Post-grad Postcards: Lila Beavers ‘21
Editor’s Note: Earlier this fall, my colleague Jeremy Johnson and I were advising a couple of current Centenary students on a project and they, in turn, needed some information from a recent graduate. In a meeting, one student mentioned offhand that it was challenging to connect with this alumna right now because she was in Georgia. “NOT the state!,” the student explained, and my ears immediately perked up. What on earth was Lila Beavers, Centenary Class of 2021, doing in Georgia-NOT-the-state? Turns out that her approach to life in a global pandemic has been an interesting mashup of “stay at home” and “go far,” an adventure for which Centenary has prepared her well. Lila and I were able to catch up recently over Zoom and email and now my own wanderlust has kicked into high gear.
I’m going to assume that moving to Georgia (not the US state) wasn’t your original post-graduation plan. How did you end up there?
I would say I started seriously planning for post grad life my junior year of college. Having moved around a lot in my childhood as a military brat, I was determined to move somewhere new. I considered Asheville, NC and Fort Collins, CO, both beautiful cities with grad schools and work opportunities. My main plan was to get a job at a design agency as a graphic designer, and apply for scholarships to continue my education.
When Covid hit, my perspective on career and education changed drastically. During the lockdowns of 2020, I was so bored I started applying to remote jobs for graphic designers online. I ended up doing an unpaid internship which I used for my career credit at Centenary, and started receiving hourly pay a few months later. This part-time internship led to me gaining more remote clients, and more work than I had time for as a student.
Once I graduated, I was able to work a lot more and gain a decent income. At this point, my fiancé suggested we move to Tbilisi, Georgia. One of his friends had been living there for about a year as a digital nomad, and had great things to say about the city and culture, as well as the surrounding nature. The main selling point was an extremely low cost of living, and the potential to save more of our income. It sounded like an adventure, and I didn’t need any more convincing!
What’s in store for you in the short and long term?
My short term goals are to learn Georgian and Russian, (the primary languages spoken here), get involved in the arts community, and meet new people.
My long term goals are to see more of Eastern Europe, and scout out our next adventure. I plan to live frugally and save money to plan for my future. The world is in such a state that it seems futile to plan for the long-term future, but I know I want to continue pursuing my passion for art and culture.
So, here you are in Tblisi. What does your day to day life look like and how does the reality compare to your expectations?
My day-to-day life doesn’t look too different than it did before I moved away. I spend most days working from home, hanging out with my fiancé and four roommates, and exploring the city occasionally. That being said, even small things like going shopping feel like an adventure. I love being able to walk to the store for groceries and experience a totally different culture on a daily basis.
I definitely wasn’t prepared for the language barrier. Georgian is hard to read/understand/speak, and Google Translate doesn’t help very much. Most people here are not fluent in English like you would find in Western Europe, so communicating can be difficult and you have to get creative.
Prices here have been very interesting. While anything from food to rent is unbelievably cheap, you are likely to get overcharged as a foreigner. You have to be careful and do research when looking for places to rent, or shopping at the local markets.
The culture is different from what I was expecting, in that it’s just so strange to me compared to everything I’ve experienced. It seems to be a mishmash of soviet, Georgian, and western cultures, so I never know what to expect when interacting with locals. People are friendly for the most part, especially if you are spending money!
I wasn’t expecting to see as many Covid regulations here with Georgia being such a small country, but they had a “red-zone” status during summer due to people vacationing in the country. People seem to take the pandemic more seriously here than back home. Lots of masks outside, sanitation stations, and even shoe sanitation mats in every doorway!
COVID changed everyone’s lives in both enormous and minute ways. Looking back on the last year of your life, what do you think would have been different if you hadn’t graduated in the middle of a global pandemic?
Prior to Covid, I never would have considered working remotely. I’ve always loved working / learning in community with others. However, after a year of Zoom classes and remote work, I discovered that I actually enjoyed having more control over my time and surroundings. I was able to (safely) travel more often and spend more time with my loved ones. Considering life after graduation, I didn’t want to give up that freedom.
Covid changed the way that I travel, in that there is much planning and preparation required in order to do it safely. While living in Shreveport, I had to travel to a different state any time I wanted to see my family, so I had to adapt to following all kinds of new precautions. However, I learned that even now safe travel is possible if you do research into where you’re going and know what to prepare for.
Thus, the pandemic prepared me to fulfill my dreams and wanderlust in a way I never imagined. It is so important for us all to stay positive and keep an open mind during these turbulent times, and not let the stress of the state of the world prevent us from continuing pursuing our goals.