A new year in Georgia

The holiday saison was really nice in this adoptive country! Indeed, after a new year under the Tbilisi fireworks I could enjoy a wonderful trip through Georgia with my love. Ski slopes, visit to Borjomi, traditional meals, restaurants in the capital, and evening strolls. What could be better than this beginning for 2026?

I am so happy that I celebrated the new year here!

Starting the year while volunteering in a beloved country feels like life finally makes some sense, I feel comfortable in my daily life, and I can start on a good foundation.

Unfortunatlly, as the vacation came to an end, work was waiting for me. And this month was a busy one in that regard.

Preparing for scout school, planning the Spanish class (I definitely didn't expect my student to learn so quickly, and I was really overwhelmed by it…) and all the other workshops.

I also had to organize a few personal projects, such as a 100% free clothing market for the beginning of February (which didn't work out at all, by the way), but it's still a project I'm fond of and I was super excited to organize it.

I got this idea when a stylist approached me in a bar and asked if I was interested in taking some of her old clothes. Of course I am, but unfortunately I'm 3,000 km away from my parents' garage... So there's no real need for me to get a ton of clothes that I'll probably never wear. Where would I put them? How would I bring them back?

Organizing a thrift store that was 100% free was the ideal solution for me!

Visit of Gori with the new volunteers !

It took me ages to promote the project and collect clothes from here and there. My technique was simply to contact each of the few Georgian contacts I have in my phone and beg them not to throw away their old clothes (it's not eco-friendly). A quick trip to Tbilisi over the weekend and I collected a crazy amount of clothes that I couldn't really carry with my little arms. Luckily, the amazing Anniika was around to help me in my quest!

Finally, this month has been a month of new arrivals. It has been a joy for me to see new faces, new projects, and new ideas. Having more hands (and brains) in our office has also been very useful in reducing our personal workload (one volunteer for administrative tasks and one for communication and social media), which are the two areas we were really bad at until now, so it's ideal!

I can't wrap up January without telling you about my new passion for cooking!

One of my goals this month was to eat only vegan food. And against all odds, it seems to have sparked a real passion for cooking in me! I simply realized that I can eat what I want, when I want, cook it my way, and eat good food every single day. So I decided to learn as many dishes as possible (Moroccan couscous, Italian pizza, baratha bread, Indian lentil dahl, 100% homemade burgers (from vegan steak to bread), homemade gnocchi and pasta, compote, cakes, buns, caramel, and much more!) I experimented, and in short, I unlocked the cooking skill.

All in all, another busy month! We'll see if, with everything I've learned, I can survive the next month and its final boss: scout school!

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