Homecoming

This weekend the transferees were treated to an extremely warm weekend. Everyone has been exceedingly welcoming towards us so far but this weekend brought two events that were unlike any others.

On Saturday the current Albanian volunteers organized a picnic for us at Peace Corps Headquarters. We had had several Peace Corps events already to introduce us to the country and welcome us but this was the first organized by the volunteers alone. We met at the office for a pot luck, unfortunately the plan to enjoy lunch in the garden got rained out but we made do like the innovative, adaptable PCV’s we are. While we enjoyed some really fabulous food it came out in the small talk that there was going to be some kind of “ceremony” later on to extend the volunteers’ welcome to us. We, the transferees, were a little trepid about it; at least one smartass (Rob) mentioned something about hazing…

They had us close our eyes and stand in a circle, facing outward. With poorly veiled giggles the volunteers put something into the middle of our circle and asked us to reach behind us without looking.

When we were allowed to finally open our eyes we pulled out what we had grabbed: each one of us was holding a knitted scarf in the colors red, black and white. Red and black for the colors of the Albanian flag, red and white for the colors of the Georgian flag…knitted together. How sweet is that?

We were very touched. The gestured had been organized weeks beforehand when they had found out we were coming; volunteers furiously knitting away while we trained in the capital. The scarves turned out beautifully and, as we hear it, will be pretty practical come winter in Albania.

The next day we got treated again to lunch by a very kind woman named Brenda who’s an embassy employee. We were rained out again but still got to indulge in some truly fabulous cooking, including some UNBELIEVABLE humus. We spent a great evening with burgers and wine retelling stories about Georgia, Albania and that hellish month in Armenia. During a night of good food and good company my Mom called from her hometown where her and Dad were visiting some family. I talked with my parents and some extended family (everyone’s doing well) for about a half hour before heading back inside.

All in all, a wonderful weekend. The end of training is in sight for us (again) and then the 8 of us will be separated (again). I think most of us signed up for Peace Corps hoping to come out with some great friends, it’s amazing how close you get to people in an experience like this though. After 9 straight weeks together, confined in close space in the developing world and enduring two trainings…well, it’s an achievement that we haven’t killed each other. It’s a cliché to say Peace Corps is like a family but…well, what else can you call a high stress, closely confined group that’s amazed it’s members haven’t killed each other?