Site Announcement!!

Today was the most exciting day since I received my invitation to serve in Armenia in May. We received our permanent site placements via a giant map of Armenia. Mid-November, I'll move to Jermuk, a resort town in South-Eastern Armenia. The population is about 8,000 people (all Community & Youth Development volunteers are in larger towns/cities). It's in the mountains, at about 6,500 feet and is known for the healing properties of the mineral water there. All around Armenia, people call mineral water "Jermuk" because the brand of bottled water is so popular. AND there are 3 ski hills! I think it's so funny that when I was placed in Armenia, my dad told me there was skiing here. I kind of dismissed it, thinking that there was no way I'd be skiing in Armenia. Then, I was placed in one of the ski resort areas. The famous Armenian writer William Saroyan said that Armenia is paradise and its highest crown is Jermuk. I am thrilled! It will be very cold in the winter (just when I arrive) and "perfect" in the summer. A lot different from Santa Barbara winters but I think similar to Mammoth, so I think I'll be ok.

I will be working with an organization called Jermuk Youth Center, a nascent NGO (what we call non-profits in the states are referred to as NGOs here) working to improve opportunities for youth involvement in civil society and the community. My counterpart (whom I will meet next week) is an energetic young woman, the only employee of the NGO. It's still pretty broad right now, but it seems like it will offer lots of opportunities for growth and engagement. I love the idea of working with someone passionate about their cause and helping build an organization's capacity as well as impact through organizational planning and project/program implementation!

The closest American volunteer will be about 40 minutes away by taxi. I will visit the site next week and then will have more to share about it. The next two years of my life have been mostly unknown to me since I turned in my Peace Corps application last August. Finally, I know where I will live and (generally) what I will be doing -- I feel so relieved and excited for this next step!