, and then that person would walk to the center of the lobby and meet the person they were going to work with for the next 2 years. It was exciting and terrifying, all at the same time. When I heard my name called, I started walking to the center and then I saw Alex walking towards me. This was him... my counterpart! I immediately noticed his kind smile and a little twinkle in his eye – but most importantly, I noticed he was rockin' a denim jacket. I, too, was wearing a denim jacket that day. That's the first time I thought maybe, just maybe, this was going to be a perfect match!

Over the next several weeks, I was able to see Alex interact with his family and his two little girls. He clearly loves his girls and is so playful with them – always kissing them, tickling them, playing with their toys. I was at his house one evening for a supra (a big Georgian dinner), enjoying the company of his family and several of their neighbors, when I first saw the affectionate side of Alex. His oldest daughter Nata is four (going on 14) and loves, loves, loves to entertain. She struts down the catwalk and poses with her hand on her hip (with no less than 5 outfit changes); she proudly recites Georgian songs; she performs Georgian dances; and she loves to tell me the words she knows in English. She also refuses to wear pants (and I quote: "Mom, don't you know princesses don't wear pants?!”). She is, in every sense of the word, a girly girl. That evening, she decided to perform a few of her songs at the supra. Next thing I know, she hands her daddy a pink, plastic Barbie microphone and asks him to please introduce her next song. He smiles, takes the microphone, holds it up to his mouth and says loudly, "Performing for us next is… Nata!" She beamed. He beamed. Yep… I definitely like this man.

I've been here almost nine weeks now and I grow more and more fond of Alex every day. He's been nothing but kind to me since the day I met him, and he always has a smile on his face, even when I know he's exhausted and overworked. He always asks how I'm doing, how my family is doing and what my plans are for the weekend. He's eager to meet my friends and wants to know when they are coming to visit. Last week, he told me to let him know when my mom is coming to visit so he can take a few days off to show her around. He's given me more bottles of wine and other thoughtful gifts than I know what to do with. He's taken me to several places around Kakheti and has introduced me to everyone in town. Basically, he’s one of the warmest, kindhearted, genuine, hardworking people I've met in a really long time. And he's my boss! I'm definitely one of the luckiest Volunteers in Georgia, that's for sure.

And then last week happened. We had spent the day in Telavi – a city not too far from here – and we were in the car, driving back to Kvareli with his family. The car was packed, it was hot and everyone was tired. But that didn't stop him. He pulled the car over, turned off the engine and got out. He started walking around this tree, in the middle of nowhere, looking at the ground. I had no idea what was going on, and chalked it up to another random Georgian moment. Then his wife, who speaks fluent English, explained… he loves rocks and stops to pick them up all the time. He's collecting white ones right now because he wants to use them in a cellar he's building. So there we were, on the side of the road, watching my boss search for the perfect rock. And that's when I knew for sure… this was definitely a perfect match.

My counterpart, Alex

P.S. For those who don't know me well, I have been known to collect a *few* rocks in my time. I may have even moved a box of rocks from Colorado to South Carolina, may have snuck an entire bag through customs in Costa Rica, and may have a special rock that I rub when I'm stressed. So I have a special place in my heart for my fellow collectors; those of us who understand there are times when you just can't control the need to find that perfect rock. 

The Kwa

The letter 'ყ' in Georgian is the hardest letter for me pronounce. It sounds a little like the letter 'k' yet you have to say it from the deepest part of your throat. No matter how hard I try, nobody ever understands what I'm trying to say. So you can only imagine my excitement when I moved from Kvibisi (which always sounded like Tbilisi to Georgians when I tried to say it) to Kvareli – both of which begin with my beloved letter ყ. So to make it easier for all involved, we're just going to call it the Kwa from here on out. 

I've been at my permanent site for 7 weeks now (without a single blog post… sorry) and I have to say, life is finally starting to feel somewhat normal. I no longer feel like a guest in my house, and I'm learning my way around town; I've even learned how to do my own laundry, which is a big deal considering everything is in Russian. The days are going by quickly, which is a good thing since this summer has been unbearably hot (that is, until my family installed a rockin' AC unit right outside my bedroom), and I feel like I'm adjusting and integrating fairly well.

Kvareli

My house

My days in the Kwa are pretty routine. I wake up between 7-8am, go for a run (and get stared at like I'm a lunatic who's running through town naked and screaming), shower, eat breakfast and then walk to work around 10am (and get stared at again). I'm there until 5-6pm, and then I walk home (with the whole town watching to see what the crazy American might do or say), eat dinner and either read a book, watch a movie or catch up with other Volunteers. Like I said, it's a fairly normal (albeit Georgian) life.

I'm not doing very much at work right now. The entire country takes the month of August off (figuratively speaking), so most projects are put on hold until September. However, I'm in a very different situation from the rest of the business Volunteers; they all work for NGOs that support at-risk youth, internally displaced people, minorities, abused women, etc.… I promote wineries and tourism. And August is a prime month for tourism, so while I didn't have many actual projects going on, we did have countless tourists coming through Kvareli that kept us busy. I conducted a wine tour for a group of Israeli tourists, which was a little nerve-wracking but also pretty fun, and I've been able to join my counterpart on a several tours and meetings around the region. I'm also editing wine labels, brochures and websites, and have started working on plans to exhibit at a trade show in DC next spring. Over the next few months, I'll be helping my organization create a one-year plan, design and launch three separate websites, and write a few grant proposals. I'm also going to start teaching English in a few weeks and will be conducting a few marketing-related trainings in October. Photos of Kvareli...

My office

Everyone has been asking what my biggest challenge has been so far. It is, without a doubt, the language. There is so much I want to say (especially to my wonderful host grandmother!), but I simply don’t have the vocabulary yet. At work we rely a lot on the translate.ge website and my counterpart's wife who speaks English fluently, but I still feel completely lost most days. I'm hoping it comes in time, but right now I'm wondering if I'll ever really be able to communicate.

I have ventured out of my community a few times to visit other Volunteers and see new parts of the country. I've been to Tbilisi twice now; once when it was so hot I thought I might die so the sight-seeing was extremely limited, and another time to "support" the Peace Corps basketball team, which for me meant relishing a quiet day alone in the city, visiting museums and enjoying a latte at an adorable little bookstore. We're only allowed to spend two nights in Tbilisi each month, but I'm looking forward to taking advantage of those nights and exploring what I think is a pretty cool city. Here are a few photos from my first weekend in Tbilisi...

Tbilisi at dusk

I also traveled 9 hours across the country to visit my PST roommate, Rachael, who lives about 30 minutes from the Black Sea. We spent one day in Batumi, which is an interesting resort town, and two days in Kobuleti, where we did nothing but relax on the beach and enjoy a few ice cream cones. While it certainly wasn't Hilton Head, it was still really nice to enjoy a few days at the beach with an amazing friend. 

This is one of my favorite photos from the weekend… it's our lifeguard, hard at work. Good thing the waves weren't big that day!

Batumi lifeguard

So now it's September and fall is approaching. I'm looking forward to cooler weather, camping trips in the mountains, the leaves changing and the annual grape harvest, which is a huge event in Kakheti with a lot of celebrations and big dinners. But until then I'm going to retreat to the comfort of my air-conditioned room…

It's official!

I'm a Peace Corps Volunteer. I don't think it's hit me yet that this dream I've had for 10+ years has finally come true… that after 2 years of applying, waiting, accepting, packing and going through training… I am finally a Volunteer! In the Peace Corps!  It's surreal, exciting and unbelievably satisfying, to say the least.  

This past Friday, July 15, 42 Trainees took the oath (the same oath that the President takes!) and became official Peace Corps Volunteers! I thought I would be so excited when that day came, but it was actually a little bittersweet. I adored my host family and wasn't ready to say goodbye to them, and I certainly wasn't ready to say goodbye to my roommate, who has become my closest friend here. To go from being with someone 24/7 (literally) to not seeing her at all, and not knowing the next time I will get to see her, is really hard. I think this is why the Peace Corps doesn't let Trainees live together… you form this instant, abnormal, possibly unhealthy attachment to someone – and then they rip you apart! I already miss her. So much. 

Tears aside, the swearing-in ceremony went well. We all said our farewells and then our new directors and/or host families drove everyone to their permanent sites. Luckily my director was able to drive his car there, otherwise I wasn't sure how I was going to get all NINE bags across the country (not all of it was mine, and most of it I have acquired since I got here… sleeping bags, water filters, mosquito nets, etc...so don't judge!). 

I have just finished unpacking in my new home, and am feeling pretty good about everything. For the most part though, I'm just happy PST (pre-service training) is over. That was the most intense, stressful, exhausting 11 weeks of my life and I'm not sure I could have done it much longer. Every day was spent learning the language, preparing for and conducting community projects and trainings, working on reports, studying for tests, finishing homework, and trying to spend time with our host families. There was never a dull moment, that's for sure, and a few times I wasn't even sure how we would get it all done. But, we did get it done, I passed my language requirement – and now the fun starts!

For those who don't know… I got the job and site that I wanted! I now live in Kvareli in the Kakheti region (Eastern Georgia), which is a small town in a quaint little valley, tucked into the Caucasus Mountains. The mountains are so beautiful, the lakes are amazing (and the President likes to vacation at one of the lakes all the time; in fact, his helicopter just flew over my house an hour ago), the vineyards are endless, and we have the best weather… it snows in the winter (but not too much), it's hot and dry in the summer, and the fall is incredible. We also have the best fruits and veggies, and it's only 2 hours from Tbilisi, which is where all the fun happens on the weekends!

So the reason I came here… to work… I will be working for a non-governmental organization (NGO) that focuses on tourism, specifically wine tourism. I'll mostly be working in a winery, helping them with marketing, exporting, and grant writing (and, you know, conducting a few wine tours and tastings). I'm really excited about my job, and can't wait to become a Georgian sommelier!

For the next two years, I'll be living in this fabulous house with my host grandmother who is 64. She's so wonderful and also happens to be a fabulous cook. It's just the two of us in this big house, so I'm enjoying some much-needed peace and quiet (never mind the roosters in the front yard who seem to be in competition with each other 24 hours a day). I have a great view of the mountains, and several apple and plum trees in my yard. And yes, I have a shower with hot water, and a flushable toilet! It's a really good situation and I'm excited to see where the next two years takes me!

As for what's next… well, your guess is as good as mine. I think I start work tomorrow. I think I have to conduct a few trainings next month. I think I have a Georgian tutor lined up. I think I’m going to Batumi on the Black Sea in August for a few days. I think I’m going to Turkey in November. Truth is, I really have no idea what's going on or what's being said 95% of the time. I just smile, nod my head and hope for the best. That's life in the Peace Corps and I couldn't be happier!

A quick glimpse

For those who want a glimpse into my awesome new life, you can check out a few photos that I just posted. I included some photos in my village and Lagodekhi, which is where I job shadowed a few weeks ago. Me mikvars sakartvelo (I love Georgia)!! :-)

6 weeks down, 5 to go!

It's hard to believe I've reached the halfway mark of pre-service training (PST). On one hand, I feel like I've already been here a year – but on the other hand, I feel like I just got here a week ago. It's been an interesting and humorous 6 weeks, that's for sure! I can say with 100% certainty, though, that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be, doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. I love this crazy country in a way I can't really explain but I will certainly try…

Georgia is amazingly beautiful, fascinating and bizarre – all at the same time. The people are so incredibly warm and friendly; they're more than happy to invite you into their homes and serve you more food than you could eat in a week (literally). We even had complete strangers offer to drive us to another village, wait for us while we finished our errands, and then treat us to lunch. That's just the way they are here! 

As for the country itself, it's absolutely breathtaking. As one of my fellow trainees put it (while looking out of the window on our bus), "it's like we live in a postcard." And it's true… everywhere you look is beautiful – and I've only seen two towns! I can't even imagine how the rest of the country looks, especially during fall. I promise to post some photos soon so you can see what I mean. 

And my life… well, there really is no way to describe what my life has been like for the past 6 weeks, or how amazing the Peace Corps' training program is, but I think 'surreal' sums it up. I'm incredibly happy and I laugh to the point of having tears in my eyes pretty much every day. I've made some great friends already, and my host family is quite possibly the best family in all of Georgia. I have a host mother and father, and three host sisters (20, 18 and 14) who are awesome. I really couldn't imagine a better family than mine! I still wake up most mornings and think, "I can't believe I live here!"

It hasn't all been sunshine and happiness though. I actually started out in another village, living with another family, and unfortunately had to move out due to an incident with my host father. My host mother was away for the evening and he had been drinking… you do the math. But the Peace Corps responded immediately and removed me from the situation before it escalated. I was devastated at first because I had to move out of my village, away from my friends, and basically start over. 

But it all worked out in the end! Not only did I end up with an amazing family, I'm also living with another trainee who has become a wonderful friend. It's very rare for two trainees to live together (the PC wants you to integrate with your family, not hang out with your American friends) but there were no other options. So now I live in Kvibisi, which is about 5 minutes outside of Borjomi, with my friend Rachael. It's a picturesque little village, complete with meandering cows, roosters and pigs. I've only lived here for 4 weeks but I know I'm going to be sad when I have to leave (which is in 5 weeks…yikes!).

Kvibisi

As for pre-service training (PST), well, it can easily be described in one word: intense. We have Georgian language class 6 days a week, from 9am-1pm, and by the end of the morning, your brain literally can't absorb any new information. But it really is a huge testament to the PC's program when you consider how much Georgian we have learned in just 6 weeks. We know about 40 verbs and are now working on past tense, a million or so nouns, adjectives and adverbs, and can create fairly complex sentences. For example, we can describe our daily activities (in complete sentences, mind you) and talk about our favorite fruit/vegetable/season/sport/color/etc. We can tell you about our families, our homes, our jobs and how we prefer our coffee. Or if you want to know what we did last week, we can tell you that too! It really is crazy how much we know already. After language (and lunch), we have business training from 2pm-5pm. Then we have homework, practicums and projects we have to work on – plus spend a few hours hanging out with the family – so it's usually 11pm by the time we crawl into bed. 

Georgian language class!

I did have the opportunity to take a short break from all of the training recently and job shadow a current Volunteer. I ended up traveling about 5 hours east to a town called Lagodekhi, which is really close to the Azerbaijan and Russian borders. It was nice to see how Volunteers live after PST, what "real" Georgia is like, and what kind of jobs they have. It sounds like I'll definitely be doing a lot of grant writing, conducting trainings and possibly teaching English. Or, if there's something else I want to do in my village, I have the option of taking on secondary projects. I'm excited to find out where exactly I'm going to be living for the next 2 years and what I'll be doing. The anticipation is killing me! We find out this Monday (June 13) so fingers crossed that I end up somewhere good!!

Living in Georgia is certainly going to be interesting and challenging at times, but so far I'm enjoying every minute of it. I've honestly laughed more in this past month than I have in the past few years – it's the best feeling. Plus I LOVE my fellow trainees, our country director and the PC staff. I feel like I really hit the jackpot. Awesome friends, awesome staff and a gorgeous country filled with warm, welcoming people. What more could I ask for?!

Life in Georgia

I don't have a lot of time, but I wanted to let everyone know I'm alive and happy here in Sakartvelo! Life in Georgia is interesting, to say the least, but I'm enjoying every minute of it and couldn't be happier with my decision to join the Peace Corps. 

I'm currently living in a small village about two hours from Tbilisi. I spend most of my time (6 days a week) studying the language and the ins and outs of NGOs in Georgia, as well as learning about the culture and how to integrate into our communities. It's truly amazing how much we have all learned in such a short amount of time; the Peace Corps staff certainly knows what they're doing here! 

I should have fairly regular access to the Internet within the next few weeks, so I'll be sure to update my blog with more details and pictures. But for the time being, please know I'm safe and happy!

Walking to school in the morning