Where would we be without wishful thinking? Indeed. It’s been quite sometime since I last wrote. There are a million reasons for this, but here are 3:

1. I don’t have internet at site anymore
2. I don’t have the inspiration to detail what has become my daily existence
3. I have lost perspective entirely

In the time since I last wrote, much has occurred. Some are (in chronological order):

1. Went to Georgia (the country) and lost my passport/visa
2. My mom and Adam came to visit (!!!)
3. Close of Service (COS) conference

Georgia was beautiful and it allowed a freedom I haven’t felt in a long time (except for my quick jaunt home for the holidays). I went with a few PCVs and we rode the tide on serendipitous meetings, delicious food, sulfur baths and intoxicating wine. Because of all or none of these, I lost my passport the last night I was there. Of course, this complicated my return quite a bit.

Luckily, there is a Peace Corps office in Tiblisi. Though there are currently no PCVs living in Georgia (they were all evacuated last year when the “conflict” broke out), the office is still up and running and what else did they have to do but to help an absentminded soul such as myself? Actually, they had a ton of stuff to do in preparation for the security clearance to welcome the new group of PCVs coming in June of this year.

Let me say this: to any incoming Georgia PCVs, you’ve got a great staff awaiting you. The director and security officer were infinitely helpful and perhaps what I most appreciated, they didn’t make it a point to make me feel any stupider than I already felt.

My wallet/documents were eventually returned – though not in time before they were invalidated. I’m still figuring it out and waiting for my new passport/visa. In case anyone didn’t already know this – losing your passport in a foreign country is a BIG problem. I don’t recommend it.

As is probably obvious – I made it back to Azerbaijan – something that, had I not had to work so hard for, I might have resented. I hate crossing borders in general – always feeling as if I’ve done something wrong and the guards will find out – attempting this passage with a jumble of incomplete documents proved a further challenge – good thing I speak Azerbaijani and that Azerbaijanis like Americans. I had no trouble at all at the border – the guards even gave me some apples for my journey (apples they forced the guy in front of me to give them).

The next big thing was my family coming to visit. This is a critical point in a PCVs experience. Of course, for various reasons, not everyone experiences this luxury. I feel infinitely fortunate to have had the opportunity.

Before they came I fretted about various things including sickness, maiming and eventual death. Living here, one feels their mortality up to several times a month. Most of the time, I enjoy this flexing of the soul. It’s all so…vivid (thanks Tom Robbins). But just because I feel confident in my own ability to navigate this wilderness, doesn’t mean I feel the same comfort for those I love most. For the first time, it occurred to me that this must be the way they felt when I joined the Peace Corps. How out of control they must have felt – how susceptible to chance! It gave me a greater appreciation for their commitment to me.

Luckily, none of my worries materialized. The visit was benign and enjoyable.
While Adam was here, PC held the AZ5 Close Of Service conference – another milestone in a PCVs life. The last time we’ll all be in a room together. Here’s the jist of what’s in store for me over the next six months:

1. lots of paperwork/preparation
2. sadness, elation, anxiety
3. readjustment to a society that isn’t impressed with everything I say and do
4. job searching in a weak economy
5. adjusting to the changes of those around me

Twenty-seven months is a long time to be away – I’m not the only one who’s been changing. Friends of mine have gotten married, had kids, and unfortunately, died. Relatives and those I love have done the same. Gas has gone from over $4 a gallon to whatever it is now (I don’t know what it is now, just that no one seems to be complaining about it anymore). And, perhaps most notably, the election of the first non-white president! Something called the iphone has emerged, I hear Mcdonalds serves gourmet coffee (???) and probably a million other things I can’t think of at the moment.

The COS conference was as it should be – except that we were at an “Aquapark” and not allowed to go in the “aqua”. There were lots of discussion about leaving, how to leave, and how to return. Up until now I’d gotten by without thinking too much about it, but now I’ve things to complete. Documenting my service. What have I done with my time here???

I thought about listing the things I’ve done here, but I decided that would be annoying. It’s true that, far from any other service I’ve been involved with, Peace Corps has been the most worthwhile. I’ve always felt that I was DOING SOMETHING here. I feel that I have made a difference. That my time here was important and valued. Perhaps I haven’t made any systemic changes. Perhaps, because of various circumstances, not everything I do (or maybe nothing) will go on for long without me – but those I’ve worked with every day – their skills and ways of thinking have been enhanced and/or changed. I feel strongly that this is true.

For the next three months I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself. Yesterday I sat with one of my most dedicated students and we made a schedule for the summer. It goes something like this:

2 days a week of movie, creative writing, swimming and reading clubs. One day of games and internet training and one “wild card” day in which we may do art projects/sports or nothing at all.

I have plans to visit Lerik, a purportedly beautiful town in the southern Talish Mountains. Other than that, I’ve been just about everywhere I wanted to go and I want to spend time at site, anyhow. I don’t know if or when I may write again.