Some R'n'R in Sheki

I'm currently writing this in Sheki, in a house where everyone is lounging, napping, and generally being quiet. We're halfway through a summer camp on life skills with themes like responsibility, leadership, and teamwork and it is exhausting. Everyday we wake up at 7, bring supplies for the day's activities to camp, lead about 50 awesome and enthusiastic kids in four hours of activities. Then we trudge like zombies back to the house for some food, a nap, and a beer before retreating into a cocoon of silence. After a few hours we are all a bit more social and we eat some dinner before realizing how tired we truly are.

Thus is the life of a summer PCV. It's actually pretty outstanding. Prior to Sheki I was hosting friends in Xachmaz after the BBQ. Then I left to head to my friend Emily's village-a very small, very humid place where we socialized with the family where my main accomplishments were getting drunk with the uncle, completing 4 crossword puzzles, and beating Emily (numerous times) in cribbage. From there we spent a night in the city of Goychay, which reminds me a lot like Houston (minus all the "5th largest city in America" accompaniments).

So at day 4 on the road, I ended up at my main location: Sheki. One of the largest cities in Azerbaijan, Sheki is nestled up onto the foothills of the greater caucuses. The stadium where our camp takes place has a beautiful view of the verdant mountains and overlooks the rooftops of the western town. All the roofs are the same colors as those buildings at CU Boulder and a less manly PCV could easily become emotional over it.

Everyone is jealous that I am visiting America so soon and I'm beginning to fear the post-america hangover that will invariable happen. Earlier I was telling friends that it was like waiting for Christmas times 100, but now, sitting next to a sleeping friend in the dark typing this email with the descending rays of the sun creeping in and a beer on the floor next to me, well, it doesn't seem so intolerable.