01 November 2010

October!

October has flown by! It seemed like I was just excited about it coming here and now it has already passed. It has been an up and down month. While things are continuing at site, there have been a few out of site activities that have made this month a lot of fun.

The first was initiatives meeting in Yerevan. A lot of PCVs get together in Yerevan and talk about their secondary projects that are connected to the various initiatives. It is really interesting to hear what others have done in their site and what they are looking to do in the coming months. There are a few really cool ideas coming up and I am excited to be a part of it.

It is also a good time to meet up with other PCVs and relax and enjoy Yerevan. It was perfect outdoor weather and the outdoor cafes of Yerevan were still open! It was also a good time to meet and interact with the new group. Even though I worked with the EEs during the summer, I really didnt get to interact with them in a non-work environment. It is nice to get to know the group that will be here when we leave, holding the PC fort down! They are a good group, different from the 17s, but fun!


The last week of October is usually Fall Break, which means one week off from school. Since I work at the culture house, technically clubs would still happen. However, a lot of my students use this time to travel to other regions and spend time with family. So clubs were canceled for the week and I had the opportunity to work at a short Green Camp in a friend's village. We had a camp there during the summer but this camp was for the younger kids, around 8,9, and 10 years old. They were adorable and a lot of fun, although slightly crazy! We stayed at his house with his host family during the camp. His host family is amazing and so warm and welcoming! The host kids there are great and full of energy. I will never forget those kids because they are so understanding and enthusiastic about PC volunteers.







































Other exciting October news:
The seasons, it is a-changing! Fall is here and winter will quickly come! On the way to green camps I had some of the prettiest views of the color change! The trees were beautiful and incredibly bright! It was amazing and one of the things I will miss! That was about the third week of October when I saw the trees. However, Halloween had snow storms in some areas of Armenia. My site, of course, is free from snow still but that might not last long. They are predicting a colder winter than last year. Who exactly 'they' are, I am not sure of, but that is what they say!

After the green camp, I went walking with two other volunteers outside of Stepanavan and to Lori Berd, an old fortress. It was a beautiful day to walk and a really pretty site!

A good friends birthday! We celebrated in Yerevan and ended up having a cake fight! Always a good time!

My phone broke... :( So I have been using my counterpart's extra phone and my host sister is helping fix my phone, hopefully that will turn out good! I miss my phone.

That is it really, October, although great moments, was mostly relaxing and getting into the flow at site! I have taken to walking around my site a little bit. My village is pretty spread out and I have yet to visit all parts of it. It is something I look forward to doing over this next year.




November is going to be an exciting month! People are heading to my site to work on some EAI by-laws. EAI is the environmental initiative and it needs new by-laws! While this might not be the MOST exciting thing I have ever taken part in, having visitors on the moon will be a lot of fun! I hope to go hiking around one of those days, hopefully the weather will keep.

All Vol, which is the all volunteer conference, will be coming up! This is a great time to re-energize us for winter! I am looking forward to it! Also, during all-vol is the Thanksgiving Dinner, where I will be helping to cook!

Also, at site I might be having a Thanksgiving dinner with my students from the Culture House! Not sure about all of the details yet, but it should be a lot of fun!

And lastly, although I was not able to go south during October, I will be heading south after All Vol! I cant wait to get down there and visit other PCVs! Not sure how long I will be able to take, but I cant wait!

That is it! I have been missing family and America a lot this month! It is hard being away from home and so far from everything that I know and love. I miss you all and hope all is well with everyone!

Love you!