Logan Went Down to Georgia : Beach Days and Birthdays

I had a birthday shout hooray! After being away from Poti for almost 2 weeks I arrived back at site on Tuesday and was greeted enthusiastically by my host mother who was already rattling off her plans for my birthday on Friday. Most of the week was spent preparing for BUILD camp which is scheduled for the end of the month. Soon Friday was here and it was time for the celebrations.

Of course we had confetti cannons.

I love having a summer birthday because growing up it meant I never had to go to school and I could spend the whole day celebrating. When I started working and had a real job I still called in sick on my first birthday (mental health day) but on the second one I actually came to work (the last time I do that if I have any say). Now that I am in the Peace Corps birthdays are back to being whatever I want them to be and usually that involved celebrating with as many people as possible. This year that meant inviting half of my Peace Corps group out to the West for a beach weekend.

Brooke and Melody also came to celebrate- Aggies for life!

Before the beach day plans could start though, we had to celebrate the day with my host family Georgian style. I invited a few PCVs over to celebrate and my host mom lovingly set out preparing a feast for the occasion. Per usual there was so much food and we couldn't eat it all. However the crowning moment was the arrival of the cake which Madona had been talking about all week. This cake required 25 eggs- it was a behemoth! We had the traditional Georgian candles and sang and ate cake and it was wonderful.

Just check out the size of the cake!

The rest of the weekend from Friday to Monday was spent relaxing in Kobuleti, a small beach town near Batumi, with many many friends. We had a great time. There was more cake and more singing and a lot of time laying on the beach. We took a couple of trips into Batumi for the weekend and enjoyed the resort town feel that it takes on during the summer month- it is full of tourists from Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey. We danced and ate and enjoyed being together again, so many of us haven't been together since our last training in February.

Some things never change, I'm still ripping my pants....

Aside from all the revelrie there was also time for me to reflect on life. I thought about the last 10 birthday, where I was at, what I was doing, and who I was with. Here's a list:

19- I had just finished my Freshman year of college. I celebrated with my high school friends at my house and I was preparing to leave for Brazil in a month.

I have no idea what is going on here

20- I was living in Teresina, Brazil with 2 Brazilians and an American. I decided to splurge and buy a big cake and ice cream for the occasion. I had been living in Brazil for about a year.

A passion fruit birthday cake aka heaven

21- I was nearing the end of my time in Brazil. I was living with one American in a tiny rundown apartment in Sao Luis, Brazil. We celebrated on the roof next to the water tank looking out over the city eating cake and drinking Guarana Jesus (I miss that stuff).

Me and Justin at our apartment in Sao Luis

22- I had just finished my Sophomore year of college. I don't remember much about my actual birthday but I had a party at home with some college/H.S. friends. Most of the summer was spent moving around Utah working for EFY, a summer camp. I think I took the week off :)
23- Another summer working for EFY. This time I was in Hawaii and everyone made the day fantastic. I was treated to presents, shaved ice, and cake. The locals made it very exciting.

Double cakes for my birthday from the local youth

24- I had just graduated college. I was in Hawaii again with EFY. I woke up early for a birthday swim and got to celebrate yet again with some of my new great friends.

Just about to jump off a cliff into the ocean and hope I don't die...

25- I was celebrating my first year in DC. This was also the beginning of my quarter-life crisis that over the year led my to apply for Peace Corps. I called in sick to avoid working on my birthday and went and got my first massage. I then celebrated by going to dinner with friends and my friend Megan hosted a party at her house. I also had a great adventure during the day:

After my massage I decided to go for a walk out to Gravelly Point to watch the planes fly in. I hadn't ever walked out there and I got lost. I ended up taking the wrong shortcut and being forced to climb up a hill overgrown with thorny bushes. I found myself on the side of the parkway with my legs covered in blood from scratches. I then jaywalked (ran) across 6 lanes of busy early rush hour traffic. I then noticed I was sweating profusely because I was still covered in massage oil and it was almost 100 F and quite humid. I quickly became dehydrated and finally arrived at the park as sweaty mess. I had no energy to even watch the planes fly in. I just found a picnic table in the shade and collapsed on top. I then called my friend Claire and asked her to pick me up on her way home from work. The whole experience was a complete disaster. 25 and still not too old to make dumb decisions.

(No photographic evidence, luckily, I really was a sight for sore eyes)

26- Ending my 2nd year in DC. I had to work since it was a very busy day on the Hill. I celebrated that night with a dinner with my close friends and then had a joint party with my friend Lance who happened to share the same birthday just a year older. At this point my application for the Peace Corps was turned in and I was awaiting my assignment.

The best banner made by the best friend- Thanks Amber! P.S. I'm glad my birthday is before Labor Day so I can wear white.

27- A few months into Peace Corps and my first week settled into Poti my home for the next year. I celebrated with my host family and my new volunteer friends came in to celebrate with me.

TBT to 1 year ago

28- Half my my volunteer cohort came to celebrate and spend a weekend on the beach. Over a year of my Peace Corps time completed and less than a year to go

Peace signs for Peace Corps!

29- Back home in America???

Of the last decade I will have spent half of it abroad either traveling or living in a foreign country. I have only spent 2 birthdays with my actual family, most of them have been spent with new family and friends around the world. Each birthday I am reminded of the wonderful people I have met, the lessons they have taught me, the memories we have shared and the wonderful opportunities my life has brought me. If you took me back 10 years to my 18th birthday right after graduating high school I doubt I could've guessed where the next 10 years would've taken me but there isn't another journey I would have wanted to experience.

Some pics from the weekend that I stole from others (Thanks Grace!)