“You’re going to Georgia?! Bring me back some peaches. LOL.”
I’m stealing that quote from a conversation I had with one of my brothers before we left the US again. He knew we weren’t headed to Atlanta. But most people are completely unaware of the Republic of Georgia.
I Can See Russia From My House1
Georgia is on the eastern side of the Black Sea. Our neighbors are Armenia and Azerbaijan to the south, Turkey to the west, and Russia to the north and east.
“Aren’t y’all worried about being so close to Russia?”
As I sit here today on the boulevard along the beachfront in Batumi, I can honestly say we have no fears. You can see the mountains to the north that make up the border of Russia. The border with Turkey is only 26 miles to the south.
So far, we have lived in Tbilisi, the capital, and visited as far east as Sighnagi. Now we are all the way west at the Black Sea. There are no signs of an imminent Russian invasion. At no point have we ever felt nervous or worried about where we were at.
The Georgian people we have spoken to have said definite impacts are happening because of the war in Ukraine; particularly in the beginning. The concern they have is that Russia may require their men to fight in the war. Two areas within the Georgian border also continue to be occupied by Russia.
With that being said, people here are simply living life. They have great plans for growth throughout their country. Batumi is actively expanding with the hopes of becoming a major tourist destination similar to Las Vegas. We can see it happening.
One source we always consult before choosing where to visit is the Global Peace Index. According to their research, we are safer here in Georgia than in our home country, despite the neighboring war.
What are the people like?
The people here are very gracious. They are also very serious about honor and respect in their faith (aka dress appropriately when going into the churches; women cover their heads and nothing showing above the knees, men wear pants and shirts not shorts). But they also like to celebrate. If you hear a bunch of car horns honking while driving down the street, you know a couple just got married. They get married every day of the week, not just weekends.
And they LOVE fireworks! These aren’t tiny sparklers either. These are the big boys flying into the night skies. When a baby is born someone from the family sets off fireworks that night. Some nights, it looks like the Fourth of July in America. It’s definitely fun to watch. We’ve been told New Year’s is crazy.
There is a language barrier that’s a bit more difficult to navigate. But we can still manage. As in other countries, younger people tend to know more English. Learning a few basic words goes a long way, especially when we are the ones in THEIR country.
Fun with other expats
Yesterday, we spent the day with 26 people from at least 8 different countries hiking in the beautiful Mtirala National Park. The smiles on everyone’s faces say it all. The world is full of beautiful people if we take the time to meet them.
Our Recommendations This Week
Please note some links in this email lead to affiliate websites where we earn a small commission for your purchases at no additional cost to you.
What we’re reading
Behold a Great Light: A Devotional for Nativity through Theophany
Why we love it: Walking around Batumi at the end of November, we noticed the world around us was getting materially ready for Christmas. Lights being wrapped around trees; sale flyers posted in windows. Jeff wondered how we might spiritually prepare for the season.
Fr. Michael, our friend from Thessaloniki recommended including reading tied to the Nativity season. Devotional reading is a high priority for both of us. We spend time each morning reading from holy scripture and prayers.
This book has daily readings from the beginning of the Nativity fast, November 15th through Epiphany on January 7th. Each reading includes hymns from the season, exposition on the meaning and characters from the Christmas story, and details about saints from the day. We highly recommend it!
Deana’s favorite travel kitchen tool
Why she loves it: This is an amazing travel tool set as it is manual not electric. The white handle pulls the cord inside the top, spinning the extremely sharp blades. Give it a few quick pulls and your onions, garlic, carrots, whatever you need chopped, is done in no time. I recently used this to make pie crust, pureed pumpkin, and whipped cream for my pumpkin pies for our Thanksgiving celebration here in Batumi.
Travel Health Insurance
SafetyWing - Travel Medical Insurance for Digital Nomads
Why we love it: When we chose to leave the United States, we started searching for travel medical insurance. We Googled and also read many, many travel bloggers and nomads about the subject. Does a person really need travel medical insurance and why or why not. While some credit cards may cover some medical, it typically only kicks-in after your own health insurance pays. And most health insurance in America doesn’t cover out-of-country travel.
In all our searching, we found an amazing company: SafetyWing. They are highly rated among travelers, nomads, and expats all over the world. The cost is extremely affordable; far more affordable than basic health insurance in the U.S. It truly gives us and our family peace of mind knowing we will be taken care of and have our bases covered.
That’s it for this week! Thanks for Zigzagging Along with Deana & Jeff.
Forward this to friends, and hit reply to say hi and let us know what you think!
"I can see Russia from my house" was famously uttered by Tina Fey's impersonation of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live in 2008. The quote was a reference to a remark that Palin made during a 2008 interview with Charlie Gibson on Good Morning America, in which she said that Russia was "our next-door neighbor" and that you could "actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska." While technically true, the quote was widely mocked as evidence of Palin's lack of foreign policy experience. The quote has since become a popular meme and is often used to satirize political figures who make uninformed or ridiculous statements.
Hi, there! I finally have a few minutes to sit down and actually read all of your blogs! And I am glad I did! I enjoy reading about your experiences, and your thoughts. (And, I have been thinking about getting a food processor for a year but now, I think I'll go order that Tupperware tool, instead! Ha!) Thank you so much for your videos, too! Enjoy Batumi, and keep writing!