I cannot tell you…

…how much I’m looking forward to being back in Georgia. My flight leaves from JFK on Saturday and arrives in Istanbul at about 6 am on Sunday.  The flight to Tbilisi doesn’t leave for another seven hours, so I plan to take the tram downtown and see some of the sights.  I’ll arrive in Tbilisi… Continue reading I cannot tell you…

Trope Tuesday: Belly of the Whale

The last stage in the departure phase of the hero’s journey is called the Belly of the Whale, after the Biblical story of Jonah.  After receiving the call and passing the threshold to the land of adventure, the hero faces what may quite possibly be the darkest hour of his life and dies in some way… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Belly of the Whale

Trope Tuesday: Threshold Guardians

So the hero gets the call, refuses it at first (or jumps at it, as the case may be), but one way or another he eventually sets out on the adventure.  As he soon discovers, though, one does not simply walk into Mordor.  Adventures are not the sort of thing that anyone can do, and in… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Threshold Guardians

Trope Tuesday: The Call to Adventure

One of the first (and most important) stages of the hero’s journey is the call to adventure.  It happens when the hero first confronts something outside the experience of his ordinary world that beacons him to leave it.  It overlaps closely with the inciting incident, and marks the point at which the hero’s journey begins. However,… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: The Call to Adventure

Still traveling

So I think I’ve clocked in about 1,000 kilometers this past week, mostly between Kutaisi and Tbilisi.  Seen some interesting things, met a lot of interesting people, made some good memories, and thought a lot of deep and poignant thoughts. Unfortunately, all this travel isn’t conducive to blogging.  I’ve got five days before I fly… Continue reading Still traveling

მე ♥ ქუთაისი (I ♥ Kutaisi)

That’s Georgian for “I ♥ Kutaisi.” Like the New York City ad campaign on which it’s based, it’s become a part of the local culture.  You can see it on billboards, street signs, stickers, t-shirts–unlike the US, where it’s uncool to wear a band’s t-shirt at their own concert, everyone was wearing their “I ♥ Kutaisi” shirts… Continue reading მე ♥ ქუთაისი (I ♥ Kutaisi)

Staying in Georgia

So I’ve decided to stay here in Georgia for another semester.  Things are working out really well, I enjoy teaching English, and for the full experience I think it will be better to stay for a full year. I’m not sure if I’ll stay in Kutaisi yet, though.  It’s a convenient place to live, but… Continue reading Staying in Georgia