Home for Christmas

Going home during my Peace Corps service was never something I had planned on, but it was a much needed break. I love living and working in Georgia, my overall experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer has been phenomenal. However, as I mentioned previously, it is easy to get worn out in the daily grind. When I am in Georgia I feel that I have to always be “on.” The moments when I can truly relax are few and far between. Part of this is due to Georgian culture and the other part is due to the Peace Corps culture of being a volunteer 24/7. Thus going home became an opportunity to truly relax.

The annual Christmas tree of lights around the statue of St George in Freedom Square

The trip home went smoothly but I was prepared for the worst. The evening before my flight I met up with some other volunteers and we went to a nice dinner to celebrate Liz’s birthday. Afterwards we went out dancing and then it was time for me to gather my things and head to the airport for my 4am flight. I had a 6-hour layover in Stockholm and opted to stay in the airport rather than venture out. Luckily I found that the airport hotel had an offer for people to use their gym/spa and eat breakfast so that is what I did. The entire experience was wonderful. The buffet breakfast was simply amazing (if I was a crier, I probably would’ve cried when I saw it). The people so kind. The pool and sauna were relaxing. I could go on an on.

Christmas Eve PJs with the family

After leaving from Stockholm I had a direct flight to Las Vegas and then it was on to Salt Lake City. I had no issues picking up and rechecking my luggage at each stage, even better the large snow storm didn’t hit Utah until I landed. Once I had my luggage it was into the car and straight home for some Christmas Eve festivities.

A white Christmas

Being home for this Christmas was perfect because it was the first time my whole family has been together in 3 years. All of my siblings were there, as well as their spouses and my new little nephew. Home is home and it was good to be back. Christmas day was cold and snowy- just like it should be. There was so much food to be eaten and I didn’t hold back one bit- too many flavors to savor and too little time.

My adorable nephew Zealand 

The most common question I was asked was if it was strange to be back. Did I have reverse culture shock? Honestly, it just felt normal. I think I have spent enough time abroad that I can adapt to new things easily enough, but I don’t forget what home or my normal is like. That being said I can say that I was utterly amazed by the toilets in America. I had forgotten how they flush and I was mesmerized every time. The silent swirling water stands in contrast so the variety of flushes in Georgia.

Family picture in the snow

The majority of my time home was spent visiting people. I visited friends from high school, college, and DC. I also spent time with grandparents, aunts, uncle, and cousins. Best of all I spent hours playing with my adorable nephew. I was glad I was able to meet him while he is still small. By the time I make it home he will probably be a year old, walking, and beginning to gabber.

3pm Stockholm sunset

After a week at home I was ready to get back to Georgia and finish my work. The return flight took the same route, except this time I took the time to leave the airport and visit Stockholm. It was New Year’s day so many businesses were closed and I had a hard time finding a reasonable place to eat. I walked a lot until I found a restaurant serving traditional Swedish food- the reindeer meatballs were delicious! After eating I wandered the town and checked out some sights. I think my favorite moment was when I walked into an old church and was doing some reflecting on the New Year, a lady came into the church sat at the organ and played, How Great Thou Art. A favorite hymn of mine which just warmed my soul.

Wandering the streets of Stockholm

Stockholm was a beautiful city. It was brisk but not oppressive and everyone was friendly. The strangest part was the 3pm sunset. I hadn’t thought much about that before, but given how far north the city is the days are considerably shorter. It was helpful for my jet lag though because it tricked my body into thinking I spent a whole day in Sweden so the 36 hours home felt like 48 and my body has adjusted rapidly. Soon enough I was in Tbilisi. The bus wasn’t operating for some reason so I had to take a taxi home- I hate the airport taxis. The driver agreed to a decent fare but he wouldn’t stop pestering me to teach him English and help him get a job in Germany. He also drove at least 20-30 kmh under the speed limit and kept taking shots of vodka as he drove...Welcome back to Georgia :)

Winter is Here

I don’t know when I lost the habit of updating my blog but I think it was somewhere around the time that school started and the temperatures began to drop. Like I mentioned before the second year is full of fewer discoveries and more repetition. Also, I’ll just be honest- by hands often get really cold when I type. :)

A village in the mountains of the Adjara region near Turkey

Winter has decided to hit Georgia hard this year. I was feeling fairly optimistic based on the experiences of last winter but apparently last year was very mild and this year is really harsh, why can’t the weather moderate itself to a happy medium? The winter temperatures in Poti aren’t all that extreme we are generally in the low 40s but lately we’ve been hovering around freezing. The biggest problems as the twin effect of the high humidity and lack of reliable heating. I often wake up wet from water that has decided to condense in my room- it’s not pleasant. Additionally, my host family only has one heater for the whole house and it is in the living room. It does a great job for that room and everyone tends to congregate there all day, but it does nothing for the ice box of a room I sleep in.

My "bus" ride for the day. We managed to avoid a few rear endings by the driver's skill at the wheel

It was on an especially cold Monday after a week of straight rain that I decided to venture to the bazaar to find a better heater for my room. This new heater has since been a life saver. I no longer sleep with a hat and gloves in a sleeping bag with 4 blankets on top, and it’s wonderful. I remember when I lived in Brazil and thought that I preferred the cold to the heat because you can always just dress warmer, now I am of the opposite opinion. I experienced my first snow storm in Poti last Friday and the temperatures have been unbearable ever since. I can’t even bring myself to shower more than once a week (sorry no sorry) because even though the water is warm the room is the same temp as the outside and the overall experience isn’t that pleasant. I just put my thermals on and wear them all day everyday- I’ve basically become a nevernude.

Randi and I made and frosted 5 dozen sugar cookies for Christmas 

My work in Georgia continues to go well. The students are learning, some are more resistant than others, but it is a long and slow process. Back in July a grant I wrote was finally approved and funded so we have been spending a lot of time purchasing the equipment to improve our school computer lab. So far we have purchased 5 new laptops, a printer, tables, and chairs. Just a few items remain. Once school starts up in the new year we will begin a series of technology trainings for teachers and students that should be a great starting point for improving the overall computer education and resources utilization at my school.

Site mate photo shoot

Most importantly though, I am currently on the train headed to Tbilisi where I will soon catch a flight back home for Christmas. My original plan was take a trip to Bulgaria in January but when the cheap flight appeared I knew I had to take it. Now I am headed home for a week of fun with family and friends which should provide some much needed rest and relaxation to get me through the last 6 months of my service.

Rustaveli Street during December/January

Christmas in Georgia isn’t a thing, at least in relation to how we celebrate in the USA. Their religious holiday Shoba falls in early January because of the Orthodox Christian calendar, but it isn’t celebrated with a lot of fanfare. The real celebrations here are around the new year. I had hoped to stay and experience the fun this year but a trip home won out. Because of the focus mostly on New Year’s and other smaller holidays all throughout January the holiday festivities and decorations don’t get put up until much later in the month (however the festive spirit continues well into January). Spending Christmas day in Georgia can be a bit of a downer since there is no celebration or recognition of the day. Luckily Tbilisi is now all decorated and ready for the season so I will hopefully be able to get into the holiday mood as I prepare for my trek around the world- wish me luck!

Be Grateful

I've been procrastinating this post because- first, I'm on round two of all of this and things are less exciting and less new (not to say I'm not learning plenty still); second, how do I follow up a post about being exhausted? Well I think I found the answer- Thanksgiving.

Just some super thankful 1st graders

My Peace Corps journey fits right in with Thanksgiving. Back in 2014 I received my invitation to serve the day before Thanksgiving. I hadn't told many people about my plans to join the Peace Corps so Turkey day 2014 became the perfect time to let family and friends in on my little secret. Now two years have past and I am sitting in my bed in Georgia (under 4 blankets and next to a small space heater) reminiscing on those days, a lot has changed.

So far from where I was 2 years ago

All in all I am thankful for this experience I am having. I often tell people that Peace Corps service is one of those things that can be terrible in the moment but in hindsight it will always be great. The fond memories and happy times will always shine brighter than the frustrations and exhaustion that I might be feeling in any given moment. So if you were worried about me after my last post, don't be (but I do appreciate the concern).

Some adorable Georgian children dressed as Charlie Chaplin for a song and dance routine- too good

Now before I dive into my I'm-thankful-for-s let me recap the months of November...
I haven't added up the days but I think I might have spent more time away from Poti than in Poti this month. First we had a training of trainers focused on working with youth and creating youth programs across Georgia. This is an idea that came out of a Youth as Resources meeting and has grown into something I am quite excited about. This I'll help host a youth empowerment summit for PCVs and their youth counterparts to prepare them to create clubs and projects in their towns and villages- I can't wait.

PCVs and our staff liasion, ready to start some projects!

The next training was our All Volunteer conference which brought all 112  of us PCVs together for the first time. We are an impressive group, I am always amazed when I hear what people are doing with their service here in Georgia. Aside from getting to know everyone, we also took the time to launch our new diversity and peer support initiatives which I have been working on with other PCVs. They went over well, especially the diversity one.  It sparked some great conversations and hopefully more interest in understanding and supporting each other in our various experiences.

Thanksgiving a week early but with all the volunteers

Aside from the trainings I was able to spend 1 weekend in Tbilisi with two of my best friends- Brent and Sarah. They were in Paris/London and Melody and I talked them into coming to Georgia for a quick weekend visit. We were only together for 2 days but it was great to show them a sliver of this amazing country and enjoy each others company.

Quick trip to Uplistsikhe with this crew

Finally, November 8th... Election day was rough. I was caught completely off guard and not prepared for the conversations I would need to have with the Georgians around me. I avoided my host family and others all day so I could process things and talk to some other volunteers. The phrase I use most often now is- ვნახოთ ვნახოთ (let's see [what happens]).

Reunited and it feels so good!

Now for some I'm grateful gab :)

Friends and family are a great place to start however cliche it may seem. I really am grateful for my friends and family. I have had multiple friends come to visit me as well as my mom. I also receive a lot of support through texts, phone calls, and messages from people back in the States. However, my definition of friends and family is also expanding to include people in Georgia. My host family has been wonderful to me. Despite any annoyances that might persist, they are nothing but kind and caring people who have let me live with them and disrupt their normal way of life. They make my experience here in Georgia more meaningful and help to make sure I don't loose any weight. Aside form my new Georgian family I also have many new Georgian friends. These Georgians aren't forced to like me or be kind to me, they choose to be. Their friendship has made my time here a lot more fun and helped to make me feel more included in Georgian culture.

Visited the Tbilisi mosque and had a great conversation on religion with this man

Second, I am grateful for my fellow volunteers and the Peace Corps staff. The volunteers I serve with are my people. I love when I meet people who I know are my people. We share many common interests and conversations are rarely dull- no matter who I am talking to. Also my G15 group of volunteers have become my main source of strength in the hard times. They are here going through this experience with me and they are great examples and fine comrades. The Peace Corps staff here is indescribable. I don't know what my experience would be like without them. I've spoken to other volunteers who aren't so fortunate and I don't know how they do it. I look up to the staff so much, I value their opinions, and I hope to become friends with all of them even after I have returned home.

The wall of diversity from our All-Vol training

Next up, I am grateful for my country. Living abroad always readjusts my perspective and reminds me of the great life I have back in the US. I am grateful for the opportunities that being born there has afforded me. I am also grateful for the American values like diversity and pluralism which aren't found everywhere in the world. I didn't realize how much I valued the different people, cultures, and ideas that make up America until I was in Georgia experiencing life without the same things. I have learned to recognize and value the experiences of others and trying see things from new perspectives and all I can say is that I hope this appreciation never wanes.

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And now here is a list in not certain order of other things I am grateful for: indoor plumbing, indoor heating, insulation, quality products, convenience, lobiani, khachapuri, trains, no smoking restaurants, good students who make up for the bad ones, funny graffiti that makes me laugh every time I walk by, oreos, duct tape, dryers, variety, sunny weather, books, TV, and airplanes.

Speaking of airplanes, did I mention that I am going home for Christmas? I bought a spur of the moment flight for Christmas eve. I'll be seeing some of you real soon!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Behind the Scenes: Serenity now!

I've been procrastinating this post because I still haven't found the best way to address this topic, nor the right tone to take. Living abroad is hard, living in Georgia is hard. I'm now on my second lap here in Georgia and I am doing fewer things for the first time which helps to create a sense of normalcy, yet still things are hard. This isn't my first time living abroad. When I was 19 I moved to Brazil and spent two years living and working there as well. My time in Brazil often stands as a good foil or at least parallel for comparing and contrasting my time in Georgia. I suspect that much like my time in Brazil my time in Georgia will be viewed with more fondness and positive emotion when I am no longer in the middle of it. Peace Corps is one of those experiences where when taken as a whole is definitely a net positive experience and something that is very much worthwhile. However, were you to take a sampling of my mood and sentiments at some random point in during my service the answers in the moment might not represent the overall feelings. (Are you still following me?)

Just a behind the behind the scenes photo shooting action

I have now been here for 18 months and I am tired. It is exhausting to have to answer the same questions everyday especially when the question itself can be offensive or you can't answer truthfully. It is exhausting to have to realign your expectations and try and keep yourself from getting upset. It is exhausting to try and navigate confusing cultural situations where you don't want to offend anyone. There are a lot of things that are just exhausting. (I'll add as a disclaimer that I don't stand out as much as other volunteers, especially people of color, I can't imagine having to deal with the attention and others issues they face on a daily basis.) I miss the comfort and familiarity of living in a culture that I know and understand.

The mountains of Racha

Over the past year and a half, I have come to appreciate the attribute of resiliency, or the ability to bounce back. Developing resiliency is an important part of living abroad. I am a fairly resilient person, and I haven't found it terribly difficult to bounce back after disappointment or frustration. However, that bounce back can take you higher or lower than the original starting point (think of a rubber ball bouncing, sometimes higher sometimes lower). Tips for building this resilience generally include ideas such as: building relationships, finding meaning/purpose, recognizing the small successes, re-framing your experiences in a positive light, and taking care of your personal wellness (all areas). This is all great advice, but I will tell you- it is still hard. I am sure you have heard of the serenity prayer-

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

That is basically a life motto nowadays, especially the last line. At least I am no longer banging my head against the wall trying to change problems that I can't or which will require more than just my personal efforts.

Literal comfort food

Here are two recent examples of frustrations I have had (please try not to judge me if they seem petty)-

Two weekends ago I took a trip with some friends to visit the mountainous region of Racha. We had a great weekend planned and were excited to get out into nature. Due to it being the off season and the lack of good tourist information online it was hard to pre-plan all of the trip, but we were willing to go in and stay flexible with our plans. Over the course of the weekend I can count 4 instances where I was told that the price for a service- lodging, food, transport, would be one thing and then at the end it was another. That is a very frustrating situation to be in, especially because it leads you to feel like you are being taken advantage of but you don't/can't cause a scene because you are trying to represent the US well and because you don't want to create any problems for the Peace Corps. I had to spent a lot of time alone in my room to try and decompress after I made it back home from that trip.



Next, we had a volunteer Halloween party this weekend and I had coordinated with a restaurant to reserve the private upstairs portion and have some food and music. It was supposed to be a volunteers only party for safety reasons and we were all looking forward to getting together to relax. The restaurant was so nice and they decorated the place and made it look great. As time went on we began to notice more and more locals showing up and realized that the employees were inviting their friends over because they didn't have to work or wait on tables like normal. They would just come and hang out in our party. Not great but not terrible. However as it got later these extra guests began to make demands like, "We've been listening to your music all night, let us put on our music and do some dancing." At which point some locals went to my computer and just changed the music. It was really annoying since we'd worked hard to create a playlist that the volunteers would like. Also, I have been living in Georgia for 18 months and I listen to their music all day everyday, this was supposed to be a private party where we could listen to whatever we wanted.

Halloween costumes- Ghosts of sexy past

In both cases the problem came down to expectations. We were expecting one price and being forced to pay another, or we were expecting to have control over the music at our party and yet the locals decided they needed to intervene on our behalf to share their own music (their form of hospitality). In both of these situations I was fairly annoyed, but in both situations I had to temper my response and try to present it in a way that was soft and not off putting. Each time the response wasn't very effective. We still had to pay the higher price, and we still let them hijack our music. Managing your expectations has a lot to do with being resilient and having success- even if the expectation appears to be a new-brainer.

Pretty sunset always make life easier

There you have it, life is hard... However, life is good. I might get upset about how masculinity is presented/projected, how people drive, how many times I have to answer the same questions, how truthful I am allowed to be in answering said questions, the pressure of always being a representative of something larger than your individual self (your country per say), or how poorly my students are behaving at the lesson; yet, in the end life is still good. I am still learning so many things which are shaping my world views and outlook, I am meeting some truly inspiring people, and I am doing work which is having a positive benefit on the lives of the people I am attempting to assist. I am mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted but I am still glad to be here and I am having the time of my life, it's just good to note that it isn't always easy.

P.S. The rats above my ceiling must be the size of a small child because they are SOO noisy when they run around. Who knows what they are doing up there!

New Beginnings and Tragic Endings

A new school year has begun (or I should say began 1 month ago). As a general PSA, I should tell you that I will be finishing my school year (and consequently my Peace Corps time) in 8 months- time flies. However fast time is flying however, there is still more to do than could ever be done (at least that is how I am feeling).

With the new school year has also come new classes, students, and teachers to work with. There is a lot of adjustment to be done. We are working on the same things as always- please stop talking, did anyone do their homework, who knows what this means, where are all your missing classmates, and the list goes on. Hopefully I will have good news to report soon.

Shout out to my friend Dillon for sending me a package of Taco Bell hot sauce packets 

In non-teaching related news a lot has been going on here in Georgia. Last weekend there were parliamentary elections across the country. The campaigns were riddled with mudslinging and personality politics but mostly calm. However, things did escalate during the last week or so including a shooting at one rally and a car bombing at another. Both of which left few people injured but are a sign of a dangerous level of rhetoric and passion in politics- not unlike what is going on in my own country. The car bomb was especially noteworthy since I happened to be in Tbilisi at the time and Peace Corps had to do some quick work to make sure all volunteers ans staff were safe and accounted for. Thankfully elections here are mostly wrapped up (some run-offs are still to come). Likewise I cannot wait for the constant embarrassing stream of US election coverage to end. It is getting harder and harder to explain what is going on back home while I try to represent the democratic ideals the US is supposed to represent. Hypocrisy has never looked so bad.

I finally got a new bed which means I am no longer sleeping on couch cushions!

Changing topic now.... While I was in Tbilisi for this training (a super cool training that I was grateful to attend and which will do great things for the PC program here in Georgia, but which I am down playing for brevity) I noticed that many of my students were posting mysteriously sad notes on Facebook. Such posts are often hard to decipher due to Georgians penchant for poetry in everyday writing. However, I eventually realized that they were alluding to the surprising death of one of my fellow teachers. I was stunned to say the least.

Due to travel restrictions we spent Election day exploring this abandoned building in town,
I'm also trying to lighten up a pretty somber post.

Medea was a math teacher and relatively young. She was active in her work and I helped her several times to translate an abstract of some paper she was publishing. She was also a single mother. Several years ago her husband passed away in a car accident, which in a cruel twist of fate was the same thing that took her life last week. Before her husband died they had been working on fertility treatments and she had just gotten pregnant. The stress and effects of her husband's death led her to have a miscarriage and lose their child. A couple years later she realized that her husbands sperm was still saved at the clinic and chose to be artificially inseminated and miraculously was impregnated again. Early this year she miraculously gave birth posthumously to his baby.  We had a huge celebration this Spring when the baby was christened.

Ignore the fact that this is an upper floor of an abandoned building...

A few weeks ago she was invited to appear on a national morning show in Tbilisi and share her miraculous story. It was an emotional broadcast. On the way home from the taping the driver seemingly fell asleep at the wheel and they crashed into an oncoming semi-truck. Medea, her child, her neighbor, and the driver- a father of four, all died at the scene of the accident. It was all a great tragedy. I was away from school for the rest of the week was wasn't able to experience the grieving process but from the messages online and conversations with my host family and others in Poti, it was a terrible loss felt by many people.

Some cookies to lighten the mood.

This past Tuesday was Medea's funeral, scheduled after a week of mourning and a constant wake/vigil. Classes were cut short and I went with my teachers to pay our respects. Since she had lived in a small apartment and there wasn't room to accommodate all the visitors, a makeshift canopy structure had been constructed outside in an empty lot to house the grievers and visitors. Her mother was there wailing, per Georgia culture, over the loss of her daughter and grandchild. She was surrounded by female relatives dressed in black who were also crying and grieving the loss. A path was made for visitors to pay there respects so as a group we approached and one by one left a rose on the casket and moved through the mourning space. It was very emotional.

A photo shared from their car ride to Tbilisi

After we had paid our respects we waited for an hour while everyone else made their way through. Then the coffins were carried into a hearse and the procession of mourners began their journey to the cemetery. We joined them there and watched as the coffins arrived. Her mother, who is quite old, had to be supported on both side due to her lack of strength after 7 full days of grieving- wailing with lack of sufficient nourishment and sleep. Following the visit to the cemetery we went to the traditional supra where the mood was noticeably lighter. There were close to 250 people gathered there: friends, relatives, fellow teachers, and other close acquaintances. The men made the traditional toast but the mood was no longer one of unimaginable grief as it has been an hour before.

A photo from the Morning Show segment about Medea

I have witnessed the Georgian death and funeral traditions before but this time I was much more involved. It was a strangely beautiful yet foreign experience. One that has caused me to be more reflective and thoughtful as I consider my own beliefs about death and the life after, but also the traditions and ceremony which we use to commemorate a person's life.  Tragedies such as this are unexpected and difficult to process but provide opportunity for evaluation and reflection. This experience has definitely touched something inside of me and deepened my resolve (however cliche) to live a better life.

P.S. Many already know this but I can't help to mention more publicly that I would like to request this song to be performed at my funeral- video montage optional.

I can never decide which version I like more

Mom Came Down to Georgia: part 2

Continues from part 1

Wednesday morning was a lot more relaxed. First, we headed out to explore Borjomi and partake of their magic mineral and spring waters. They water has a strong sulfur smell with one spring giving cold water and the other a warm, both however are naturally carbonated. If the legends are true, this water should cure all my ailments. Next, we took the gondola up the mountain and we were finally able to ride on a Ferris wheel. They started it up just for us. Logan and I were the only passengers and we spent the whole ride taking selfies, standing, and doing whatever we wanted. After our ride a passerby told us that there was yet another "must-see” church. Logan started us out on a trek through the forest following markings on the trees. After a while, we came upon a guy in the trees that was surprised to see us. He was surprised Logan spoke Georgian as most people are, and the two got talking. As we were heading off and the man mentioned we could get to the church just as easily by sticking to the main road- so much for trail blazing. We got back on the road and continued our "short" walk. (No such thing, all our walks in Georgia ended up being more of an adventure than I ever saw coming.) We eventually found the church in the woods. It was the only church I saw in Georgia that was an outdoor church. The bells, the alter, everything was outside and open but in a remote location with a small structure nearby. We read the story of the famous monk who ate only grass and prayed on a rock for almost three years and poked around a little before heading back to our guesthouse.

Next on the list was Kutaisi where we would spend the night with a fellow PCV from Logan’s group. Karen is probably my age and has her own apartment which has been deemed "casa de Karen". This is a favorite hangout whenever someone from G15 group is in town. After another marshutka adventure we greeted in Kutaisi by some pouring rain. We were able to make it to Karen’s without getting too wet, dropped off our luggage and headed out to explore and eat. That night we to dinner with Karen and Jill, another PCV from Logan’s group. I had a great time getting to know more of Logan’s friends. Karen and Jill, like all the others I was able to spend time with, were so kind and giving. I have been so humbled to interact with all of these people from the Peace Corps, see how amazing they are, and how much they are doing with the Peace Corp. I can’t help but feel like an underachiever when I hear about all they are doing.

The following day, Thursday, we decided to forego marshutkas and hire a taxi for the entire day. We started our adventure at Prometheus Cave, then up in the mountains to see some beautiful waterfalls. As we hike down to the waterfalls I couldn’t get over how much hidden beauty there is all around us. We wanted to get some pictures sitting on the edge of a cliff overlooking a waterfall when it hit me that if anything happened to Logan out here I was doomed. Here I was in the middle of nowhere, in the mountains, in a small village where I'm sure no one speaks English. I would never be able to get out of here on my own. That thought made me hold on to Logan a little bit tighter as we made our way back out and to the car. Our next stop was another of my must-see places, Okatse Canyon. Our driver took us to the visitor’s center and told us that for another 30 Lari another person could drive us up to the entrance to the canyon or we could walk the 2km from the visitor’s center. I thought the walk wouldn’t be a big deal so we turned down the expensive offer.

What started out as a leisurely path through the trees, quickly turned into a sharp downhill decline. With every step the dread of our return trip up back up increased. Once we reached the canyon rim it was all worth it. I can’t even describe what the canyon and walkway was like. You descend onto a wooden walkway which is suspended out over the canyon and is anchored to the side of the cliff. As long as I didn’t think about the engineering too much we were ok, but if I looked down through the cracks it would hit how precarious of place I was in- I loved every minute of it!

By now each day was just an adventure to see how many steps and flights of stairs I could climb as we hiked and walked. That competitive mindset really helped me get my butt back up to where we began this trek, that and the promise of the first diet soda I had seen during my whole time in Georgia.



Our final stop, was the beautiful Martvili Canyon. Here we were able to take a canoe ride through the canyon to see some amazing scenery. I should say that I was able to ride, Logan somehow ended up having to paddle and was not happy about it, after all we did pay extra for this tour. (Logan: might I add that the guide in the back definitely wasn’t pulling his weight when it came to paddling.) I sat back and relaxed, snapping selfies and enjoying Logan’s unhappy face!

After a full day of exploring we talked our driver into taking us back to Karen’s house and then to the station so we could catch our ride to Poti to meet Logan’s current host family. When you meet someone for the first time you always want to make a good first impression and I knew that I looked as good as I felt. After this long day of hiking and walking with high humidity and occasional rain, to say I was unprepared to meet Logan’s family is an understanding. However, when we arrived the rain had started and I was thankful that Logan’s host dad and sister were waiting for us with a car. When we arrived at the house the rest of the family and some friends were waiting for us, so I put on a happy face and tried my best to not look how I felt.

Later after settling in I needed to take a shower. I gathered my stuff and Logan directed me to the shower room outside of the house. It was an adventure, but not much different than taking a shower in a campground. When I came back in the house everyone was still there waiting for me and Madona, his host mom, requested to take a picture. I had just gotten out of the shower- no makeup, dripping wet hair, and wearing my PJs. I smiled, and hesitantly agreed, made his host sister promise to delete the photo later.

The next morning, we were up early and on our way to Logan’s school. A day I'll not soon forget. I was humbled and overwhelmed with how kind the kids and teachers were to me. In the classes the kids were given the opportunity to ask me anything they wanted. It was so fun to see their reactions as I was told them about myself and family. Every class asked me how many children I had and were blown away when I told them I had 6 kids. Big families are not a thing in Georgia. My next favorite question was my age. I’ve come to terms with my age so I didn't mind it at all, I certainly loved their reactions to that. If ever I need an ego boost these kids could give it to me. They said I looked so young, they couldn't believe my age or that I was a grandma. (Logan: might I add that most Georgians thought we were brother and sister or a married couple, not my favorite…) In the 7th grade classroom, I felt like some type of rock star with how the kids welcomed me and the proceeded to put on an impromptu program with singing and dancing and then posing for pictures. Later as I was walking down the hall with Logan several girls came up to me and asked to take selfies. It was crazy but fun and I loved it! I felt bad that I had disrupted their class time; however, good old Logan didn't let them off the hook. With only a few minutes left in each class he made sure they all got homework assignments- what a kill joy!!

That night we met up with other Peace Corp volunteers that had come to town to help with a special event they were putting on for children with disabilities. We were able to enjoy a fun night at the famous Poti pirate ship restaurant. Logan also took me to meet the orphanage kids that he visits regularly. They were adorable! Each kid was so polite, taking our coats, pulling out chairs, and asking questions. I could not get over out well-mannered and kind they were. I wished I would have known before hand and remembered to bring them something from the US. They were easily the highlight of my night.

Saturday was the day of the big event, but unfortunately, it was a bust because of the weather. It rained most of the day and parents took it as an excuse to keep their kids with special needs at home. There is a lot of stigma associated with disabilities in Georgia and the weather was a good excuse for people to use. Despite the setback, there were a lot of youth volunteers that had signed up to help with the event who had some despite the rain. It quickly transformed in to a good training session for them along with games and karaoke. After pictures and good byes to the volunteers and Logan’s host family we made our way to the station for our last marshutka ride. This one turned out to be the best one yet. Several other PCVs were on board and we were able to talk and laugh- in English the entire way.

Batumi was our last stop, and this was to be my relaxing part of the trip. I insisted we stay in a nice hotel and I wasn't disappointed. I spent over half an hour standing in the shower letting the water rain down on my head and wash away all the dirt and sweat and smells of this amazing adventure. This by no means was my first shower but it was the best shower I’d had in almost 2 weeks. In the morning we had a huge brunch in the hotel and then headed out to explore the boardwalk, do some souvenir shopping, and then walk along the shores of the Black Sea. It was still threatening rain but it held off long enough for me to collect some rocks, take some selfies, and touch the water. The water ended up coming up on me while taking a picture and my feet and legs got wet but I was surprised by how warm the water was. If the weather had been nicer, we would have definitely gone swimming. Instead we ended up at Luca Polare for my final gelato treat. We even happened upon two other volunteers, Grace and Safi, who were also enjoying the best gelato in town so we invited them to join us for lunch before we all headed our separate ways. Since this was my last meal in Georgia, Logan insisted that I finally try the Acharuli khatchapuri or “cheese-boat” as it is often referred to. I hadn’t loved many of the various cheese breads we had tried thus far, but this one was definitely the best. Logan I and split one and I don’t think anyone one could ever eat a whole one in good consciousness.

For our final trip back to Tbilisi, Logan booked us first class tickets on a 6hr train ride across the country. As my time was quickly passing I couldn't believe all the history in this amazing country. We traveled east to west and then north to south. From the Russian border to the Turkish border and just about everything in between. The amount of history and in the country is incomprehensible and hard to wrap my mind around. I was saw places and things older than anything back home, some from before 500 BC. I can’t even describe everything I was able to see, touch, and experience.

My trip was 10 days of seeing and doing things I never imagined, eating foods with weird names, and listening to a loud strange language. Best of all I got to share this amazing opportunity with my son, traveling to places he has become a part of and to meeting people who love him almost as much as I do. It really does a mother’s heart good to hear people praise my son, and to meet all the amazing people he is working with in the Peace Corp that have become his "foreign family".

Thank you Peace Corp for taking such good care of him and for letting me see just how much is put into making sure these volunteers are always safe and accounted for. I left Georgia with a new appreciation for this small yet beautiful country and with my mind at peace knowing that my son is well cared for and loved. Thank you to all the friends, coworkers, and surrogate family members who made my trip one to remember.

Some final thoughts:

Things I really liked about Georgia:

• I always felt safe any time of the day 
• When you go out to eat, your food comes out as soon as it is ready and hot; you seem to be getting food continually 
• Warm hospitality from so many strangers
• Inexpensive foods
• Good khinkali, fried potatoes, tomato and cucumber salad, and hazelnuts
• Plenty of exercise walking everywhere
• Meeting PCVs and staff
• Seeing what my son's experience has been like!

Instead of a bathroom stall wall they opted for the scenic window...

Things I didn't like during my trip:

• Marshutkas and drivers
• Crazy scary driving wherever we went
• No seat belts
• Speed limit never followed 
• Cigarette smoke in small places
• No ice in my drink and no Diet Coke 
• Salty cheeses
• Bartering for rides
• Loud voices 
• Loud music on marshutkas
• Many old abandoned buildings