Catch Up

August 26, 2007

Well I apologize for the recent lack of posts. I’m not dead or seriously ill we’ve just hit the tough part of Pre Service Training. We all seem to be completely exhausted. We aren’t doing anymore than we were before but we just don’t have any energy. I think it’s just the fact that in the beginning we were running on the excitement of everything being new, and now that’s worn off a bit. I also think the training is starting to get to everyone we are treated like children and at first it was ok, it was just kind of funny, but now it’s really starting to get old. Things will be much better once we get to our sites. With all we have done it’s crazy to think that we haven’t even started our two-year service yet!

Since I wrote last the only major thing that has happened has been my site visit. I went up to Zagatala for a few days to see where I will work and meet my new host family and community members. I can’t explain how excited I am to be going up there! The town is absolutely beautiful. It’s a little mountain community and in a way it actually feels a bit like Ashland. It’s a smaller community, people go there to vacation, they are much more modern than any other town other than Baku, and they have a park that goes up into a valley kind of like Lithia park.

I’m also really excited about the work I’ll be doing and the people I’ll be working with. My director is supportive and maybe even a little excited that I want to create more equality for women through sport. I work across the street from the brand new Olympic complex. Azerbaijan has all of these complexes throughout the country where “sportsmen” go to train to hopefully some day compete in the Olympics. It’s kind of like a really nice massive YMCA. The great thing is that I will have complete personal access to it and it has a brand new weight room and swimming pool! I’ll let you all know about the family situation through email.

Again sorry for the lack of posts I’ve just been a bit tired. I do think however that the motivation levels are going to start rising fast as we approach the end of this training. Also a side note hold off on sending any packages now. We are two and a half weeks from moving to our sites so the package would sit at the Peace Corps office for who knows how long. I will post my new address as soon as I get it.