Funny, but it always seemed to me like that line should be regarding a bad thing. Like... "Take your hits and keep on rolling" or some such. But certainly finding a suitcase full of money is unquestionably a good thing, especially when it follows some serious quality time with your brother involving rope and air ducts and coins and cool prayers. I digress. None of those things have happened to me sadly, (especially that suitcase full of money!), but I did receive some very excellent news yesterday from my Program.
My transfer request to Tbilisi has been approved. When I return in January from my almost-a-month visiting Favorite People (and hedgehog!) in Okinawa, I will not need to then get on a six-hour marshutka or night train. Because I will already be home. In the Capital!!!
This of course means saying farewell to my current, quite excellent host family. I will miss these folks. Over the past six months they have been all that is kind and generous to me. Because of them, I've been able to witness four Georgian weddings and one funeral (blog post on that in a bit), numerous local dance and music concerts, afternoons at various beaches, one very cool trip to Bakhmaro, and more supras than I can count. I feel very fortunate to have been able to spend a part of my life here as an honorary member of the family.
But from Day One, the plan has always been to change locations halfway through this adventure. The good fortune in scoring Tbilisi is a gigantic bonus, but even if Tbilisi hadn't been possible I would have asked for Telavi or Rustavi. I feel that I have done a pretty okay job of exploring the western side of Georgia during these six months, but there is a whole half of a country I have yet to see. Now I'll have six months to make time for adventures into Kakheti, Kazbegi, Khevsureti, Vardzia (with another trip into Borjomi as well), and maybe a trip down into Armenia or Azerbaijan.
Mine has sure turned into an interesting life.
I'm very glad I had the opportunity to experience a side of Georgian life and culture that never would have been possible in a big city. But I am a city girl at heart, and I'd be lying if I said the idea of theatres, cinemas, western restaurants, museums, and Prospero's Freaking Books did not excite me a whole bunch. Sheesh, I'm gonna go broke in five minutes if I don't watch myself.
Looking very forward to The Next Phase...
My transfer request to Tbilisi has been approved. When I return in January from my almost-a-month visiting Favorite People (and hedgehog!) in Okinawa, I will not need to then get on a six-hour marshutka or night train. Because I will already be home. In the Capital!!!
This of course means saying farewell to my current, quite excellent host family. I will miss these folks. Over the past six months they have been all that is kind and generous to me. Because of them, I've been able to witness four Georgian weddings and one funeral (blog post on that in a bit), numerous local dance and music concerts, afternoons at various beaches, one very cool trip to Bakhmaro, and more supras than I can count. I feel very fortunate to have been able to spend a part of my life here as an honorary member of the family.
But from Day One, the plan has always been to change locations halfway through this adventure. The good fortune in scoring Tbilisi is a gigantic bonus, but even if Tbilisi hadn't been possible I would have asked for Telavi or Rustavi. I feel that I have done a pretty okay job of exploring the western side of Georgia during these six months, but there is a whole half of a country I have yet to see. Now I'll have six months to make time for adventures into Kakheti, Kazbegi, Khevsureti, Vardzia (with another trip into Borjomi as well), and maybe a trip down into Armenia or Azerbaijan.
Mine has sure turned into an interesting life.
I'm very glad I had the opportunity to experience a side of Georgian life and culture that never would have been possible in a big city. But I am a city girl at heart, and I'd be lying if I said the idea of theatres, cinemas, western restaurants, museums, and Prospero's Freaking Books did not excite me a whole bunch. Sheesh, I'm gonna go broke in five minutes if I don't watch myself.
Looking very forward to The Next Phase...
Prospero's seems pretty awesome. If only because it's got an English language website.
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy that you have your new assignment --if a change was necessary, this could be the best alternative. I only wish I could thank your current host family for all they've done for you!! We were all lucky that you got to know and love such wonderful people.
ReplyDelete