So the last days at our training site were rather a whirlwind. There was the saying goodbye to everyone: our host families, language teacher, technical trainer, and friends we’d made in the community. It was hard and so instead it was «See you later!» – we were so lucky to have been accepted so willingly into their lives. And then there was packing, ugh. I’m glad that I won’t be doing that again anytime soon.
I’ve got limited internet (at an internet club – whoa, the online gaming here is intense!) so I’m going to let the pictures do the talking:
Saying goodbye to our amazing teachers at our training site at our favorite local café with some gifts and tea. They are amazing women that work so hard and are beloved by their students for good reason. I can’t wait to visit them again!
While at the café, Anand tried out some Ukrainian fashion. There’s no question this guy is looking good for the ladies 🙂
The next day, our teachers were honored at the local town administration (we got in the newspaper too!). Really cool, and really hard to say goodbye to them.
And they gifted us each with a beautiful scarf that makes me so happy every time I wear it.
My training cluster with our language teacher, we absolutely ruled.
Last excursion to Kiev for some гулять-ing вокруг. The boys cracking me up per usual.
Visited the famine memorial. Needless to say it was intense.
I lit a candle in remembrance. And how to try to imagine the magnitude of all of the people who died, millions of names in books around the room.
There were photos in the foyer that were really amazing. To try and think about the lives people were leading at the time a picture was taken.
I keep thinking about trees and roots. Powerful imagery.
Went to the Great Patriotic War Museum. Or at least the outside of it.
The statues in the underpass leading up to it were amazing, depicting the defense and liberation of Kiev.
The Rodyna Mat (Nation’s Mother or Motherland) dominates the skyline here. The debate was how close it comes to the size of the Statue of Liberty; it was definitely dang big.
One of the things I loved most were the graffiti tanks locked in peace. That is an image to hold on to.
Kreshatok Blvd at night. Oh the lights! I’ve been here on the weekends, and they shut down the street to vehicular traffic and people stroll around. Often there is music and it’s just exactly where a person would want to be.
Woman playing an alto sax on the street. So cool – I love this city!
So I guess the next segment of time is when I was actually sworn in as an official volunteer. It was exciting, crazy, fun, stressful, and well, dang amazing. We finally found out where we were going to be for the next two years!!
Drumroll please….so I am now waaaaaaayyyyyy east. Peace Corps recommends not posting my address and specific information about where I live for safety reasons. So if ya want to know just shoot me an email.
So my friend Kurt plays the saxaphone (remember the bunnies?!). Well, at the swearing-in conference someone overheard that he plays, asked if he could play from hearing music, and when he said yes, was asked to play with Peter Yarrow.
I gave my part of the speech – went off without a hitch and neat to hear how far other people’s language skills got during training.
At the end of swearing in – we’re officially volunteers! Some final pictures, final goodbyes, logistics of leaving; it was crazy and emotional, and looking back on it is so much easier than being in it.
So I’ll try to get back on soon, with electricity and internet willing at the school, and I’ll post some pics of my awesome new community! Hope everyone has been having a good holiday season, miss you, think of our times together often ❤
Great read..awesome pictures…
Thanks for reading Athena, you rock 😀