A Toast to Spring

You know those endless dark dooming days at the end of winter? When the cold season drags itself further and further like a zombie absolutely refusing to die although it is only driven by the desperate hunger for brains?? - I think it is neither safe nor wise to continue the metaphor here. 

Similar to the zombies from the series “Last of Us” which my flatmates and I have been trying to finish for three months now, winter came back from the dead again and again in the most horrifying way. Endless rain and days in which the sun completely abandoned humanity overshadowed every positive occurrence in the early days of this March.

However, while the weather remained in the same bad state, we brought the tiniest bit of spring ourselves. During our Arts&Crafts Club the first flowers could not be picked outside, but rather had to be made out of paper. At least our office is decorated now in bright, shining colors.

The first rays of sunshine

Had it not been for activities coming our way, I believe I would’ve drowned in my March–Blues (does that even exist?). Luckily for me, there was the School’s Spring Holidays coming our way and I had planned a two day workshop for that week. While the upcoming event gave me a huge boost of motivation, it was accompanied by a nervousness that drove me insane during the days leading up to it. Although I must admit, stage fright seems quite fitting for hosting a theater workshop, doesn’t it?

Nervous or not, on March 11th my workshop “Explore Theater” started. As the name already implies, the workshop was not only focused on practicing acting but rather took the liberty to explore the more unknown parts of Theater. Who works in a Theater and what do they even do if not perform on a stage? What is the difference between Musical, Opera and Spoken Theater? What even is theater and who decided to invite puppets to the workshop?

While I was scared for the group to not be interested, not get along with each other or all possible bad things that might happen - they were the most amazing group of participants I could have wished for. Together we managed to answer all of the above mentioned questions. Alongside that, we obviously had to try out the different jobs of the theater ourselves. Fake blood was mixed, costumes for Romeo and Juliet were designed (out of fake blood - scary, but very creative), puppets were brought to life and whole stories were told during improvisation games.

I would have never imagined these days to work out so well, but I could not be more glad. This will stay one of my highlights of volunteering for the ISCR, especially since it marks the return of my motivation and good mood. It felt like the first rays of sunshine finally breaking through that stupid winter. 

The smell of nature returning

While the Workshop and all activities around it left me quite exhausted and in need of just a short break, there was already the next event coming our way (which luckily also worked amazingly as a break). 

In the middle of March I was to attend the Mid Term Meeting in Lagodekhi. Meeting new but also familiar faces felt like coming home in a weird sense. While I love my team back in Rustavi, somehow this weird group of volunteers scattered across the Caucasus also made its way into my heart and I only realised then how much I had missed our connection when re-meeting them and listening to what adventures they experienced.

Besides (seriously!) getting very interesting input from the trainers and reflecting a bit too hard (crisis incoming) on my ESC volunteering so far, we all made sure to celebrate our time together. Having a supra together, there was no toast forgotten or story untold. While my own toast kind of lost its topic in the middle, changing to a completely different one, there was one toast made in particular that I can not seem to forget. 

A fellow volunteer, working in Armenia made a brief, but very impactful toast.

“The Winter was too long for all of us, so let’s toast to Spring!” - In that moment I did not only realise, I wasn’t the only one struggling through the darker times of the year, but actually found myself in company of many others sharing those feelings - I also realised I had already missed the early signs of spring. Looking outside, there was sunlight, the wind was not freezing to the bones anymore, small flowers started to bloom at all corners and the faintest smell of a world waking up again was carried with the breeze.

It sounds kitchy and all, but I will be damned if I ever forget to appreciate these small moments of seasonal change.

First flowers

Returning to Rustavi, I was full of memories, but also (as I feared) a little lost in my own spiral of reflection. While I did not have time to immediately get lost in those thoughts yet I knew it might catch up to me later. 

First, we signed up to accompany a school for an excursion to a former German settlement. While I rightfully expected to learn something about their history and encounter some well known German architecture, I never expected to create my very first Pretzel (German baked goods) on that trip. Neither was I prepared for the ride back in the bus, where there was a whole party going on, Georgian kids sure know how to party!

Next to those slightly crazy surprises there was one that absolutely made my day. While strolling through the village some of the students discovered small flowers. I was given a tiny bouquet of those from a sweet young girl, who instantly disappeared after pressing them into my hand. I did not even get to thank her that fast, but I was more than happy about the gesture. She could not have known, but my favorite flowers have always been blue flowers and those tiny ones with the blue accents in every possible shade, were astonishingly beautiful.

Warm wind

When the excursion was over, the long anticipated crisis about reflection set in. However, with all those beautiful impressions of spring in mind, I stayed absolutely stubborn and refused to let this pull me down again. So, I left Rustavi. 

After texting a friend I met again during the Mid Term Meeting, I left immediately the next morning to visit her in Ozurgeti. It was undoubtedly an incredibly random decision but I fully believe there could not have been a better one.

I spent my weekend sitting outside, looking at a peaceful river, and feeling warm wind again for the first time in months. It had been some time since I took a day to simply yap about nothing and everything at the same time and it turned out to be exactly the kind of company I had needed. I am forever thankful to Nike who made it possible for me to just escape my everyday life for just clearing my head. Additionally, I got to see another part of Georgia! It was my first time discovering a place that is a little more to the west of Georgia and I am hopeful I will make it even further in the months to come. Until then, I will simply enjoy Spring that has finally arrived in Rustavi as well. So, let’s toast to spring!