Hold On, Hold On

Here we are in July, and all the signs of the Georgian summer are here: plentiful fruit and vegetables at low, low prices; the eastern-based exodus to the promise of water and beaches in the west; and the opening of windows on marshutkas to let in the nice summer breeze.

What I’ve just mentioned to you is the idealistic version of Georgian summer. Here’s what I’m actually experiencing: daily temperatures in three digits with no air conditioning; flies, bugs, and mosquitoes everywhere I turn on everything in sight—food, people, me and my ears; the—let’s call it a ‘surprise’ that when I returned back to my site there were 5 very active, very LOUD grandchildren, aged 3 to 10, lying in wait.

This means that in addition to the heat and bugs that make it hard to sleep, I get regular wake up calls from the window to my room, where children can be seen peeking in, banging on the door, moving the curtain, and creepily whispering my name. The best part is that I have no idea when they’re leaving! They could be here for WEEKS. Someone save me. Please.

On a positive note, I fly to Texas in a little over a month and a week. Very exciting, but not soon enough. For anyone wondering my itinerary:

Depart Tbilisi Monday, August 23 at 4:00 AM (cool time! Not)
Touchdown in Houston after layovers in Munich and Dulles: Monday, August 23 at 7:50 PM

As of now, I plan to be at the river with friends and then the beach with family from August 25th to September 2nd or so. Then I start to make my way back to Georgia on September 6th (Labor Day flight…yay?). I’ll be in the Houston/Baytown area from the 2nd-6th. More than likely my trip will consist of eating a lot of Tex Mex and other wonderful Texas goodness, and I want anyone who also enjoys these things to join me in this endeavor.

The last note on this entry (ending it positive!) is that I want to share my experiences with the FLEX program in Georgia. After 2 Pre-Departure Orientations this summer for the Foreign Leaders Exchange Program, I’ve met some truly amazing and awesome Georgian high school students. The idea of the program is that after rigorous testing and interviews, 50 students are chosen as participants who will spend an academic year at a high school in the United States.

As you can imagine, the program looks for English fluent, highly adaptable and outstanding kids. And as I had the privilege to work with them to ready them for their experience in the States, I have to say that I am so proud and excited for all they will accomplish in the future.

Sometimes when you live in a village and it seems like what you do is all for naught, it’s nice to be reminded that there are kids out there who are truly motivated, who want to make a difference. Imagine learning a language fluently while in high school, then moving to a different country to attend a high school where no one knows your language (and most don’t know where your country is). These kids are great, and definitely serve to keep some of the cynicism typical to a PCV’s experience in check. Good luck in the States, and if any of you happen to meet a FLEX student by chance, throw ‘em a Gamarjoba!

Until next time.

Lauren