Good morning, good afternoon and good evening readers,

Today was my first solo adventure out of the city and I was kacking my pants about it. I had originally planned to go to Lake Sevan on Sunday, but when Smiley Club was cancelled I thought ahhh what the heck let’s go on Saturday. Look at me being all flexible and stuff. Naturally I conjured up a thousand different reasons as to why I couldn’t possibly go this Saturday. Why there simply wasn’t enough time and:

• I had to buy washing powder
• It was too short notice
• I was awfully tired
• I hadn’t given my brain enough time to “process” the outing

What a load of rubbish hey! Les Brown was shouting in my ear, “Charlotte. FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY.” I mean if my brother can randomly live in Mexico and my other brother can camp in the American woods with the bears, I think I can manage this bitesize portion of adventure. Cheers guys, I love ya.

The journey was absolutely fine. If anyone is reading this and would like to make the trip from Yerevan to Lake Sevan, here is what one must do:

Step 1: Get the 259 bus towards Abovyan from opposite Opera
Step 2: Get off at the “Northern Bus Station”. I use this term loosely.
Step 3: Get the bus to Sevan and tell the driver you are going to Lake Sevan (Leech Sevan)
Step 4: Get off at Lake Sevan and have a bloody good time.

*Enjoy your day looking at the splendid and breath-taking scenery. Poke your head into the churches. Just take it allllllll in*

The bus driver I had was actually proper decent. His name was Arson and he came and spoke to me before we left. We managed a few exchanges of sentences and sat in one another’s company. When we arrive in Sevan and everyone gets off, I look at him in the mirror. He gives me a wink. If Arson were a cabby back home he would have said “don’t worry darlin, hold tight”. He signals for me to jump in the front. Ohhh I’ve never been in the front of a Marshutka before. My how things are looking up for me. On the way to the Lake he advises me on how to get home. “Taxi Lake to Sevan City, Mek Hazar (1000) dram. City to Erevan Marshutka, Hing Haryur (500) Dram. Marshutka Hing.” He repeated this to me several times until I could say “Yes haskanum em” (I understand). He then gave me his telephone number, so I could call him in case I am stranded. Oh man, another nice guy. You Armenians do spoil me! We get to the Lake, I jump out the bus, Mersi Shat Arson, I’m off!

I climb the stairs to the churches, bypass the tourists, head for the top of the hill that is suspended out into the Lake. There are a couple of loiterers but after a few minutes they go. That’s it guys. Off you pop.

After they leave, I just sit. I sit, and I sit some more, then I sit a little bit more. I take in several long, deep breaths and then I laugh to myself. Me, a girl who used to stand in the rain because she was too anxious to sit in the waiting room of a London train station, just got herself into the countryside in Armenia, on her own, where they don’t speak English. What a funny old life we lead. I hear a boat out on the lake and the people aboard are all singing. That is how I feel right now. Like inside I am singing, with all the people that have helped me along the way. Shit, I am so proud of myself.

When I am ready, I get the taxi back into Sevan City and then sit in the Marshutka waiting to go back to Yerevan. I am smiling to myself and the other passengers have no idea why I am so bloody chuffed. I once knew a man who showed me this picture of Jeremy Clarkson and this is EXACTLY what my face looked like to the other passengers on the bus home. Now I understand that for this reason and many more we were supposed to meet each other.

Please enjoy the pictures from my little excursion, of which it took me seven years to build up the courage to do. Always remember, that it doesn’t matter how long it takes to grow, all that matters is you are growing towards the sun.

In kindness,
C x