So 2010 was awesome! Lots of amazing and unforgettable memories made this last year. This post will be short and I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I stole the quote below from somewhere else because I thought it summed up my wishes for all of my friends, family, and friends-to-be who read this blog...
"I wish you Health...
So you may enjoy each day in comfort.
I wish you the Love of friends and family...
And Peace within your heart.
I wish you the Beauty of nature...
That you may enjoy the work of God.
I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities...
For those things that really matter in life.
I wish you Generosity so you may share...
All good things that come to you.
I wish you Happiness and Joy...
And Blessings for the New Year.
I wish you the best of everything...
That you so well deserve.
HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIEND!"
Hope everyone had a wonderful celebration and I will be updating soon on all of my recent adventures!
Miss you all and love you all!
2011 is going to rock!
01 January 2011
03 December 2010
My students
On the Friday before Thanksgiving, my students and I had a small party to celebrate giving thanks. It was a wonderful time! We all brought food to share and said what we were thankful for. It was a lot of fun and I cant wait to have another party! These are some pictures from the party.
I am so thankful for all of my family and friends all over the world! Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays everyone!!! Love you all!
I am so thankful for all of my family and friends all over the world! Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays everyone!!! Love you all!
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!
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!
27 September 2010
End of September
Well another month has came and has almost passed. Still have a few days though. This month has been great! Clubs have started and I love my students! They are so full of energy and enthusiasm! They have such a willingness to learn and deal with my struggling Armenian. My tenth form girls are so entertaining. They are so funny and I am so lucky to be working with them. This next year will be a lot of fun and it will be great to see how much they grow and learn!
The weather is changing now and it is weird that I am happy about it. Summer was great and I did not think it was that hot. But I am happy it is cooling down. Last winter, I realized that I am not the biggest fan of snow and cold. But I have come to realize that I really like fall. The leaves will begin to change color, although I really only get to see that when I visit other volunteer's sites. The weather is not so stifling. People are outside more and a bit more active than during the summer. They are also busy with canning and preparing for the winter ahead. These are some of the reasons I like fall. Although to be honest, I think the main reason may be because I get to wear scarves! Especially now that I have like 5 new scarves (from my vacation), with the changing weather I finally get to wear them! Exciting!
Although this last month has been quite entertaining: a new nephew, climbing Aragats, the start of clubs, and more, I am ready for October. October will be initiatives meeting, another green camp, Halloween, Fall Break, and hopefully a visit to the south. I have a feeling October will fly by, similar to my total time here.
The weather is changing now and it is weird that I am happy about it. Summer was great and I did not think it was that hot. But I am happy it is cooling down. Last winter, I realized that I am not the biggest fan of snow and cold. But I have come to realize that I really like fall. The leaves will begin to change color, although I really only get to see that when I visit other volunteer's sites. The weather is not so stifling. People are outside more and a bit more active than during the summer. They are also busy with canning and preparing for the winter ahead. These are some of the reasons I like fall. Although to be honest, I think the main reason may be because I get to wear scarves! Especially now that I have like 5 new scarves (from my vacation), with the changing weather I finally get to wear them! Exciting!
Although this last month has been quite entertaining: a new nephew, climbing Aragats, the start of clubs, and more, I am ready for October. October will be initiatives meeting, another green camp, Halloween, Fall Break, and hopefully a visit to the south. I have a feeling October will fly by, similar to my total time here.
22 September 2010
Aragats!
I climbed Aragats! All the way to the top! Of the Southern Point anyway. Almost 4000 meters high. We started at the lake and that is about half way up there, I think. Haven't really been able to find info on it.
Another volunteer's NGO, the YIC, organized the trip. We started in Gyumri and then drove to the lake. It is a Youth Organization that is Awesome! They are a great group of people; full of energy and fun! It started early and we got there around 11:00. We ate a little snack, played a get-to-know-you game and then headed up. There were a couple of groups climbing that day, September 21st, which is also Armenian Independence Day! It was really cool, there was a Scout group that climbed as well.
We started the hike at 11:30 and stopped periodically to catch our breath, allow people to catch up, and take pictures of the view. It is kind of funny, I was NOT prepared for this hike at all. It was a last minute decision and I didnt really understand the concept of higher altitude= cooler weather. And I only had flip-flops with me, so the other volunteer allowed me to borrow a pair of shoes. I also did not bring my camera, so no pictures. Sad. But it was a memory I will not forget.
It was such a fun day! It took a while to get up there, about 4 hours or so. A little longer than most people, but we were a slower group. It starts off pretty level with a slight incline. Then it turns kind of rocky but still is a slight incline. The closer to the top the steeper the incline, but it was never like we had to climb, we didnt need any special gear. Although, I could have used a jacket at some point. It gets cold up there! I guess you can leave Florida but Florida mentality can never leave you...
Climbing down was almost harder than going up. Its not that easy climbing down rocks that move. But we made it. Because I was wearing Amanda's shoes, which were a little small, I now have blisters on my feet. But it was so worth it. The view at the top was spectacular. The panorama was really cool, although it was a little hazy. The crater was nothing like I expected it and there wasnt that much ice/snow at the top but it was really cool.
All in all, an amazing day! One thing checked off of the Armenia Bucket List. I can now say that I have climbed the highest mountain in Armenia... Pretty, pretty, pretty cool. Here are 2 pictures that I stole from another volunteer:
Another volunteer's NGO, the YIC, organized the trip. We started in Gyumri and then drove to the lake. It is a Youth Organization that is Awesome! They are a great group of people; full of energy and fun! It started early and we got there around 11:00. We ate a little snack, played a get-to-know-you game and then headed up. There were a couple of groups climbing that day, September 21st, which is also Armenian Independence Day! It was really cool, there was a Scout group that climbed as well.
We started the hike at 11:30 and stopped periodically to catch our breath, allow people to catch up, and take pictures of the view. It is kind of funny, I was NOT prepared for this hike at all. It was a last minute decision and I didnt really understand the concept of higher altitude= cooler weather. And I only had flip-flops with me, so the other volunteer allowed me to borrow a pair of shoes. I also did not bring my camera, so no pictures. Sad. But it was a memory I will not forget.
It was such a fun day! It took a while to get up there, about 4 hours or so. A little longer than most people, but we were a slower group. It starts off pretty level with a slight incline. Then it turns kind of rocky but still is a slight incline. The closer to the top the steeper the incline, but it was never like we had to climb, we didnt need any special gear. Although, I could have used a jacket at some point. It gets cold up there! I guess you can leave Florida but Florida mentality can never leave you...
Climbing down was almost harder than going up. Its not that easy climbing down rocks that move. But we made it. Because I was wearing Amanda's shoes, which were a little small, I now have blisters on my feet. But it was so worth it. The view at the top was spectacular. The panorama was really cool, although it was a little hazy. The crater was nothing like I expected it and there wasnt that much ice/snow at the top but it was really cool.
All in all, an amazing day! One thing checked off of the Armenia Bucket List. I can now say that I have climbed the highest mountain in Armenia... Pretty, pretty, pretty cool. Here are 2 pictures that I stole from another volunteer:
09 September 2010
09/08/10
Good date.
He is adorable and I am ecstatic. And that is all I can say!
I miss home and I miss my family. C'est la vie.
He is adorable and I am ecstatic. And that is all I can say!
I miss home and I miss my family. C'est la vie.
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