18 vs. 24

“Wow wow wow.” That’s how I’ve been starting many of my messages and correspondences lately, because just WOW. Time is warped here in the Peace Corps; days go by slowly, weeks are a toss-up, and months pass by in the blink of an eye. I can’t believe that I’m already a quarter of the way done with my service in Armenia. When I talk to Armenians and they ask me how long I will be in Armenia, I no longer say 2 years; I now tell them 18 months. 18 vs. 24: through the Peace Corps lens, the difference between those two numbers is gigantic (even though the difference is only 6. See? I’m putting those Davidson math skills to good use #mathmajor).

Me and Lucy (and Lyova, whom you’ll read more about below)

When I first arrived in Armenia, November 2017 seemed like a lifetime away, but now I realize that time is flying by. This realization is punctuated by the end of the school year in Armenia, which means I only have essentially one academic year left of teaching! That’s barely anytime! I feel like this past semester at school was more of a trial-and-error period, where I was exploring classroom dynamics, testing out English clubs, getting to know my students and counterpart, etc. Arriving at my school in the middle of the year was definitely a challenge, as students were already set-in their ways, which made setting new classroom expectations and routines difficult. I’m already really looking forward to the start of the new school year, when I’m able to set precedents and expectations from the get-go. My counterpart is already fully onboard for all of my ideas (bring on the cell phone basket!), so I’m super excited. My CP’s willingness and excitement over collaborating more with me next school year is so amazing and ideal; she’s definitely one of my favorite parts about my service in Gyumri and Armenia. As a student, I don’t think I was ever excited about the start of school. Now, during my first post-college job stint, I can’t wait for September 1 to arrive!

All of the TEFL volunteers from the A-22 group before us (A-23 group) say that they’ve been so much more successful in the second half of their service, so I’m hoping to be a much more effective English teacher come next school year. But even if none of my students’ English improved at all this semester, one thing that I am certain that I was able to teach them about is the beautiful diversity of the US. When I first met my counterpart and visited my school in October, my CP told me that the students had been expecting a young, white, blond girl, as that is what’s normally expected by Armenians when they here “American volunteer, English teacher.”

Peace Corps service as an Asian American is definitely a unique experience and presents its own rewards and challenges. Walking around my site, I often hear the word “chinatzi” (Chinese) when I pass by Armenians. Some days, if I’m feeling particularly sassy, I’ll turn around and say “Che, Americatzi em” (No, I’m American) and receive astonished faces in return. But in my school, I know that I’ve already been able to make a difference in my students in at least one way, and that is by broadening their mind and teaching them about about the incredible diversity in the US, be that diversity of race, religion, culture, or opportunity (among others). So if I had to suddenly leave Armenia tomorrow, I can be certain that I’ve had at least one wonderful teaching accomplishment that I can be proud of.

My time in the Peace Corps so far has definitely taught me that I should give myself more credit and be proud of myself in instances and events where I know I put in a lot of work, time, and effort. One proud teaching moment involves my character of a 7^th grader, Lyova (who’s in the picture above). He won second place at the National Poetry Recitation Contest this month, with the Leonard Nimoy poem “I am convinced” that I wrote about in my last blog post. He competed sick and was still able to win the judges and audience over with his charm and charisma (he ended the poem by making a heart with his hands…that might’ve been over the top, but it was awesome and hysterical). Additionally, at the beginning of May, I helped organize a Mother’s Day English presentation by the 7^th grade, where they recited poems, danced, and sang. I taught them the songs “I Love You” (yes, from Barney) and “You Are My Sunshine.” Below, you can watch the final chorus of the “You Are My Sunshine” group performance. I’m a proud mama bear.

And stay tuned for information on the big Peace Corps Armenia project I’m taking part in…starting June 1!

Ապրիլ

*Note: The title of this post is Ապրիլ, which is April in Armenian. Because I’m creative like that. Yeah. I know. I’m great with titles.

At the end of my last post, I mentioned that I had a surprise coming on March 31. Well SURPRISE!! My mom came to Armenia!! Well I knew she was coming so it wasn’t really a surprise in that sense, BUT I did surprise her by picking her up at the airport :) I had told her that I couldn’t leave work in Gyumri to pick her up in Yerevan and that instead I would meet her at her hotel the next day. Since I love love love surprises (whether I’m the surprise-ee or surprise-er) and fun surprises don’t happen enough in my life, I was so giddy and happy to pull off the surprise airport pick-up (my mom actually didn’t recognize me at first as she wasn’t expecting me at all!).

Me, Suzy, and her rose petal bath

During my mom’s first weekend in Armenia, we spent most of our time visiting my Mrgavan host family. Coincidentally, that weekend also marked the 40^th day after the birth of my host parents’ new baby girl. Nelly now has a little sister named Suzy! The 40^th day after birth is a big deal in Armenia and is normally commemorated with a baptism and celebration. Traditionally, an Armenian baby is kept at home for the first 40 days of its life and only those living in the home can see or hold the baby. Lucky for my mom, she came at just the right time and we got to meet Suzy and be a part of the 40^th day festivities! We went to the church in Artashat for the official baptism, but we also had a small ceremony at home that was like a mini pre-baptism. My host parents filled the baby bathtub with water, rose petals, and strings of semi-precious stones and then placed Suzy in the tub. They proceeded to pour 40 little cups of water on her head and she loved it! Didn’t cry once! I also poured some water on Suzy, as my host family lovingly and repeatedly reminded me that I’m her big sister too, so I should take part in the ceremony as well.

Integration thru khorovatz

Following the mini pre-baptism and the church baptism, we had a little party afterwards and my mom got to help prepare the խորոված (Armenian BBQ; pronounced khorovatz). When we left Mrgavan and were in a taxi on our way to Gyumri, my mom couldn’t stop gushing about my host family. She absolutely loved them. She adored Nelly and Suzy, became fast friends with my host grandma (despite a massive language barrier), and promised my host mom that she would stay with them in Mrgavan rather than at a hotel in Yerevan when she comes to visit Armenia again. My mom even joked with me that my host grandma kissed me more in one day than she personally has in my entire life.

Since my mom came to visit me at the beginning of April, my school wasn’t on break so I still went to work. I’m super glad that my mom got to visit me during the school year. Sure, if she had visited over the summer, we could’ve been more touristy and visited other places in Armenia. But in the summer, she wouldn’t have been able to visit my school and meet everyone there. My mom really enjoyed meeting my students, especially the 7^th graders. They were so excited to meet her, asking her tons of questions and telling her how beautiful and young she looks. Even now at the end of April, I still have some 7^th graders randomly come up to me and say “Your mother is so beautiful!”

Post-luncheon group pic!

My counterpart, school director, and vice principals were also incredibly generous during my mom’s visit. They treated us to a lovely lunch at a Georgian-Armenian restaurant one day, and the next day, my school director and CP organized a tour of Gyumri by car for my mom. And on our final night in Gyumri, my CP invited us to her home for dinner with her family. Yes, my mom may have brought back some dried fruit, pomegranate souvenirs, and cognac gifts, but if you ask her what her favorite part was about Armenia, she will tell you that it’s easily the people.

Gyumri Poetry Contest

After my mom left around mid-April, my life was consumed by the National Poetry Recitation Contest, a Peace Corps Armenia funded project that helps promote creative and critical English language learning through poetry. I was the Regional Contest Coordinator for Shirak marz and had been planning the Gyumri contest since January. Ask any of my PCV friends and they will tell you how stressed out and nervous I was about the contest in the days leading up to it. Day of, I was running all over the place (in heels too!) like a crazy person. But luckily, the competition went incredibly smoothly. All the personnel at my school were extremely helpful in setting up the school’s gymnasium for the contest, and my PCV and Armenian friends were the best poetry judges ever. Additionally, two of my students won for their grade-levels (7^th and 11^th grades), so they’ll compete in the National Contest in Yerevan on May 8. My 11^th grader won with the poem If I Could Tell You by W.H. Auden, and my 7^th grader won with I am convinced by Leonard Nimoy. I had never heard or read any Leonard Nimoy poems until I got involved with this poetry contest, and now, I love this poem; I am convinced is exceptionally global, cross-cultural, and cross-generational. Given current events in Armenia and around the world, this poem sends a beautifully poignant, simple, and relevant message:

I am convinced
That if all mankind
Could only gather together
In one circle
Arms on each other’s shoulders
And dance, laugh and cry
together
Then much
of the tension and burden
of life
Would fall away
In the knowledge that
We are all children
Needing and wanting
Each other’s
Comfort and
Understanding
We are all children
Searching for love

This April has been an affecting month in Armenia. Deep-seated and long-lasting tensions between Armenian and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh erupted at the beginning of February, resulting in the deadliest conflict since the Nagorno-Karabakh War ended in 1994, with some Armenian news sources referring to this clash as the Four-Day War. I know that some friends and family back in the US may not be aware of any of this, so here are a couple of articles from CNN and the NYT about the current situation. In a country of less than 3 million people, the effects of this conflict and fighting are deeply felt across Armenia. Moreover, Azerbaijan is backed by Turkey, and April is the commemoration month of the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by Turkey’s predecessor, i.e. the Ottoman Empire.

Tsitsernakaberd: Armenian Genocide Memorial

The Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, April 24^th, is always a solemn day in Armenia, but this year, patriotism was abundant (given the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh). I was fortunate enough to be in Yerevan on April 24 and was able to take part in the march up to the genocide memorial and lay a flower around the eternal flame, paying tribute to the memory of Armenian Genocide victims. The stirring and stunning display at the memorial is one that I will never forget, and even though I have only been in this country for 8 months, I already know that the awe-inspiring and persevering spirit of the Armenian people is one that I will always remember.

Has spring sprung yet?

That’s the question of the month. In Gyumri, we’ve had some teaser days of 50-degree weather, with beautiful, warm sunshine and clear, blue skies. I even got to stop wearing wool socks and doubling up on my pants! But then about halfway through the month, temperatures dipped back down to a high of 30s during the day and well below freezing at night. All the snow had already melted, but last week, Mother Nature must’ve thought, “Let’s have snow again just for funsies,” and it also snowed again last night (but a lot of it has already melted so that’s good). When the cold first returned, my host mom initially didn’t turn on our gas heater, so for the first couple of days, I formed a very loving and intimate relationship with my Peace Corps-issued personal radiator. I now know all the best and most comfortable ways to sit on and/or hug a personal-sized radiator in order to maximize warmth transference and retention. I can also give some sound advice on how to multi-task and do work on a laptop while still maintaining a close bond with your radiator. So if you want any tips on this particular topic, hit me up. Though recently, whenever I start complaining about the cold, I stop and think about my close friend in Colombia (who’s also teaching English) and how she told me that she’s constantly sweating in 90-degree weather and humidity (Thanks Sara!!). That really puts things in perspective and makes me actually grateful that I’m cold rather than dripping sweat. If you know me pretty well, you’re probably aware of my nose and its sweating habits, so the cold is definitely a good thing.

During training, Peace Corps told us that the winter weather would probably affect our emotional and mental health when we moved to our final sites, since we were arriving and adjusting to new and unfamiliar surroundings at the onset of winter. At the time, I kind of brushed off any worries about feeling down in the dumps during the winter since I’ve never thought of myself as someone whose moods are affected by seasonal changes. Now in retrospect, I think it was inevitable that I experienced multiple lows and highs during the winter months, especially in Gyumri. In December, January, and February, I experienced changes in my mental attitude daily, if not hourly. One day, I might have woken up dreading going to school, then had an awesome breakthrough moment with a student, then gone to bed questioning my integration into my community (especially since Gyumri is NOT a village) and my time in the Peace Corps. And then the next day, I might have had the exact opposite kind of day, a high-low-high day, with waking up and going to sleep loving my Peace Corps experience. Honestly, about a month ago, towards the end of February, I was probably going through my lowest dip thus far. After three long, cold months, I was feeling very unsure and stressed out about my work in the Peace Corps and my presence at my school and in Gyumri. I felt like I wasn’t having any kind of positive impact on my school and that I was failing at integrating and making connections in Gyumri. I was constantly stressing about different projects, deadlines, and expectations, including post-Peace Corps prospects. There was a stretch of nights during this low period where I was already extremely anxious about what I’m going to do after Peace Corps and spent hours looking up post-Peace Corps career and educational opportunities nightly.

But along with the slightly warmer temperatures and small preview of spring weather this past month, I’ve definitely been on the upswing in March. Yea, I’m still stressed about multiple different projects and their various deadlines and expectations, but I’m now also really excited about them! March has seen much more positivity, with me having more confidence and a better understanding of my site and placement and thus being more productive with all my work. A close friend back in the States recently asked me what my day-to-day life is like, and I answered honestly: daily life here isn’t super exciting; often times, it’s actually boring. But as cliché as it might sound, it’s the little things that make a difference. I didn’t have to travel anywhere this month, so I’ve really valued my time at site, making special little memories here and there:

Gyumri School #26 debate team

• Helping the school’s debate team prepare for a competition and tagging along to cheer them on
• Working with the 7^th grade to prepare English poems and songs for their Mother’s Day (April 7 in Armenia) presentation
• Playing soccer with my counterpart and our 11^th graders
• Attending a student’s 16^th birthday party
• Baking a German apple cake from scratch for my host mom and sister for International Women’s Day (which is a big holiday in Armenia! We got 2 days off of school for it! Why is this day not a bigger deal in the US??)

  

  German apple cake baked by Americans in Armenia #culturalexchange

And last night, I attended a jazz concert by a French quartet that I was invited to by the Swiss organization I’ve been working with in Gyumri, and it was fantastic! I’ve realized that even if my work as a teacher isn’t immediately effective or doesn’t necessarily ever meet the TEFL indicators of a successful service, the meaningful relationships and friendships that I’m forming with people all over Gyumri are the foundations for a life-enriching and inspiring service, both for the Armenians I work with and myself.

I think another reason why I’m currently so upbeat is cause I know that March is already almost over (!!!) and I have a lot of events and commitments coming up in April and May, so these next couple of months are going to fly by!! Plus, the school year is essentially over around mid-May since all the kids just go ahead and mentally check out for the summer, which means…SUMMER IS SOOOO CLOSE!!! I’m already beyond excited for this summer! My schedule is jam-packed in the best possible way! I have Border to Border starting on June 1 for three weeks, mid-service training at the end of June, the Peace Corps’ Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) camp at the beginning of July, then I’m taking a trip HOME!! Yes, I’m so stoked for my visit back to the States (details about that trip coming later), but let me backtrack and tell you a little bit about the amazing Peace Corps Armenia program that I already know will be a major highlight of my service: Border to Border.

Border to Border 2016 logo

I’m so incredibly excited and #blessed to be a part of Border to Border 2016. Border to Border is a Peace Corps Armenia health initiative founded in summer 2010. Every summer since, teams of Peace Corps and Armenian volunteers have hiked and camped across the country, stopping in villages along the way to teach interactive lessons on personal, social, and community health. Our mission is to promote healthy living, through a healthy body and a healthy mind. We want to promote a healthy lifestyle, and thus are backpacking and 100%-walking across Armenia in order to lead by example. This summer will be the 6^th annual Border to Border, which will take place June 1-22. In the past, there has traditionally been two teams (a North route and a South route) that meet somewhere in the middle of Armenia at the end of three weeks. This summer, there will be three teams for the first time! The original North route is now the Northeast route, and the Northwest route is the inaugural, new route.

We are currently fundraising for Border to Border 2016 and are a few thousand USD short of our goal. Please consider contributing to this exceptionally impactful and unique project. Every little bit helps and a (tax-deductible!) donation of any kind will be greatly appreciated! Below you will find our Peace Corps Partnership Program (PCPP) donation page, as well as the official website for Border to Border 2016 and the Border to Border Facebook page. You can read more about Border to Border at any of these three links.

Border to Border’s PCPP donation page

Border to Border 2016 website

Border to Border Facebook page

That’s all for now. More updates to come soon as things pick up in April and I have a surprise coming on March 31!

Love, Արիան (that’s how you spell my name in Armenian)

New Year’s, 2.0

Yes, technically today is March 1, which means I did not stick to my goal of writing one post per month, since February has come and gone. In my last post, I wrote about how I had the entire month of January off since there was no school due to the swine flu. In comparison to January, February flew by!!

When I first arrived to site in mid-November, I had a lot of free time, as I was just getting to know my students and not outright teaching yet. Additionally, Gyumri is pretty inactive during the winter, as many organizations and people slow down and “hibernate” because of the cold weather. As I had a lot of time to kill then, much of my time was spent catching up on TV shows and re-watching Gilmore Girls #teamlogan4lyfe. But ever since school started back on February 1, I’ve been super busy, picking up more and more projects and responsibilities as February wore on. Here’s just a handful of the busy changes and additions I’ve made to my workload:

1. I’m now more involved in the classroom, co-teaching with my counterpart, and we’re starting to co-plan lessons together too!
2. My school director wants to apply for a grant to build a language resource center at our school, so I’m starting to get the ball rolling on that.
3. I’m organizing the regional poetry competition in Gyumri for the National Poetry Recitation Contest that Peace Corps sponsors in Armenia.
4. I recently started volunteering at a Swiss humanitarian organization in Gyumri called KASA (Komitas Action Suisse-Arménie). One of their programs that I’m getting involved with is the Francophone program, so this may also give me a chance to brush up on my French!
5. I agreed to help the French teacher from my school learn some basic English (her daughter recently moved to the US), so imagine teaching English in French to an Armenian. Yep, it’s a doozy.
6. Having formed more established relationships with my students, I’ve started three English clubs at school. A couple of weeks ago, my 6^th grade English club helped me wish the Davidson College Swimming & Diving team good luck at their conference championship meet.

Good luck Davidson!! Go ‘Cats!

In Armenia, March 1 is considered the first day of spring. And with the start of a new season coinciding perfectly with my increased involvement and projects, March 1 feels like New Year’s Day all over again (hence the title of this post, obvi). Originally, I didn’t write any New Year’s resolutions for 2016. But with this self-initiated, second opportunity to make resolutions for the “new” year, what better time than now to establish commitments for 2016, especially with spring symbolizing rebirth and renewal. And since I’m really into lists for some reason in this post, here are some of my “New” Year’s resolutions for 2016:

1. Co-plan lessons in more detail with my counterpart.
2. Have better classroom management (I think I might be too buddy-buddy with some of my classes…).
3. Improve my Armenian and not be timid about speaking.
4. Wake up and run in the mornings before school (this resolution would not have been possible in January, but with the arrival of March, early AM temperatures are now in the balmy 30s rather than subzero).
5. Stay in better touch with my PST host family in Mrgavan.

Nelly’s 1st birthday party!

Speaking of my first host family, I was able to visit them for my host baby sister’s 1^st birthday on February 20. I was only planning on stopping by for a quick visit to drop off a birthday present, but when I arrived, they were setting up for a party. They asked me to stay for the party, and man, I am sooo glad I stayed. It was a crazy, hilarious party. My host parents hired these people who dressed up and (supposedly) looked like Mickey and Minnie Mouse and got everyone (kids and adults) dancing and playing games.

While hosting this birthday party, my host mom was also extremely pregnant with her second child, a baby boy. The day after the party, when I was about to leave to go back to Gyumri, she casually mentioned to me that she might go to the hospital later that day or the next day and have the baby. I was so bewildered because the baby wasn’t supposed to arrive until early- to mid-March and my host mom was so casual about probably having the baby that night. Low and behold, I get a message from her a couple of days later telling me she had the baby. And to top things off, she informs me that she had a baby girl. Not a boy, like she had been told by her doctor. A girl. This is exactly how my messages started with my host mom:

Host mom: “Congrats!! You have another little sister!”
Me: “Sister????”
Host mom: “Aha boy became girl ;)”

This story is definitely one for the archives and one I will never forget. Obviously, I can’t wait to meet the new baby next time I visit.

Wrapping up this post, I want to mention an insight I recently had about my Peace Corps experience. Towards the end of February, when I was getting all of my responsibilities and priorities sorted, I started really reflecting on my Peace Corps service thus far. Lately, my time in the Peace Corps has reminded me a lot of my college experience. As a 2015 college grad, I can readily draw comparisons between my Peace Corps and Davidson experiences. Some of you who are fellow alums or current students might be thinking, “Oh no, that can’t be good. She must be drowning in work.” Not quite, but Peace Corps is definitely not a 9-to-5 job. I’m constantly working on or thinking about various projects, commitments, and goals. We’re told during training that our jobs here are 24/7, that we are Peace Corps volunteers 24/7, and for me, that’s similar to how I was a college student 24/7 at Davidson. But don’t get me wrong; the similarities between Peace Corps and college aren’t only work-related. As a part of Peace Corps Armenia, like in college, I’m meeting people from all over the US and the world, making life-long friendships, and creating treasured memories. Maybe this post should’ve been titled “College 2.0” or “Davidson 2.0” rather than “New Year’s 2.0,” though in all honesty, the Davidson experience can never truly be replicated, and the Peace Corps experience itself is positively exceptional and one of a kind.

I said brr…it’s cold over here!

My apologies for starting another post about how cold it is in Armenia, especially here in Gyumri. I’m bundling up in my bed over here, trying to write this blog post, but it’s taking me longer than normal to type because I keep mistyping words since my fingers can barely move from the cold. So I frequently stop typing to tuck my hands under the covers in order to help my fingers regain better mobility, but that’s not really helping. I just found out the other day that this past week was the coldest weather Gyumri has had in the past five years! Some days, it’s been getting down to -10 ˚F, and that’s without factoring in wind-chill. Honestly, when I applied to the Peace Corps, I imagined that I’d be sweating it out somewhere hot right now, not cowering from subzero temperatures. But vochinch (Armenian for “it’s ok!”)!! This freezing weather is definitely proving itself to be one of my “conditions of hardship,” so at least I know I’m meeting one of Peace Corps’ Core Expectations. And with this weather obviously comes snow. Normally, if I had been back home on the East Coast during Jonas, I would’ve been ecstatic about the amount of snow and been like “OMG SNOWWW!!!!!” But now, since it’s been snowing on and off in Gyumri for 2 months, I’m like “Oh. Snow.” And ice. Yay for ice. Gyumri won’t be warm enough for the snow and ice to melt completely until at least March (if not later). When the sun makes an appearance every now and then, some snow does melt but then it freezes overnight and creates a whole new problem – black ice. I’ve already slipped and landed flat on my back more times than I care to admit, and I have the bruises to prove it. I’m trying hard to convey how frigid it is here, but I don’t think I’m doing the cold justice. I’ll include a couple more personal scenarios as last ditch efforts to relay what kind of temperatures I’m dealing with in Gyumri. So I’ve seen frozen dog poop before, but now I can say I’ve seen frozen standing dog poop. It’s cold enough here so that when dogs go #2, the poop freezes and remains vertical after the dog finishes pooping (sorry for writing “poop” so many times). I’ve also experienced wet hair freezing thanks to my swimming years, but never had I experienced dry hair freezing until last week. Technically, my hair was “wet” before it froze, but that’s because it was cold enough that my breath condensed a lot, causing the part of my hair I was breathing on to freeze. Does that make sense? Vochinch if it doesn’t.

My Gyumri host family’s Nor Tari set-up

The first major snowfall of this winter happened over Nor Tari, aka New Year. Nor Tari is the largest, most celebrated holiday in Armenia. When I told Armenians that New Year’s celebrations in the US only last one night, they laughed because here in Armenia, Nor Tari lasts 7 days. Festivities started on December 31, especially in the evening, but Armenian women had been cooking for weeks in preparation for Nor Tari. The tradition is to set the table with all the food that’s been prepared and then wait until midnight to eat. When the clock struck midnight on New Year, we toasted and sat down to a fantastic meal – and that’s when the eating started. Nor Tari is essentially 7 days of straight eating. People came to visit my host family and we ate; I went with my host family to visit people and we ate. Just constant eating. It was a lot. Since Nor Tari lasts so long, I went to visit my PST host family in Mrgavan for the end of Nor Tari and ate there, too. But it was so great to see my first host family again! The baby, Nelli, can walk now!! I’m hoping I can visit them again soon for her first birthday. Right after Nor Tari ended, Peace Corps had all TEFL volunteers come to Yerevan for PST Phase 2, where we got additional training related to our TEFL certification. It was great to see friends I hadn’t seen since we moved to our permanent sites in November. But during this training, we found out that there were several cases of H1N1 (swine flu) in Armenia, so the Ministry of Education decided to push the start of school back one week…then another week…and another week. 3 weeks!!!! School was supposed to start back on January 11, but because of swine flu, we had the entire month off!

Khndzoresk Bridge and Gorge, near Goris

So no school at all in January! Taking advantage of the extended school break, my friend Olivia and I traveled down south to Syunik Marz to visit some PCV friends. We visited Goris and Kapan, and the weather was beautiful (much warmer than in Shirak Marz)! So we got to do some hiking near Goris (check out my insta pics), and in Kapan, we visited a beautiful Armenian war memorial.

Such photogenic friends. Thanks for visiting!

After the trip down south, we still had another week to kill before school started back. I convinced some friends to come visit me up in Gyumri, and when they visited, they finally got to experience the temperatures of Gyumri and agreed that Shirak Marz won the cold contest out of all the Armenian provinces.

I started this post writing about the cold, and now I’m ending this post writing about the cold. Sorry about that. And sorry this post isn’t longer. My fingers can’t take much more. Hopefully, I’ll be able to report back at the end of the month that February brought some slightly warmer weather.

P.S. Bonus video of me and my friend Daniel dancing to J-Biebs on top of a mountain in Armenia. Only viewable to those whom I’m friends with on Facebook; is it too late to say sorry now?