“The driving here…it’s like a whole circus” - Part 2 of the Living in Tbilisi Series

This is the second installment of our ‘Living in Tbilisi’ interview series. Real expat parents, from all walks of life, living in Tbilisi and sharing their experiences. This week, we will hear from an American mom who is leading the establishment of an all-English, micro-school for elementary-aged children, including those with additional needs.

Sunshine | USA | Full-time mom, Medical Doctor, and Director at Virtual Kids Center (VKC)

1.      When did you arrive in Georgia?

Arrived in May, 2026, however, we made our first trip here in May, 2024, to see if we would like to live here.

2.      How many children do you have and what are their ages?

Two boys - 7 and 4 years old.

3.      What was your reason for moving here?

We were looking for a place to give us a great balance between work, family and living life.

4.      What surprised you most about living in Georgia?

What surprised me most was the driving here - it’s like a whole circus going on the streets which is really scary.

5.      Which neighbourhood in Tbilisi do you love the most, and why?

The Saburtalo area - mainly because there’s so much to do and everything is so easily accessible.

6.      What are your kids’ favourite activities in Tbilisi?

Having boys means a lot of action, haha. Lots of parks and playgrounds.

7.      What does a “typical” week look like for your family?

A typical work week is taking my boys to school on Mondays to Fridays, which by the way, I happen to work as the Operations Manager and Director at a new micro-school called VKC located in Didi Dighomi. Please check it out. As a mom, I can tell you it’s a great place to have your kids if you don’t want them in a big / chaotic school environment and if your child needs more support to thrive academically, we offer special education programs. If you’ve homeschooled and want a balance for your child to have that social interaction, definitely enroll them at Virtual Kids Center Tbilisi!! I’ll be there daily and ensure they are well taken care of!

8.      Why do you think that Tbilisi is a good place to raise children?

I believe the basics of childhood are still very preserved here - kids can actually be kids here, play outside, walk alone, play at the park with other kids and there are lots of activities tailored for children here.

9.      Is there anything from your home country that expats shouldn’t expect to find here?

You surely won’t find Amazon Prime or same day delivery, haha. Ease of access is non-existent here, you have to work with the things they have here or just learn to live without the “convenience”.

10.   Any services you’d like to see for English-speaking expat families in Tbilisi?

I would just really love more events and activities that bring families, parents and kids together. With the language barrier, it’s definitely heart-warming when the kids find people that can speak the same English language as they do.

11.   Any advice for newly arrived or prospective expat parents looking to move to Tbilisi?

If you’ve arrived here, don’t be ashamed to reach out, go in to people’s DMs, try to connect, create friendships, organize play dates, as it can be extremely lonely moving to a new country and not having any connections.

12.   Where is your favourite place to spend time as a family in Tbilisi?

We do not really have a favorite place. We love going to different restaurants to eat, creating memories by taking photoshoots and just spending time outside with our boys and our friends here.

Virtual Kids Center (VKC) micro-school where Sunshine is the Director