Georgia: Peace Corps Volunteer Blogs

Although Georgia was not the first country in the South Caucasus where the U.S. Peace Corps started working after the collapse of the former Soviet Union, it was until recently the most active in terms of blogs. Although 255 Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) have been stationed in Georgia since 2002, as opposed to 583 in Armenia since 1992 and 195 in Azerbaijan since 2002, blogging has been more active there since volunteers were allowed to post about their experiences from 2006 onwards.

In part, this is perhaps because of all the republics which make up the South Caucasus, Georgia is considered to be the most open and Western-leaning. Indeed, since the 2003 Rose Revolution, ties between the country and the United States have strengthened considerably as The Georgian Life explained upon stepping foot in the country this summer.

In an age where being an American abroad is a liability and safety hazard, and where it is in your best interest to not speak in English and to lie and say you’re Canadian, living in Georgia is absolutely refreshing. America is generally loved here by many Georgians. We constantly hear about how great of friends America and Georgia are. President Bush has a higher approval rating here than he does in America. The main road from the airport going into Tbilisi is even named “George Bush Avenue” and has a giant mural dedicated to him and to America. […]

But the fact that we’re American isn’t the reason for their hospitality, they are just famously and genuinely nice and accommodating people.

Since that post made in July, however, the situation in Georgia for the Peace Corps has changed considerably. During the short-lived war with Russia over South Ossetia, PCVs were evacuated to Armenia with no prospect for return in the near future. As with other PCVs, Gretchen’s Great Adventure used her blog to let family and friends know that she was safe.

For a person that loves to travel and wants to see the world…I am pretty sad to be in Armenia. Peace Corps Armenia has been incredibly kind to us. The country is pretty and we are staying in a safe place.

I am at a loss for words right now, so I apologize if this is boring in comparison to older posts. The news leaves our ability to re-enter completely up in the air. Basically we are all sitting ducks, hoping that Washington D.C. will tell us what our options are soon. We are all really safe.

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My heart hurts for the people of Georgia right now. Our staff is absolutely amazing and I am beyond grateful. There is not much more to say right now. There are about 80 volunteers hanging out in this random hotel in Armenia…but we’re safe.