Well, folks. I'm here! Armenia so far treated me very well, as has the Peace Corps staff and volunteers. My experiences have surpassed my expectations and am extremely excited about my next couple of years!

Friday we landed in Yerevan at 4:40AM. Needless to say, our group was extremely jetlagged and exhausted from travel, but with the adrenaline pumping through our veins, we were awake enough to visit the Zvartnots Cathedral ruins built in the 7th century. The energy surrounding the place was magnificent.

AND I got to see my first mountain EVER! And it wasn't just any mountain, it was Mount Ararat! It was wonderful to be treated to such a wonderful experience within our first few hours of arrival.

After our visit to the Zvartnots Cathedral ruins, we took an hour long bus ride through the mountains to our hotel. The day was spent resting and basic orientation. The hotel is a resort location complete with hot showers, a flushing toilet, three square meals a day, and heat!

Our first day of training was on Saturday. We began with a breakfast of bread, cheese, hard boiled eggs, and oatmeal. All was good, although Armenians LOVE salt. The oatmeal was a bit salty for my liking. All meals at the hotel have been served with bread and cheese. The cheese has an excellent consistency, but again, it's a bit salty for my taste. Other meals have included meat patties which to me seem to be kafta, rice, buckwheat, dolmas, and salads of all varieties, various vegetables and jams, and of course, yogurt. I'm very excited to see what meals will be served by my host family.

Training so far has consisted of medical, security, cross-cultural, and language classes. The classes have been informative and to some degree the content has been already covered in the massive amounts of reading material we have been provided. Yesterday however, we had a meeting with the CYD Tech coordinator. Community and Youth Development is the program in which I've been placed; those involved in the program will essentially act as consultants to various non-for-profits or non-governmental organizations. Tech training begins tomorrow and I am thrilled to begin training on what I actually came here to do!

Though we've been doing a lot of training, I did have time to go for a hike yesterday. The area in which the hotel is located is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay here at the hotel but alas, today is the day that I move in with my first host family in Nurnus! I am feeling a variety of emotions, including excitement, nervousness, and curiosity. With my limited language skills this will undeniably be an awkward experience, but one I will remember for a lifetime. I am excited to share with you all my experiences with my host family as soon as I can!

Last American Blogpost

I'm well overdue for a new blog post, so my sincere apologies to those anxious for a new post. However, I am full of excuses if it's of any consolation. :P

The majority of my time has been split between packing and celebrating. Going through everything you own can be a very daunting task. I have to say however, that it has proved to be an extremely cleansing and rejuvenating feeling to be able to get rid of the things no longer necessary in my life. I've moved several times over the last few years and most of my things had been stored in my brother's basement. I had been living with him for a about a year and a half, and it was tempting to leave everything as is and deal with it when I return. But with a little convincing from my brother, I knew that going through and purging what I don't need before leaving was the best option. I now own seven boxes of things and a cedar chest. And of course, two suitcases. I feel very cleansed, to say the least. I was just thankful when I got past this stage:

With regard to celebrations, a couple of weekends ago I had a Bon Voyage celebration; it was a lot of fun! I feel extremely loved to have had so many people come to wish me happy travels. My mother did a fantastic job planning and the party went extremely well. I did a lot of dancing, and even got on stage and sang one of my karaoke favorites with the band. My father also provided us with his musical talents and it was great to be able to see him perform once more before I leave. Oh, and did I mention there was cake?

My last day of work was May 11th. It was a bittersweet separation. I sincerely love the people I worked with and am sad to leave them behind. I never have worked with such an amazing group of people in all of my life and will miss them dearly. I was even welcomed with a beautifully decorated cube upon my arrival!

I also am thankful that I had the opportunity to have a small celebration with my yoga class. Our last session was done in a circle and afterward, we enjoyed fresh fruits and vegetables, cheese, olives, and wine. I couldn't have had a better send-off.

Now I am closing in on the day that I actually get on that plane and go. I am so excited to meet everyone and do what I've wanted to do for a long, long time. I am going to be very sad to leave my friends and family, but am thankful for technology and the ability to communicate with those I will be separated from.

I would also like to say a special thank-you to those who have helped me along the way: those who provided letters of recommendation, those who have thanked me for doing what I'm setting out to do, those who have told me that I am an inspiration, those who help remind me that even through times of stress that I can keep my head, those who have been an inspiration to me, those who've helped me to relax and have fun, those who have pushed me to take myself one step further than I thought I was capable of, and especially those who have showed me support and love from the beginning. I couldn't have come this far on my own and each one of you will travel with me in my heart and provide the foundation on which I build the future. Thank you all and SEE YOU IN ARMENIA!!!