Shannonand Dr. Heidi Come to the AZ...

In the past few months, I've been complaining a bit to my friends and family in America about being lonely. Don't get me wrong – I have GREAT friends here. But, most of them live hours away, and being the only American around can just get hard. And, as amazing as my friends here are, it is not the same as having the people who have known you for years and years nearby, you know?

I had accepted my solitary existence and was even getting o.k. with the amount of time I spend talking to myself. Imagine my delight when, one day, two of my dearest friends from college – Shannon and Dr. Heidi - showed up to spend the rest of my time in the AZ with me!

Frugal as ever, the girls showed up by post – the few dollars to mail themselves was much less expensive than the cost of a flight. They packed lightly – just one or two warm sweaters and a hat (everyone has heard me talk about cold, cold Azer winter). And, like good guests, they showed up with a gift – a yummy swiss cake roll. I ate it almost immediately!

We have started traveling around the country – I want to show them as much of the AZ as I can while they are here. Our first trip was to Baku for a conference. They got a big kick out of the bus – until they had to ride along the azer-roads for hours!

Last weekend, we went to Ismaylli to visit my friend Colleen. Shannon and Dr. Heidi were taking pictures all over the place – the Heydar Aliyev statue (a standard in any Azeri town), a cool statue of a horse and cart, and even with Colleen's new kitten.

O.k., o.k., I'm not really crazy. The truth is that my amazing, talented friend Shannon crocheted finger puppets of herself and Heidi to “keep me company”. I have to say, I think it is the coolest care package I have gotten to date.

Real Shannon is absolutely incredible. She is smart, creative, and one of the most caring people I know. She does some crazy cool work involving surgery on rats – it has something to do with biology. I don't pretend to really understand. In her free time, she volunteers at a cat shelter, and makes AMAZING things for friends and family. Last year, Shan sent me a couple of hats and scarves to help me get through the winter. She also makes cat toys and other cool stuff. She is an incredibly talented artist and an even better friend.

Real Heidi has her PhD in literature (hence the Dr. Heidi moniker for the mini-version). She teaches at a university – I am envious of her students. She is one of those people who makes being smart cool. She is also one of the best friends anyone could ever ask for. She is always there for her friends – I think she is one of those people who genuinely cares more about others than about herself. She is witty and fun and just plain great.

Anyway, Shannon and Dr. Heidi (the mini-versions) are going to have many adventures during their time in the AZ. Hopefully, we'll be able to post lots of pictures of the two of them as we explore the country!