Last Days
Wow, it has been almost 100 days since I arrived in Baku. I’ve spent the last few days wrapping up my work with SEDA, packing my apartment, and trying to squeeze in all the things I know I will miss: Beach, Lamb, Sumac, and Turkish ice cream. It will be strange to leave my apartment, after so long it has become my home. I’ll miss running on Park Boulevard and I’ll miss the people and place I’ve come to enjoy so much.
As a whole, it has been a terrific experience. SEDA and its members have been able to provide a great work environment and a busy task list for me this summer. I was able to work both with local officials and partner organizations to further the socio-economic development of Azerbaijan. Some of the research I have done is even being translated for use by local officials! Naturally, one of the challenges I am most grateful for is the opportunity to work in a foreign office and learn and further my abilities to work with persons of different cultures and languages. I look forward to future opportunities to work internationally and hopefully, maybe one day, return to Baku to assist SEDA or another partner in future projects.