Friday, October 5, 2012

Almost...

Hello, Friends...
We are fast approaching our last days in Azerbaijan. Crazy talk.
We're painting over the words on our walls, throwing out our threadbare (and slightly brown-tinted) clothes, finalizing travel plans, and booking flights. Again...absolute crazy talk. I cannot believe that it's almost here. As many of you know, there were days when I did not think I would make it...the historic Rat Wars of 2012, for example. But here we are...and the better for it.  
Our days are now spent filling out piles of PC paperwork and trying frantically to make sure the projects we started here don't nose-dive once we're gone.  And maybe they will..and maybe that's okay. We did what we could with the time and resources we had and that's that. I just hope that's enough.
So, the big question is - what now? Since I don't know...I thought that I'd use some resources that the PC sent out to help us with "the next steps"... personality profiles, career aptitude evaluations, etc...that are meant to match us to our best career pathway.
Here are my results: Literature Teacher (thanks, magic computer), Funeral Director, Aerospace Engineer,Corrections Officer, Choreographer...so get ready to don some black and dance your way into custody...and space...while I tell you a little bit about a crazy cool cat named Walt Whitman. Good Grief - I'm screwed.
I don't feel too bad...although Dustin's actually got a plan...a goal...a future...all that good stuff, he took the assessments with me. Here's what he got: Solid Waste Management Supervisor (so close), Botanist (not far off, mushroom hunter), Casino Pit Boss, Border Patrol Agent, Art Therapist. Really?? Really personality profiler?? I'd like to meet the person that created these algorithms or whatever-the-crap is matching us to our destinies and tell them that  they may need to re-think a hyphen or a bracket or whatever goes in an algorithm.
Who knows...all I know is that we're coming home in a month. Amen.

Here are a few shots from the last few weeks of summer and the start of fall... Enjoy.
See y'all soon!!

Recently Had a Promotional Event for RTW at the City's New (and Only) Cinema - 56 Girls...I'm With Some of RTW's Leaders Celebrating After the Movie
In Our Yard...So Pretty
Super Cheap Summer Favorites
Peace Corps Summer - Kiddie Pools and Cook Outs - Not Too Shabby
We're Big Fans of TED Talks (Check 'em Out)...and Dustin Helped Some Ganja Students Plan Their Own TED-X Event!
A Little Media Attention...
An Old Watchtower - Qax Region
Dustin's Main Counterpart Invited Us To His Family's Home in the Region of Qax - This is Their Backyard - Incredible
Dustin Took a Trip Into The Regions To Consult With Farmers About Funding / Small Business Grants - This Is One of Many Stops ... He was fed honey at just about every stop...and a spoonful of local pollen to go with it.

And Another...Can You Guess What He Ate Here?

Dustin Organized a Bird-Watching Trip For Local Youth With a Guide From the Azerbaijan Ornithological Society -- For Those of You That Know Dustin Well, You Know That This Was a Big Day...
Binoculars and All, Friends

The Bird Watching Crew...
All I found was this Turkey...