Introduction

Bari galust Hayastan! You will hear this phrase way too much, your first two months in country. But welcome, nevertheless, from all who have gone before you. Your life is about to get challenging.

Having been a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia, I can predict some of the difficulties that you will face. As I battled with a billion difficult emotional and environmental factors, including fatigue, boredom, homesickness, and cold, I wished there was a guidebook to tell me how to overcome these situations. I couldn’t find one, so I decided to create my own.

Consider this an informal solution to your problems. It has tangible ideas for getting you out of your funk and spurring you to action. You can challenge yourself, and you can play along with the other PCVs in your group, pushing each other to achieve more and grow more, every single month.

My hope is that you will find both silly and serious inspiration between these pages. I have done my best to match the Monthly Challenges to your probable moods and experiences at that time in Armenia. However, if there is a month where you don’t like either of the challenges, feel free to choose a challenge from a different month. If all else fails, celebrate all the funny holidays listed for that month. (For more, see holidayinsights.com/moreholidays.) Also, feel free to adapt any challenge as you see fit.

Whatever helps you become a better YOU, whatever helps you through the tough times in a healthy and positive way, DO IT. Push yourself, and you will surely have 27 fulfilling months of personal progress.

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See below for a partial visual of the e-book pages. See full e-book here. (PDF file)