That's All Folks!

As I write this my mother is tearily preparing my last breakfast home for the next 20 months. I've made the executive decision to stay on the other side of the world until my service is complete. When I first left back in May, I had left myself open to both the possibility of returning home during service and remaining in Armenia. Clearly, the prior happened and I'm glad that it did. My time home has been as wonderful as possible considering the unexpected factors: the length of my stay and the reasons why my stay was so long.

Being home has given me a unique perspective on my service thus far and what's ahead of me. The varying levels of interest from others in my experience, and what they're curious enough to ask me about, has been a source of entertainment throughout my stay at home. Generally, I get a little fresh with people - especially those that I'm close with; so there were many instances five minutes into the SAME questions AGAIN that I would bluntly say things like, "Well - you should probably just read my blog or look at my pictures on FB AND THEN YOU WOULD KNOW." So, I want to personally thank all of my readers and life followers; I greatly appreciate all of your love and adoration - it means more than you realize.

And now, I have some New Years reflections and resolutions that I would like to share.

Lessons learned in 2012:

• Trust yourself. From everything to your instincts, opinions, and potentially bad choices - go in and come out with your head high.
• Nothing and nobody is perfect, so stop expecting it to be that way. 
• Attempting to gain happiness through others will only lead you to disappointment. Find it within yourself. 
• Talk less, listen more. 
• Sit back, kick your feet up and watch it all happen as objectively as possible.

2013 Goals:

• Find my balance in friendships, work, community integration, and decompression activities.
• End my casual relationship with cigarettes, once and for all. 
• Continue to learn how to love myself fully, without judgment. 
• Tend my own garden and not be envious of others'.
• Keep my heart open as much as possible, even when it hurts.

Well, that's all folks! Here's to another year full of new experiences, friendships, and lessons learned. I wish you all the very best. Thanks to all my friends and family that made it a point to come out and see me, or reach out to me via text and telephone. You're all so important to me, and until we meet again... 

Kisses and such, Carolyn!

Song of the Month: Bob Seger: Turn the Page

Quote of the Month: "I love you, Carolyn."

                                  "Aw, baby! How much do you love me?"

                                  "In January."

                                          - A conversation with my 4yr old niece, Soleil, as she takes a bath.

Enter

“You too, put your foot forward. If you do not wish to, then follow your fantasies. But if you prefer the secrets of the love of your soul you will sacrifice everything. You will lose what you consider to be valuable, but you will soon hear the sacramental word, ‘Enter’.” Catching the Thread Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

This is a quote from a Sufism text that I downloaded before leaving. Every couple of days I will read a paragraph or two when I am waiting for gmail to load. I found this this quote to be so very apropos.

Tomorrow I will travel to Malishka, my permanent site. We found out where we were going on Monday and the last two days we had a counterpart conference. Our counterparts are Armenian teachers with varying experience and skills. My counterpart did not show up, but her friend came instead…Her friend, whom has no association with Peace Corps or my future project.

Anywho, I’ll be staying with my new host family for three nights and then am to travel back to Yerevan on my own! It’s about a two-hour trip via marshutni. Marshutni’s resemble kidnapper vans with seats in them. Have I talked about these before? I can’t remember, oh well. But yea, there are about 12 actual seats and will be packed with about 20 people. It’s ALWAYS an interesting ride, always. Whether it’s the snow cat* in the back, the loud Americans, teenage boys making fun, the women offering a sliver of a seat to an elderly woman, or the smelly armpit you could reach out and lick if you felt like it, there is always something entertaining happening. 

I will write a nice long post about my time down in Malishka when I return. Wish me luck!

*Snow Cat: An attractive Armenian man, exotic, nearly extinct and beautiful. I coined this term for all of my lady friends.