Arrival in Georgia and First Days of Pre Service Training

I've always loved traveling. Road trips, small family vacations, or out of country adventures, I enjoy all the little things about them. Packing, anxiety of getting to places on time, rushing to catch connecting flights, and the touch-down of the plane, it's all so exciting. Even the waiting around serves to just give more time to be excited. This time around was no exception and with the length and significance of this trip, all those sensations were heightened. 

I got to meet all 32 of my fellow trainees (ALL will be future volunteers, I'm sure). In Philadelphia it was pretty much a meet and greet as well as learning the basics about what the Peace Corps is and what it means to be a part of it. My last American dinner was at Morimoto's - not too shabby if I do say so myself.

We travelled for a total of over 27 hours to finally arrive in Georgia. When I caught my first glimpse of snow-capped mountains was about the time I realized I am going to live here. This is going to be my home. 

We had our first cultural experience when we went to the grocery store to pick up last minute necessities (so booze). We got to see the freeway's view of Tbilisi, which was a very neat mixture of old and new, east meets west architecture. We then arrived to our training center in Bazaleti, which is relatively secluded and surrounded by mountains! I CAN SEE A MOUNTAIN WITH SNOW FROM MY WINDOW. 

We have been here in Bazaleti for the last 4 days learning about safety, policy, culture, and language. It's been really great spending time with all of these amazing people. The staff is super helpful, insightful, and friendly and I am thrilled with all the personalities of our group (G13 represent!). 

Today was and is going to continue to be the most exciting day out of PST (pre-service training). We found out our cluster, our PST town, and our host families for the first three months! I have  HUGE family. There are 10 yes TEN members in my house. Including a 1 and a 3 year old so I'll be able to communicate with someone at least haha. 

PST is supposed to be the most trying part of the entire volunteer experience, so I'm interested and anxious to see how it goes. 

TIME FOR LUNCH 

I will try to post more with pictures soon :) 

Naxvamdis! 

(Bye) 

The Beginning is Beginning

Well I leave for Peace Corps orientation in Philly today! The last few days have been dedicated to packing two years worth of stuff into two bags (ridiculous!) and enjoying all the little things I love about home. Sorry if the following streams of thought are kind of jumbled, I just don't have the focus to organize them right now.

It's been pretty cool this last week because as I'm preparing for my own departure, I get to watch my great friend, Andrew, go through what I'm about to experience. I don't think I've mentioned it before, but he's serving in Kyrgyzstan as a health and wellness volunteer. He's going to finish up his service about a week before I do and we are already planning great backpacking adventures around Asia before we head back to the States. I think I get an added bonus in that I get to be excited for my own Peace Corps experience, but I also get to be excited for him. Also, I think it'll be interesting to compare each other's experiences and just add to the cultural exchange.

As far as my own preparations go, I think I did a pretty good job packing wise, bringing all the necessities but managing to squeeze in some fun stuff for me too. I do however think it will be an accomplishment to arrive in Georgia without a busted zipper or seam since my bags are soooo full... I also look like a much more hunchier Hunchback of Notre Dame when carrying my hiking pack. Oh well, everything has it's squished place and there's no turning back now!

Here's what my stuff looked like before I whittled down the load and packed:

              

... and that's only clothes and shoes. I have so much more stuff like toiletries, gifts for home stay families and friends in country, my computer and various gadgets, and other things. 

This is what it looks like all packed up: 

I would like to state for the record that I managed to squeeze 10 pairs of shoes into my luggage, and if you don't think that's impressive, you're wrong. I haven't even left the country yet and I'm already proud of what I've accomplished in the Peace Corps haha. I will remind you there is TWO YEARS worth of stuff in those bags. I'll try to put up an official packing list at some point. 

My other priority before leaving has been food. I know I'm going to miss all the variety in food while I'm abroad. To give some perspective: there is a new Wendy's opening up in Tbilisi in a few months and all the older volunteers plan on camping out to get the very first Wendy's burgers to be served in Georgia. Kidding, but there is a TON of excitement circulating the grand opening. I'm not so much of a Wendy's gal (not yet at least) so instead I've been making sure to fit in all the different food ethnicities. Mexican, Japanese, Indian, and as much seafood as possible. Wish I was kidding when I said I planned out the entire week in food... no regrets. 

I feel like this year in general I've been able to get a lot of "firsts" under my belt. I got to play in real, fresh snow for the first time in New York, participated in the Double Bridge Run (15K run), went to a gun range and shot my first gun, I took the GRE (blechhhh), I got my first musical instrument (ukulele) and I ran my first half marathon!

As my departure draws nearer and nearer, I also find myself taking note of all my "lasts" - or I should say "lasts... for now." Not in a sad way though, in a commemorative one. On Tuesday I swam in the Gulf for the last time, on Wednesday I drove my own car for the last time, Thursday I sweat my ass off in body conditioning for the last time, last night I ate my favorite sushi for the last time, today I'll be in Pensacola for the last time! Not looking forward to the near future when I'm having my commemorative "last-for-now" hot showers, reliable internet, and modern toilet... but that's for future me to deal with.

The next steps for me include orientation in Philly on the 21st, then starting the trek to Georgia the next morning, arriving in Tbilisi on Tuesday the 23rd around 4:30PM. There's going to be a 9 hour time difference for me and after over 24 hours of traveling I can only imagine I'll be pooped. As soon as we arrive there will be a little welcoming event with press and members of government, and then we get to experience our first Georgian feast (or Supra). Then the following week or so is Staging and then our three month training commences.

The anticipation is almost too much.
Also, thinking about what I'll eat for my last-for-now Pensacola breakfast...

Some Thoughts

Many times when I tell people I'm serving in Georgia, I can tell that they first think of the state known for peaches. I can't say that I was any exception to that. As I read my invitation that clearly stated I'd been assigned to Georgia, my first thought was, "Oh, so I'll be training in Georgia, but where are they going to send me to serve?" It wasn't until I continued down the page that I realized I was going to Eastern Europe. At first I was completely shocked, and to be completely honest, a bit disappointed. I had thought without a doubt I'd be going to South or Central America or somewhere in the Caribbean, because that's where my latest nomination had indicated. Ironically enough, when I initially sent in my application, the one region I had requested to not be placed in was Eastern Europe. Even though I was initially a little disappointed, after some reflection I remembered why I had chosen to join the Peace Corps. I didn't sign up to go to a place where I'd be the most comfortable, or be the most familiar with. I joined so that I could do something that I love; helping others, while getting the opportunity to have new cultural experiences, adventures, and personal growth. That's when I realized how much I would actually benefit from being placed in Georgia. It's one of the last places I would have chosen for myself, which in turn makes it one of the best places for me to go. We learn the most from things that challenge us, and this certainly will.

One of the questions that everyone is asking me these days is "Are you excited?" The short answer is "Duhhhh," but in actuality it's a bit more complicated than that. I have been excited ever since I found out I was going in November (minus the aforementioned initial shock). It has been about four months of me knowing I'm going and being filled with anticipation to start the adventure, but now it's hard to realize that my departure day is approaching quite rapidly - three weeks! Slowly but surely reality is sinking in, and yes, I am extremely excited. The people are warm, the scenery is gorgeous, and the excitement of my group of new volunteers (the G13s) along with the veterans who have been there for 1 and 2 years is contagious.

One of the hardest things is coming to the realization that when I say goodbye to friends and family members, it could be a very long time before I see them again. In person I do a good job of not showing my emotions, but I have had a couple of days when I think too much about the people I'll miss and those days haven't been fun. Despite the sadness involved in saying goodbyes, I know that the people who I truly care about, and those who truly care about me, will still be here when I come back, and that's comforting. In addition to that, in saying these goodbyes I've realized all the love and support that surrounds me, which is incredibly empowering. I'm so lucky to have such great people in my life.
Side note: can you imagine what it would've been like to join the Peace Corps when we didn't have cell phones, skype, email, etc?!? Now those were some hardcore volunteers.

These last few weeks are dedicated to a few things:
- Spending time at the beach. I'm going to miss that salt water!
- Buying last minute things to keep me warm! (i.e. thermal underwear)
- Packing, a daunting task.
- Eating delicious foods such as enchiladas, curry, sushi, the list goes on.
- Running the Gulf Coast Half Marathon
- Spending time with family and friends
- Enjoying hot showers that come with the turn of a nob (rather than a bucket bath)
- Trying to appreciate real toilets (squatting over a hole in the ground is common practice in Georgia)

While I am a little nervous for this huge change, I am so ready for it. Finally I feel like I have some direction and purpose. Not many people get to experience the things I am about to, and for that I am extremely grateful. Truly a once in this lifetime opportunity.

One Year Ago: a summary of my Peace Corps process

It's kind of hard to imagine that almost exactly a year ago I began my application process for the Peace Corps. I started volunteering as an English teacher in January or February (in order to have a competitive application), I submitted my application sometime in April, I went for my interview in Atlanta in May, and soon after received my first nomination (different from invitation in that it is not a guaranteed placement) to serve in the Peace Corps in Sub-Saharan Africa in June. July 20th I received my second nomination for TEFL secondary English teaching in Central or South America or the Caribbean. It wasn't until November 27th of 2012 that I received my official invitation to serve in the Republic of Georgia.

The process as a whole was very trying and tedious. Primarily because until November 27th I had no idea where I'd be going or even if I was for sure going to be invited to serve. Just that little pinch of doubt drove me nuts! Since receiving my invitation, the most stressful task was the medical paperwork. Mainly tons of health questions, blood work, and vaccinations. Lucky for me, I'm as fit as a fiddle and the main obstacle was getting up to date with my vaccinations (since I received no shots until college - yeah, thats right, NONE, and even then I only received the ones required for enrollment). So I had some catching up to do to say the least. In addition to the medical paperwork, I'm having a blast learning the Georgian alphabet...

Future Peace Corps Timeline:
The next step for me is on April 20th when I leave Pensacola to go to Staging in Philadelphia. I will have the night of the 20th and until noon the next day to explore Philly, then I check into staging and Peace Corps business officially commences. Here I will meet my fellow volunteers (I think there's about 40 of us), sign some last minute paperwork, listen to lectures, and receive my new spiffy Peace Corps passport - I don't know what makes it special yet, but I'm hoping it involves less time in customs!

On April 22, we depart for Georgia. First we have to take a bus from Philadelphia to NYC's JFK airport. Then we have a 6 hour wait until our flight takes off. I really hope there is something planned to fill that time, but nothing has been mentioned as of yet. Then it's a 10 hour flight to Istanbul, where we pick up a connecting flight to Tbilisi, Georgia. Total travel time comes out to about 15 hours (not including waiting time and layover in Turkey). We arrive in Tbilisi on April 23rd at 4:25PM.

We are told to try and sleep on the plane, because we'll be going straight to business upon arrival. The next day (the 24th) we start a three day orientation where we receive (more) vaccines -YAY- as well as a phone, some money, and loads of info. At the end of the three days we'll be assigned to a small group of 4 or 5 people (called a cluster group) which will be the group of people we go through the three month pre-service training with.

Then the real fun begins :) 

A Bit About Georgia

So this is where I'll be spending the next two years of my life:

General Info: 

Georgia is known by it's own people as Sakartvelo. The official language spoken is Georgian. It is one of the oldest languages in the world, and is different from any other language. This is what the alphabet looks like: 

Lucky me, right? 

For some perspective on it's size, Georgia is geographically about the size of South Carolina with a population of 4,648,551. The currency is Lari (GEL). The predominant religion is Georgian Orthodox (many people think that there are is a large Muslim community due to the geographical proximity to the Middle East, but that is actually a minority religion). 

The people of Georgia are said to be extremely hospitable and gracious hosts. Supposedly, they treat volunteers as though they are "Gifts from God." I am so looking forward to the warmth and kindness of the people. 

The Georgian economy is fueled primarily by agriculture. Their main export is wine. From what I hear, Georgians are extremely proud of their wine production and many families produce their own house wine. 

The food is a mixture of Eastern European and Mediterranean. I am told that it's actually pretty easy to remain a vegetarian while serving here. They eat a lot of vegetables and beans! I plan on primarily sticking to that, but as per usual I'm willing to try just about anything. I'm a huge proponent of experiencing a culture in whole, and if that means trying unusual foods, or venturing from herbivore status, then so be it. One of the most traditional dishes is Khachapuri which is a boat of bread, stuffed with cheese, egg, and a slab of butter. Not so sure about my waistline, but my taste buds are certainly excited. Check it out: 

Geography/Climate: 

Georgia is as east as Eastern Europe gets. It is considered to be a part of the Caucuses region (with the Caucus Mountains running through the country). 

The weather varies drastically depending on geography. There are tropical-like conditions along the coast of the Black Sea but also year round snowy peaks in the mountains. I'm hoping to be stationed in a more moderate climate, but I won't know my fate until the end of my first three months of training! The good thing is that no matter where you go in Georgia, it looks beautiful! Here's a juxtaposition of two of the various climates: 

Batumi- a large city along the coast of the Black Sea. A very popular vacation site. Very lush, green, and beautiful beaches. 

Svaneti- a northern region which the Caucus Mountains run through. Note the snow!

Safety: Once people discover I'm going to the Republic of Georgia instead of the outskirts of Atlanta, I feel like their first thoughts include political unrest, Russian invasion, human trafficking, etc. Georgia was invaded by Russia in 2008 in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russian troops remain there today, and those regions claim independence from Georgia, but as a Peace Corps volunteer I will not be serving there or even permitted to go to these regions. The rest of the country however, is very stable and the most common threat is petty theft (for which Buenos Aires already prepared me). Georgia is governed by a semi-presidential government with a Prime Minister. The current president is Saakashvili and the Prime Minister is Ivanishvili. There will be a presidential election this year, and I look forward to witnessing the process. 

This is a pivotal time for the country of Georgia. They are strengthening their economy and political stability. They strive to be recognized as members of both NATO and the European Union. There is a large movement to learn English as the second language (the second language has historically been Russian) in order to expand economic progress. This year, the World Bank reported that Georgia is one of the fastest reforming economies in the world. I think it's so exciting that I will get to be a part of this country's progress in such a formative time in their history. 

While this is probably enough information for most of you, if you are still curious or want more in depth details about Georgia, here are a couple of links to make your search easier: 

Country Watch

About Georgia