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!