Measuring a Year in the Good Things

Today marks a year since getting on a plane for the start of my service. It has been simultaneously the fastest and slowest year of my life. Many of you have already heard about the struggles of the past year, as writing has become a way of processing some of the more difficult parts of my service. However, today, I want to focus on the good.

If we measure this year in only the good things, what a year it has been.

I kinda sorta learned a new language, բայց չեք կարող կարդալ սա կամ լսել ինզ, այնպես որ դուք հավատում եք որ ես իսկապես սովորեցի նոր լեզու. Honestly, I'm still learning, and I hope I will continue learning it until I leave. I'm going to feel so incredibly cool though the first time I meet an Armenian somewhere else and can have even a short conversation with them.

I met some really awesome fellow PCV's, including a Lauren, who holds me together over here most days. If my service ended today, and all I had to show for it was my new PCV friends and my friendship with Lauren, everything would be okay. (Thanks Mom and Dad for the matching PJs)

I have two new Armenian families, and while I'm living on my own now, I'm still really happy I have those relationships.

I have a kitten. She's adorable. And perfect. And a soft, cuddly, stress-relieving fuzzball (most days). Oh, and she's coming home with me. Here's Hiccup!

I found, hands-down, the most wonderfully kind landlord in all of Armenia, and he often tries to give back some of my rent money so I can buy myself things like extra winter blankets and Armenian souvenirs. Seriously.

I formed an astonishingly harmonious work relationship with my counterpart to the point where we finish each others sentences in class and even use the same error correction techniques at the same exact time. Our brains work the same way somehow. Usually two people that think as similarly as we do would cause stagnancy in teaching, but with our vast background and cultural differences, it just makes everything work.

I made friends with some really, really cool humans, including some people who I believe are going to be the real agents of change here in Armenia. Including these young people -

And these professionals I get to work with (I still don't know how to take "funny photos") -

And my awesome adult English class -

I have been bombarded by an obscene amount of adoration from some small children. I still can't handle it. The little one in the white and orange zip-up is Malena. She's quite the English speaker and is also going to steal my passport. Update on that, I had an open lesson where all of our school administration comes and judges mine and Mane's teaching. (Also a good thing for the list because it went swimmingly! We are REALLY proud of our students.) Anyway, some Peace Corps staff came to the open lesson as well. After the lesson, Malena walked right up to #2-in-charge person of our PC staff and said, "Miss Emily can't leave. I am taking her passport."

I've seen some really pretty mountains. Every day. They're gorgeous, and the midwest is oh so very flat. This is just the view I wake up to. There are many more splendid ones every moment.

I've also hiked a bit, traveled a bit, tried new things A LOT, and worked a lot.

There are so many good things not included on this list. It's hard to capture each little good moment and put it into words. If I could, this post would turn into an actual novel. Of course service has all of the ups and downs of normal life, but here, experiences often are amplified. Which means the good things, they can feel almost magical. Who knows how the next 15 months will go, but I will forever be grateful for the collection of good I've already managed to find.