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What I Was As much as This Month
This October, Chris and I took slightly journey to Merisi for our one-year marriage ceremony anniversary! Shortly after, we moved to a brand new condominium and signed a year-long lease!!
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Whereas issues have been going nice right here in Tbilisi, we’ve additionally had an enormous spike in COVID circumstances. so it seems to be like we’re about to enter lockdown 2.0.
The place I Went
- Tbilisi, Georgia
- Batumi, Georgia
- Merisi, Georgia
Our lovely mattress!
Enjoyable at Eco Home Merisi
Highlights
Listed here are among the finest moments of October!
Anniversary Journey to Merisi
In the beginning of October Chris and I took slightly weekend journey for our first marriage ceremony anniversary! We took the practice from Tbilisi to Batumi, after which employed a automobile to take us the remainder of the best way into the mountainous valley of Merisi.
Right here we stayed at Eco House Merisi, a tiny 2-cottage property I initially discovered on Tiktok. Sure, you heard that proper. I noticed the property on TikTok, and we ultimately discovered their Facebook page and booked by way of Fb messenger (as a result of they don’t have a web site and aren’t on any reserving websites).
I’ve to say, Eco Home Merisi didn’t disappoint. The cottage was completely lovely, and we had a good time studying whereas admiring the view, and taking bubble baths within the deck jacuzzi. They even had a kind of fairly swings you see on all of the Bali Instagram accounts!
Our cottage deck
Jacuzzi with bubbles!
Lastly, the meals was unbelievable. Every thing is made contemporary from the proprietor’s farm to the purpose that after I requested for some milk to place in my tea, we would have liked to attend an hour for the cows to come back house as a result of that they had simply used all of the cow milk to make cheese!!
Chris and I had a good time consuming native Adjarian specialties like chirbuli (Georgian shakshuka however with extra oil), sinori (lavash bread, cottage cheese, and butter), and borano (typically referred to as “Georgian fondu” made with silguni cheese and melted butter). Whereas my tastebuds and coronary heart had been pleased, my physique was positively craving detox afterward!
Total, it was so nice to only calm down away from the pc, re-watch our marriage ceremony video, and spend some high quality time collectively.
Transferring to a New Condominium
Chris and I’ve been renting month-to-month in a small one-bedroom for…. NINE MONTHS? (How did that occur?).
Whereas we cherished our place, Chris and I’ve been feeling a bit cramped with two cats and a teeny tiny kitchen. We additionally observed so many wonderful offers being posted on Fb and realized that if we signed a year-long-lease, many cheap landlords had been pleased handy out unbelievable offers attributable to COIVD and the borders being closed. So… we began looking!
After a couple of days of home looking, Chris and I found the most amazing apartment for $600/month only a few blocks from the place we had been at present staying. This place is simply $100 extra monthly, however has 3x the quantity of house with an enormous kitchen and lounge, two bedrooms, two bogs, and two balconies!
I completely love the brand new condominium, and I truly don’t hate cooking now that I’ve greater than 3 inches of counter house!
Completely happy Halloween
Completely happy Halloween!
On the finish of October, I celebrated Halloween with a couple of shut buddies. All of us received actually into dressing up (my favourite!) and drank Georgian wine round a fireplace pit till round 3am. Whoopsies…
I used to get actually decked out within the US, and even in China (one 12 months I wore a different costume to class every day on the week of Halloween). However this 12 months I’ve a capsule wardrobe, so I needed to make do with what I had available. I made a decision to be a black cat, and wore a black costume, my black cat tights from ModCloth, black boots, and even did my hair in little buns to appear like cat ears!
I additionally did intense cat-eye make-up, which was wonderful aside from the truth that half my make-up barely works anymore (who wants eyeliner once they by no means exit?), and the faux eyelashes I purchased had most likely been sitting on the shelf for six years as a result of the glue was SOLID. I did check out some pointy faux nails to behave as claws which was enjoyable but in addition ridiculous. How do folks with faux nails do ANYTHING?! Please inform me, as a result of my nails weren’t even that lengthy, and sending a textual content was a nightmare.
Eco Home swing!
Simple Absentee Voting
A number of weeks in the past I forged my absentee vote for Biden/Harris and it was the best vote I’ve forged since dwelling overseas! Washington state may be very liberal so in fact, they make voting from overseas straightforward (no voter suppression over right here!). All I wanted to do was print out my poll, signal it, scan it and return by way of e-mail.
Whereas voting by way of e-mail has been a factor these previous few years, I really like the brand new on-line voting system Washington has developed! When you submit your poll, you may truly log in and see in case your poll has been obtained!! That is wonderful as a result of I at all times fear my poll gained’t get counted and can find yourself in some e-mail spam graveyard.
This isn’t only for absentee voting both. Even mail-in or drop-off voters can use this method! Significantly, different states ought to take notes!
A minimum of we had a pleasant view from our room!
Challenges
This month wasn’t excellent. right here had been the less-pleasant moments of October.
Staying Inside in Batumi
When Chris and I first booked our anniversary journey, Georgia had barely any circumstances of COVID in all the nation. So slightly little bit of journey round Georgia, whereas the borders are closed, sporting a masks in public appeared utterly wonderful. The unique plan was to remain someday in Batumi, after which proceed onto Merisi for 2 nights.
However the issue is that over the summer season tons of individuals took journeys to Batumi, a preferred Georgian metropolis on the Black Sea, and naturally, NO ONE wore masks. So at first of October, Batumi was shortly changing into the COVID capital of Georgia.
Chris and I attempted to alter our schedule to keep away from Batumi, however Merisi was utterly booked, and there was just about no option to get there with out at the very least going by means of Batumi for a night. So, we determined that we’d simply keep inside our lodge and order room service.
The practice journey was nice. There was nobody in our automobile, and we needed to put on masks the entire time. However after we received to Batumi NO ONE WAS WEARING A MASK. Significantly!!! Our lodge, the Hilton Batumi, appeared to be taking COVID significantly, however the remainder of the town actually was not.
I used to be actually actually excited to discover Batumi, however attributable to COVID and the shortage of mask-wearing we ended up spending 90% of our time there in our room and whereas ordering in meals supply as a result of the room service was overpriced and didn’t look nice. They did attempt to cost us 7 lari for a fork although, in order that was cool.
We did have the chance to stroll alongside the seashore at sundown, and we had a cocktail on the roof, however that was about it.
Every day deaths in Georgia
COVID Spikes in Tbilisi
Georgia did such a fantastic job with the pandemic till… we didn’t. We went from having 17 deaths for the whole thing of the pandemic to over 300 in a matter of WEEKS. It’s estimated that roughly 1/200 folks in Tbilisi have COVID now, which is frankly SCARY.
Certain, you should put on a masks in a taxi, eating places can solely serve you exterior, and most outlets sort of mandate masks, however while you go searching, NO ONE is sporting a masks on the road.
I’ve seen occasions with 100 folks crowded into slightly roundabout park, and with the election on October thirty first, there have been large political rallies with HUNDREDS of individuals not sporting masks.
Every day COVID circumstances in Georgia
To make issues worse, the present authorities has been refusing to place any guidelines in place and retains saying there is not going to be a nation-wide lockdown. Many people suppose that after the election they’ll impulsively begin placing in new restrictions, and can implement city-wide lockdowns (as a result of it’s not nation-wide so it’s not a lie!!). Ugh, politics.
*Replace: The present authorities simply secured a brand new time period, and as of November 4th we’ll have a compulsory masks coverage inside and outdoors with a wonderful of 20 lari ($6.50 USD) in the event you’re caught with no masks.
Our new bed room!
Transferring Home Throughout a Launch
A number of weeks in the past Chris and I moved into our new apartment. Whereas we don’t have a ton of stuff and our condominium is absolutely furnished, we nonetheless had loads to maneuver, together with our entire cabinet and fridge contents, and two cats.
As well as, among the issues that had been supplied at our previous place aren’t supplied right here, like a quilt cowl, pillowcases, small trash bins for the lavatory, hand towels, and so forth. so we would have liked to move out and purchase them.
Now, none of this is able to be an issue aside from the truth that the week we moved, Merilyn, the enterprise coach who I do social media for, was internet hosting a launch of her new WowArchetypes Persona Course for Entrepreneurs!
Whereas I knew the launch was coming, I didn’t take into consideration how the dates would line up with the transfer. My dangerous… Additionally, the launch concerned a free Bootcamp held within the Free Facebook Group… that I handle.
So over the course of some days, about 800 new folks flooded into the Fb group, and I needed to verify I welcomed and engaged with all of them… whereas transferring. Excuse me whereas I sleep for 2 weeks straight now…
Our big kitchen!
A Little Brief on Funds
Along with working for Merilyn, I additionally work doing school admissions interviews for Chinese language college students. Due to COVID, the corporate I work for has partnered with TOEFL ITP, the examination Chinese language college students must take to go to college within the US and Canada. Mainly, I’m administering the TOEFL talking examination, after which this examination can also be recorded and despatched to the schools the scholars are making use of to.
However for some motive, in October, there have been NO EXAMS. So… no exams means nearly no interviews for Richelle. Which is nice… while you receives a commission per interview.
Throughout this time we additionally wanted to provide you with two-months hire upfront for our new place, and we didn’t get our deposit again on our previous place as a result of we didn’t give them sufficient discover (whoopsies). It will’ve been financially smarter for us to attend, however we REALLY didn’t wish to miss the chance to get our present condominium, and there was one other bidder who was pleased to maneuver in ASAP.
Whereas we’re okay financially, not having any interviews and needing to pay a deposit on a brand new place has made our funds a bit tighter than I’d like, particularly after I actually wish to purchase some issues to brighten our new large house.
Taking the practice to Batumi!
My Pc Battery is Damaged
Lastly, my pc has now began shutting off randomly, particularly after I watch a video, or do something that entails Zoom/ Skype. If my battery is lower than 80% charged and I dare to open a Zoom name or watch a Youtube video, my pc will shut off with zero warning.
I checked my battery and it says that “Service is Advisable”. Nice.
Now I simply want to go away my pc continually plugged in and discover a time in my schedule after I may be with out my pc for a number of days in a row so I pays who is aware of how a lot to get it fastened. Good timing!
Batumi’s Black Sea
Weblog Posts I Wrote in October
As promised, a wrote a weblog publish each week this October! Listed here are my posts from the final month.
An Inside Look at My NEW Tbilisi Apartment! (I Moved!!) – Try the images of my new place and listen to our home looking story!
The Relentless Pursuit of Happiness: Confessions of a Happiness Chaser – How continually chasing happiness and craving for the long run truly makes you depressing, and why it took slowing down for me to find this.
A Day in The Life of a Location Independent Travel Blogger – So… what precisely do I DO all day?? Right here’s a mean day for me.
The Freedom Life: September 2020 – See what I used to be as much as in September!
Carrying my purse in Milan!
Journey Product of the Month
Right now I wish to introduce you to the purse that I’ve been using for the last YEAR. I actually use this purse each single day and it goes with just about each outfit I’ve introduced with me to Georgia.
What does this need to do with journey? Effectively, I received this purse to suit with my winter/spring journey capsule wardrobe, and I’ve been utilizing it each day since.
I really like this bag as a result of it’s the proper measurement to suit my cellphone, pockets, passport, glasses case, chapstick/lipstick, kindle, and the rest I’d want with out being cumbersome. I’ve even match a water bottle in right here! It additionally seems to be very polished and goes with every thing. Additionally, it’s tremendous reasonably priced!!
This purse will not be an anti-theft purse, however in the event you’re in search of an on a regular basis possibility for all times/ journey, that is it. Firstly, it’s a crossbody which implies you’re hands-free. Nevertheless it additionally has a clasp and a zipper, with a smaller zippered pocket inside, that means it’s arduous to get into. After I stroll in crowded areas I simply maintain the bag in entrance of my physique so nobody can get to it. The purse additionally has a zippered pocket on the again, which is ideal for practice tickets, subway playing cards, and even your passport.
Significantly, in the event you want a brand new bag that holds as much as on a regular basis put on, I’ve used this purse actually each day for a 12 months. I ONLY have this bag and a small clutch, that’s it. I’m extremely contemplating buying another one in brown when the climate heats up once more.
Find My Favorite Purse on Amazon!
Breakfast in Merisi!
What I’m Studying Now
Final month I lastly completed studying The Honest Enneagram by Sarah Jane Case from the Enneagram and Coffee Podcast. That is my go-to suggestion for people who find themselves new to the Enneagram as a result of it was written in 2020 and it’s actually easy to grasp and simple to learn.
That stated, regardless of the e book being tremendous brief, it took me FOREVER to complete studying as a result of, to be trustworthy, it was all just about evaluation for me, so I used to be bored. Whereas it was enjoyable to examine Sarah’s interpretation of the kinds with a form, useful spin… I actually didn’t be taught a lot. So, whereas this e book is nice for newcomers and exquisite in your espresso desk, I don’t advocate it in the event you already know a good bit in regards to the Enneagram.
After this e book, I moved onto The Complete Enneagram by Beatrice Chestnut and I LOVE it. I’m already studying a lot, and the e book was solely written a couple of years in the past, so it’s a lot much less dense than older Enneagram books like Wisdom of the Enneagram. In the event you’re into the Enneagram I extremely, extremely recommend selecting up this e book.
I’ve even began listening to her podcast with Uranio Paes referred to as Enneagram 2.0 which is de facto good. They actually have a nerdily-fantastic Enneagram rap music intro which makes me die laughing each time. I don’t suppose it was meant to be humorous however… I can’t assist myself.
Ending up Sincere Enneagram!
My Favourite Weblog Posts of October
Each of those posts are from the primary few days of November… sue me.
What I’m As much as in November!
In all probability one other lockdown to be trustworthy. My plans are to be taught to prepare dinner extra superior meals, perhaps begin baking in my new oven, and never die of COVID.
Additionally, we’ll have the outcomes of the US election which hopefully doesn’t lead to a US Civil Struggle, however I assume we’ll see??
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