Free Fallin'

Well I have to say I’m a champion at updating soon when I plan on it (and by that I mean champion of FAIL).

To be fair though, I recently discovered that our beloved Georgian internet provider decided to go ahead and change their policy mid-month, without warning or notification. So what used to be “unlimited” 3G Wireless Internet is now “limited” at 5 GB a month. Anything after that is basically…worthless. Me getting this to you is just an attempt to reward those loyal readers (who occasionally send me delicious and useful things via post!) who do so much to make my life complete.

If you’ve sent me an email, I’ve probably been able to read it but not reply. If that is the case, I promise to get back to you soon. And if you’re wondering how I managed 5 gigs (that’s a thing, right?) in less than a month, let me just tell you that the season and series finale of LOST was probably worth it. Probably. Whatever.

So, what’s up in Georgia. I feel like I’ve been cut off from the outside world. When is the last time I talked to anyone not living here? Am I going crazy? Is this real life? Answers: Not recently, probably, debatable.

I’ve been helping a lot with Pre-Service Training for the new group of soon-to-be Georgia volunteers. I like them. They are neat. I’m interested to find out where their permanent sites will be, but most of them will probably be nestled somewhere on or towards the other side of the country. See you in Tbilisi, guys! Just kidding, I’m sure we’ll be in touch.

I have a crazy busy summer ahead, which I wasn’t originally expecting. This is both a good and a bad thing. Good because I’m crazy busy, but bad in the sense that it does lend itself to some stress I haven’t seen in quite a while. The slow pace of village life just can’t compare to the breakneck speed of summer camps, visitors, vacations and FLEX (Georgian-American student leader program) trainings. I say this with a hint of sarcasm, since I know back in the States there is some serious business afoot that I no longer have to deal with, not that I can say I miss it too much. Now Whataburger…I miss that.

So I’m rambling on in this thing and I haven’t told a single story. I guess I should mention that a couple of weeks ago I went on an excursion with the regional Georgian Orthodox priest and his son (who I have conversational tutoring with once a week at my school). I got to see the inner-workings of the local ice cream factory, several monasteries and historical churches and sites, and was treated to my FAVORITE Georgian food—Georgian barbecue (mtsvadi). During the meal the little brother of the boy I tutor (forget it guys, it’s Georgia town) asked in Georgian “why are Americans rich?”

Yikes. How do you even start to answer that question? This is just one example of why sometimes you feel crappy being a Peace Corps Volunteer. As much complaining as we do, in the end, we have the choice and the privilege of riding a plane back to the US, where Turkish toilets are long forgotten, mega grocery stores are stocked with items from all over the planet, and EVERY MEMBER in a family has a car (my families in Georgia have not had a single one). I’m not naive enough to think that America is the Promised Land that lots of Georgians imagine it to be, but it’s pretty great.

Now a little note on my life in the village. My host mom, host dad and my cat are my best friends. We’re a small family, but a good one. The cat follows me around everywhere and sits by me at the dinner table. My host dad teaches me the art of the Georgian toast (truly an art, by the way), and my host mom gossips with me about various things.

The weather is pretty nice these days. It’s no longer cold, and the sun is out most of the time, although it hasn’t hit the humid tropical-esque atmosphere that can make one miserable in a summer with no air conditioning.

My host mom has quite the green thumb, and our yard is exploding with all kinds of roses and flowers. It’s really beautiful to see-I’ll take a picture and post it soon so everyone can enjoy it. I’m thinking of buying a hammock so I can kick back and enjoy the sun. No swimming pool, unfortunately, but maybe I can take time to do a secondary project this summer…

Ok, that’s all I’ve got at the moment. School should be ending soon (don’t know the actual date), and then it’s off to summer.

See you soon. (You look great).

Lauren