Today was the first day of training up in Philadelphia – it was a pretty relaxed day actually, but I am le tired. Here are the highlights:
- Sleeping through all of Lambert/flight to Phili because I only slept two hours the night before
- Taking the train to save money, and having to walk a mile and a half uphill (both ways) = me drenched in sweat
- Going out with all the cool people tonight, including getting caught in a rainstorm on the way home
All in all I’m loving it so far – everyone here is really nice, and I think it’s going to be a great group to go with. There are a lot of younger people, but about 10 over 50 people, which is pretty surprising. They’ll make for a fun crew. There are 51 of us in all. And fortunately, all of them know about as much Armenian as I do, which is zero. Time for bed, it’s been a long day…
I’m all packed up now, and I leave tomorrow (this) morning at 6am from Columbia. I will be in Phili for a few days before shipping off into the (not so) great unknown. It should be such an amazing time.
My family was in town all week, and I was happy to see my older sister Erin and her husband, and all of my grandparents. It’s a sad thought that it may be the last time we will all get to be together, but I am so proud and happy that everyone was able to make it to see me before I leave. They are all such wonderful people and I am so blessed to have them in my life.
It’s been a pretty scary couple of days. It’s very weird not knowning what to expect tomorrow, and even more weird not knowning what my life will be like in the next two years. There are a lot of lingering questions which I won’t be able to answer til I get there, so for now, it’s all just an adventure. I am pumped – bring it on, Armenia.
Things to note:
- New pictures have been posted in the Photo Album of this past week and time with my family!
- I will have my cell phone with me through Sunday while I’m in Phili, then it’s on it’s way home. Feel free to call between now and then.
- I should have internet in the hotel, so look for more updates of how the training is going.
Until tomorrow – take care, and wish me luck!
I now have less than a week until I leave for Philidelphia for staging, and I have to admit I’m pretty excited to go. I’ve been busy visiting friends in Kirksville/STL/Columbia/KC this past week, but it’s time to get out of here. My family will be in town this week, which will be great (especially having my sister over).
Anyway, if you’re like me, you’re probably wondering what I should expect life to be like in Armenia. I don’t know what city I’ll be living in. I don’t know where I will be living, and what utilities and food I will have available. And that just makes me even more excited. Here are a few excerpts from e-mails of people in Armenia I’ve been talking to:
It gets really cold here in the winter. It may not get as cold as Northern Missouri but the difference is you have central heating in homes and in schools. There is no heat in any schools here. As for utilities you will be lucky to have gas, water and electricity all on the same day. Everyday is a suprise. You will love it here. In the winter you can go to the old Soviet ski resort and ski or snowboard, lots of great hiking all over the country.
As for the food…
the food is very fresh and good. Vegetables and fruits are seasonal but tasty. Not to scare you but as Americans we eat a lot of processed food. So when you get here you will be eating fresh foods and you will be a little stressed. So what I am trying to say is you WILL eventually have the SHITS.
At least there’s something to look forward to 😉
I just wanted to let everyone know that there are a few new features available on my website:
- Photo Albums – you can access my photos, hosted on Flickr, through the menu link on the right side of the page. All of my photos will be available in different galleries for easy access to view them.
- Email Notification (currently down) – if you would like to be notified, via email, when this site is updated, there is an Email Notification signup form on the right side of the page, just below the “KGiff in Armenia” section. Simply enter your email address and you will be subscribed to the email list.
If you have any questions please let me know!