6/16 - Halfway Point

Halfway points are always an interesting time. You hit that midway time and POOF! you're suddenly on the downhill stretch. Closer to the end. Since Peace Corps is such a huge experience and so much time goes into the beginning half of it, this time of my service feels so surreal.

I've been meaning to write a post like this for a while. Y'know, reflecting on the year past and the year ahead. I even received questions from a friend back home specifically for this reason. Without further ado, here they are...

Did you expect to be in your own house?
Yes and no. My expectations for housing going into Peace Corps at first were very, very different than how they turned out. Granted, as I initially applied for PC, I didn't know where in the world I'd be going. Once I learned I was going to Armenia, my expectations leveled out, so to speak. I knew that Armenia was more of a "developing" country than most PC sites, but that things like outhouses were still prevalent. Coming to Armenia, I thought I would live with my host family through the winter and then move out. Upon arriving here and living with my first family during training, I realized I'd be very, very tired of living with a host family and expected to move out ASAP. Plus, this is what most PCVs in Armenia do. We are required to live with a host family at our permanent site for about two months, then are free to move elsewhere. Well, I had to reset my living expectations. I had a very difficult time finding housing. There just aren't many options in my village. So I stayed through winter, and moved into my own house in March. It's definitely nice to be on my own. There are still some difficulties in my house, such as no running water, but I have the luxury of an indoor toilet! I know I'll appreciate this next winter because I won't have to shovel a path (through snow) to an outhouse.

the outside of my house, shortly after I moved in (March 2012)

Is your Armenian language skill level where you thought it'd be?
Armenian is hard. But I can speak better than I ever thought I would. I sometimes wish that my skill level was higher. I hang out with a few PCVs who are very adept at Armenian and languages as a whole. They make me feel pretty bad about my own skill level. Granted, I don't have an Armenian tutor. The only practice I get is through informal conversations with neighbors, coworkers, and other people around the village. I've definitely improved over the past year, but slowly. Overall, I don't feel bad about my Armenian skills. I will say that mine are still better than other PCVs....but I really shouldn't compare myself to others (for better or for worse). All that matters is that I can get through most situations with my Armenian skill set. It will be tested for sure in about a month when my parents come to visit and I'm on translation duty for a week!

Do you talk to people from home more or less than you thought you would?
Yes! I talk to people from home WAY more than I thought I would. It's very surprising to me how much I've been able to keep in touch with my friends & family in the US. It's great, but sometimes I wish I could really "disconnect" from all that. Part of my reasoning to join Peace Corps was to escape the normal lifestyle I am accustomed to. And then, lo and behold, I am sent to Armenia where portable internet modems are commonplace and cell phones abundant. Don't get me wrong, I still feel that I am left out of things and miss a lot going on at home, but I get to have lots of little, unexpected conversations on an almost daily basis. Let's just say that gchat, facebook, and skype are wonderful things. Wonderfully addicting things.

Are you happy?
Yes, very much so. This past week, I attend my PCV group's Mid-Service Conference. During the meetings, we talked a lot about how we felt finishing our first year in Armenia and gearing up for the second half. It's a strange feeling to almost be done, but I still have a lot of energy. Most of this is due to exciting things I have coming up, both in the near and distant future. Here they are, to name a few:

• Border 2 Border (walkacrossarmenia.wordpress.com) - This is a GREAT secondary project that I'm so happy to be a part of. Starting TOMORROW, twelve other PCVs and I will begin walking across Armenia. One group of six PCVs will start at the northern border, another will start from the south. The two will meet in the middle in about three weeks. Along the way, each group will give lessons to local children on healthy habits and environmental issues. I'll be part of the southern team. Unfortunately, due to some other obligations, I'm not going to be able to complete the whole route. Regardless, it's a very exciting opportunity and I can't wait to get started!
• A20 Site Announcement - The new group of volunteers, the A20s, has arrived in country. I have had the chance to meet them a few times already. I've helped out with some presentations during their training, and last week, Peace Corps brought us all together for some fun & games. In just over a week, they'll learn their permanent sites. Site Announcement is one of the most exciting things for new trainees. And it's exciting for me because I get to find out who will be living near me for the next year! 
• COAF English Camp - In early July, I'll be working at an English day camp in my region. The camp is hosted by the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) and is for students who've been in intensive English classes for the past year. We're bringing a bunch of PCVs and Armenian volunteers out to the area to work at the camp, and it should be a blast!
• My parents visit! - That's right, my parents are taking a trip halfway around the world to little ol' Armenia! I'm very excited to show them around the country and introduce them to what I've been doing these past twelve months!
• Germany! - After my parents leave, I'm taking a somewhat unexpected trip to Germany! I'm so excited for this because in addition to, y'know, getting to go to Germany, I'm going to be hanging out with my dear, dear friend Chrysta for a few days!! I didn't expect to see ANY of my friends from home during these two years, so I jumped at the chance to meet her in Germany. 
• Relaxing in August - During the month of August, I have nothing planned. I'm going to relax as much as possible and begin planning for the upcoming school year. I'm definitely, definitely looking forward to this after such a crazy busy summer!

Needless to say, I will be out of pocket for the upcoming weeks. I will try to post as much as I can after each of these big events, but I can't make any promises!

Until next time...