A few weeks into my training, I was walking home from school with another female volunteer. Although she lives on another side of town, neither of us wanted to walk home alone because we did not feel safe doing so.

On a small road that was very close to the main street, we stumble upon 5 very drunk men (we were not aware that this day was a holiday). We immediately put our heads down, did not make eye contact and started walking fast arm-in-arm because the men started leering at us. Sure enough, they proceeded to shout what I can only imagine to be derogatory comments in Georgian. At that moment, I felt very grateful that I was not walking home alone. Even though we don’t fluently speak Georgian, their non-verbal behavior was clear.

Troubled by this experience, I informed my teacher. Along with the other female volunteer, we both decided that we should speak with the Peace Corps’ Safety and Security Manager as well. We informed her about the incident in detail among other safety observations of the village. To my pleasant surprise, the Safety and Security Manager left no stone unturned as she took our concern very seriously.

Two days ago, she came to my village and interviewed various host families that have female volunteers. She also interviewed past female volunteers on their perception of our village. Sitting in on two of interviews was very helpful. It helped me understand the behaviors in a Georgian culture context. I was able to connect the dots to form a different picture in my mind. It allowed me the opportunity to have a candid conversation about safety. In both interviews, the families said that they feel very safe in the village.

When I came home later, my host brother informed me that he was troubled by the news. He essentially said that next time, I should take a picture of those men and show him the offenders. He would then make it a personal mission to go and talk to them. Receiving the ample support from my family and the Peace Corps warmed my heart and made me feel much safer.

To be clear, I do want to point out that there are many times I did not feel comfortable walking alone in many American cities. I don’t believe this is a Peace Corps problem or a Georgian problem. I think anybody could feel unsafe in a foreign environment and sometimes it takes time to adapt to the new situation.

Consider me lucky, but I’ve had access to internet a few times a week already. With internet comes Skype/Facetime, naturally. I’ve talked to a few people back home and the popular questions thus far is how is my daily life thus far.

Here is a run-down:

• I shower about every 4 days. Don’t say gross, because I’m probably the most showered in my group of volunteers in my village. And no, nobody smells. To be honest, we probably shower too much as Americans because I’m pleasantly surprised how clean everyone still looks and smells with the baby-wipe method. Either way, I’m happy with my shower situation here because mine is indoors and with hot water (I’m so spoiled and I love it!).
• Washing hands with soap and running water is a LUXURY. I can’t say this enough- baby wipes are my life. There is no soap or running water in my school. In fact, my host family today asked if they could borrow some of my baby wipes and I was shocked considering I never used the baby-wipes in front of them, which gets to my next point….
• Word gets around fast. Texting in American is snail mail compared to here. Villagers are extremely well-connected. This could be the result of all the uninvited visits people make to each other’s houses. But I can’t say for sure, because I look like an awkward American slowly sipping her tea in front of several Georgians while they talk away. Either way, I like this part of the Georgian culture. It is apparent how everyone puts an effort into their relationships.
• Some outhouses are better than others. Here is how the point system works with this one- add a point for each of the following: 1) easy hole for aiming- feel free to add two points for this one 2) toilet paper availability 3) sink nearby 4) door to lock 5) enough sunlight peeking through, none I’ve seen have an electric light 6) tiled floor 7) few quantity of bugs/spiders. Here is a tip, do not drop the roll of toilet (or anything else valuable) in the hole. There is no coming back.
• People actually eat raw vegetables straight up. Ever heard of anyone chowing down on a raw garlic without anything else? My host family just peeled it and just started eating it raw at the dinner table without anything else. It was strong, but I actually enjoy it with them now.
• I wear multiple jackets- indoors! There is no central heating system and no insulation in the walls. So when it is cold outside, it is sometimes colder indoors. Let’s just say I’m nervous for the winter. Send me your good vibes now.
• All my meals are cooked for me- I think this is a mostly positive thing. I don’t really have a say on what I’ll be eating, but this is a nice luxury to have especially since how packed our training schedule is every day.