Sorry this is so late. I just got internet! I will be posting a few over the next few days to catch up!!
We all arrived at the hotel to a giant line waiting to check everyone in. The awkward hello’s began right away. After a few minutes things became a little better, but it is still slightly awkward for the first few hours. We had the honor of having the Peace Corps Director come and speak with us, it was a pretty big deal cause he hardly ever makes it to a staging event. We went over rules and regs, and the formal stuff, signed my life away, and went out for my last meal in America. We went to an Italian restaurant I ordered the steak, and it was perfect for a last meal. Then we all went out to a local hangout in Georgetown called Rhino’s. I had been there the evening before with 5 other volunteers that arrived early as well and my brother Arthur and his wife Amy. Good place, plenty of room for us to hang out and really get to know each other.
The next morning was full of re-packing and getting ready for a long plane flight to Vienna, followed by a 14 hour layover, with another 4 hour flight, making us arrive in Yerevan, Armenia at 4:45 AM. Surprisingly I wasn’t that tired when I arrived. I think it was the excitement of my year and a half build up finally settling in that I was in Armenia. Right when we arrived we went to a historic site where we were going to watch the sun rise with Mt Ararat in the background. It was supposed to be epic, but it decided to rain that morning, and although we still went to the site, Mt Ararat was no where to be found. I will brief you on the importance of Armenia and Mt. Ararat in another post, but it is basically their version of Mecca. The First day in Armenia, we traveled to our hotel that we would be staying in for the next 3 days of PST, Pre-Service Training. It was pretty good, nothing fancy at all, but I didn’t sign up for the Fancy Hotel Corps, so it was above what I expected. The rest of the day was filled with micro-naps, getting paperwork, giving back paperwork, and so much information.
But it was good to know that everyone there was in the same shoes I was in. We each took a leap of faith in joining, and we left behind lives, jobs, friends, family, and relationships. Putting into terms of we are all equal in this way, helps you realize you aren’t the only one giving up something for this. But we all believe that our return on investment with this will easily be worth it. Taking this step in our lives will forever change it, for the better, no matter what happens. And I now know that I am better for having even met some of the other volunteers. This adventure is one that you can’t find anywhere, and the opportunity to join was a great honor, and a privilege. I am glad that I get to travel in this time of my life, and I think everyone should. Until next time…
"The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."
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