Finally updating after a pretty busy March!
So, what's been going on. After a really nice week break, I went to Kutaisi to help my friend Tom with Writing Olympics out there.
It was nice to get away and we also had a great time hanging out with TLG volunteers and our Fulbright friend who lives in the area. Being in the far eastern reaches of the country, it's not often enough that I've been able to get out west. Hopefully that will change when my school year is over and before I head back to the States for good.
Speaking of which, I just finished attending our Close of Service conference in Tbilisi. We got to stay at a nice hotel and eat good food, and of course it's always nice to catch up with other volunteers. We also got to meet the Prime Minister of Georgia in a fancy room at the Chancellory, and he even asked for our comments and suggestions! Pretty cool stuff.
Additionally, there were lots of cameras and the US Ambassador in attendance at our ceremony where we were thanked for our service and given certificates. It was odd to be celebrating our service when we still have another 4 months or so left, but a lot of the information has to be disseminated and paper work taken care of well in advance of our departure. As a member of the conference committee, I got to facilitate a few sessions, which was a lot of fun but also took some time to prepare.
As a result, I'm more behind than I want to be planning for GLOW, so I'm playing catch up to get everything prepared for printing. So far we're still waiting on funding, but I'm hopeful everything will come together soon.
And a bit of good news: I got into the Food Studies Master's program at NYU! Since most people probably don't know what that means, here's a brief summary:
It's not a cooking program. I don't have any desire to become a chef. Essentially the purpose of the program is to look at food and the food industry from several lenses, including economics, anthropology, ecology, marketing, etc.
I was drawn to the program because I'd like to learn more about the restrictions and regulations regarding international importing and exporting, with the idea that certain specialty items from developing countries like Georgia can be produced on a small scale and make money and livelihoods for farming families. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I also get to learn about food history and culture. Overall, it's very exciting and I'm anxious to see where this new (and basically unexpected) course will take me.
However, I do have to figure out what I'm going to do about finding a job that allows me to attend grad school part time AND pay rent. FUN TIMES! So if anyone out there has any ideas, let me know! Let it be noted that Lauren needs: a place to live, a job and new friends to show me the city!
And to end the post, of course I have to plug my Peace Corps project to build a new English study at my school! I have until May 1st to come up with about $2000 USD. LET'S DO THIS!
Catch you on the flip side!
L
PS, just an added note that I always appreciate the continued support of friends and family. I haven't said it in a while, but THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO MAKE MY LIFE BETTER! XOXO
Wow - I had no idea you were that into food! The program sounds super cool. :)
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