Needless to say after my year of living in Georgia that there is wine everywhere. It is the original wine country, so I’ve had my fill of the red, black, white, pink and murky colors in between. One thing that I am continually relearning is that a night of wining and dining with my host family should not proceed a marshutka ride. Period.  I boarded a marshutka with my eighth grade class at the end of the school year in the wee hours of the morning. With me was an upset stomach and the smell of warm cheese-bread wafting through the van with no open windows. Rain poured down and though I felt too sick to function properly, I was too stubborn to stay at my site or miss out on the awesome adventure. Mtskheta is a city outside of Tbilisi, the capital, and is spotted with ancient churches, cobblestone streets, and tourists. The architecture was stunning and the art, amazing. Georgia, next to Armenia, is one of the oldest Orthodox Christian countries. Though politically the country is not a theocracy, the majority of the population claims Orthodox Christianity as their religion and that is apparent by the cross necklace that hangs around many people’s necks and the scarf wearing women walking around the church. People tend to cross themselves three times when they see a church, cross regional borders, among other triggers (which include a close-call accident in a marshutka). Many churches are sacred and photos are not allowed to be taken of the inside, but the triptychs and religious paintings that cover the walls, ceilings and altars are beautiful and awe-inspiring. Religious holidays are many throughout the year, and families celebrate with supras, wine, making pilgrimages to churches, and celebrating relatives, friends and life.