Family, Isn't it About Time

Family- Isn't it about time?

I have logged over 1000 miles in travel to and from Tbilisi during the past month, and I am exhausted. My trips to Tbilisi have included inservice trainings focused on teaching techniques and another focused on the Let Girls Learn initiative, additionally I have also had committee meetings for the Youth as Resources, Megobari, and English Education Program Advisory Council committees which I'm all apart of. It has been a VERY busy month. However, all of these trainings and meetings relate to future projects that I will be working on which should translate to some very active months ahead. (You should be excited for that, because that means I should have more interesting things to blog about soon.)

They recently reopened the Tbilisi Opera house so we decided to attend the ballet

Through all of the events of the past month, I have been thinking a lot about family and what it means in my current context of life. Obviously I have a great family back home who love and support me (hello to whomever from my family is actually reading this- I think you're great), however, being in Georgia has expanded my realm of family in various ways.

Our creative writing competition for students in Poti

First there are my fellow volunteers. Like your family back home who you get to travel through life with, I did not get to choose my fellow volunteers with whom I get to travel through Peace Corps with. We have all sorts of quirks and everyone had there likeable and irritable qualities, but still we love and support each other- like family. These are people who you can count on to come to your aide at a moment's notice. People who you can call to just release pent up frustrations. People who you will inevitable yell at, cry with, and spend hours upon hours laughing. They are good people.

First time back on skis in almost 15 years

During this last month I have found myself in a hostel marathoning episodes of Community, being comforted with ice cream after an exhausting day, sitting in a (KGB themed) cafe for several hours discussing various facets of life, creating new projects, going on walks, spending hours on the phone, attending the ballet, and exploring this great country (a ski lift ticket costs less than $15 for a day!). Individually we're a pretty random and often ragtag group of people, but all together we are a pretty great family.

Ski Crew- we made it work with the limited gear we had on us

The next group of new family members are my host family members (all three host families I've had). These people have opened their homes (and hearts- awwwww) to me. I have received so much and feel like I've given so little in return. Family is a big part of Georgian culture, they are one of the only groups of people that you can consistently count on. It is not uncommon to hear the phrase, "I have a cousin that might be able to help you," whenever you mention some problem that you are having.

The view from the ski resort

My current host family is made up of a grandma, mom, dad, brother, and sister- all living at home. However, by being a member of their family I am attached to a much larger network of people. For example my host mother found out that I wasn't taking the train to Tbilisi because I didn't want to pay for a place to stay. 15 min later she had it all arranged and that evening I was meeting their relatives in Tbilisi and welcomed into their home to spend the evening- I've since spent several nights with them. They welcomed me in like family because that is what you do, even if that family member is actually just some strange American in need of a place to sleep.

My adorable 3 yr old host cousins

During the only weekend I wasn't in Tbilisi I took a trip with my sister and uncle to visit relatives in another town. Once again I was welcomed in like family and greeted with food. These people are willing to share everything they have with me because they view me as part of their family. It never ceases to surprise and amaze me.

Visiting my distant relatives at another volunteer's site

Aside from all of the volunteers and host family members there have been so many other people who have been so good to me. Just today one of the American families in the branch invited us over for dinner. Numerous Georgians bestow random acts of kindness on me just because I'm a foreigner (and often because I am also trying to learn their language). I really hope to one day be in a position to repay all these acts of kindness which have been given to me in spades.

Local volunteers at the grand opening of the new American Corner at the Batumi city library

Sorry if none of this makes sense, I've just been feeling really grateful for the great people I'm surrounded by who make these two years away from home feel a lot more homey than I ever expected them too.