Celebration!
It is official:
As of today I have been in Ukraine for a year. An entire year.
One year ago today I arrived at the Borispol airport with 115 other folks not entirely sure what I had gotten myself into.
Slowly but surely we adjusted into a settled life here in Ukraine. I am now comfortable in my home, my community, and my work.
To celebrate this occasion, a group of people went to an oblast center to the north of my own to play softball and hang out. The softball game is a biannual event that is open to all volunteers interested, and in total, approximately 50 volunteers were there. It was a big event.
I, of course, watched the softball from the sidelines and chatted with other folks who decided to sit it out. It was cool though, as the game not only included PCV's, but also Ukrainians who play the sport. This city is the home of the national champions for something like 10 years running (okay, so I think that there are something like 4 teams total, but still!) and so the teams were mixed up, which was cool to see Americans playing on the same team with Ukrainians.
After the game, some of us went back to our rented apartment and made dinner and got ourselves fixed up for the club. We met up with the other volunteers in town and slowly, group by group, made our way over to the club.
The club had three floors. The first floor had a dancefloor, the second floor a bowling alley, the third floor billiards. I stayed mostly on the first floor, as I have a reputation to uphold--I was nominated the "best female dancer" in my group (which only speaks to the lack of diversity in my group--if I am considered best dancer, then you know it's a joke!). After 2 or 3 hours on the floor some of us headed back to the apartment for some attempted shut eye. Got a bus the next day and headed back to site.
Although I did not get a long opportunity to speak to many people, it was still great to see so many folks, especially those I don't get to see that often, and remember how clueless we all were when we arrived a year ago. It was a great time.
As of today I have been in Ukraine for a year. An entire year.
One year ago today I arrived at the Borispol airport with 115 other folks not entirely sure what I had gotten myself into.
Slowly but surely we adjusted into a settled life here in Ukraine. I am now comfortable in my home, my community, and my work.
To celebrate this occasion, a group of people went to an oblast center to the north of my own to play softball and hang out. The softball game is a biannual event that is open to all volunteers interested, and in total, approximately 50 volunteers were there. It was a big event.
I, of course, watched the softball from the sidelines and chatted with other folks who decided to sit it out. It was cool though, as the game not only included PCV's, but also Ukrainians who play the sport. This city is the home of the national champions for something like 10 years running (okay, so I think that there are something like 4 teams total, but still!) and so the teams were mixed up, which was cool to see Americans playing on the same team with Ukrainians.
After the game, some of us went back to our rented apartment and made dinner and got ourselves fixed up for the club. We met up with the other volunteers in town and slowly, group by group, made our way over to the club.
The club had three floors. The first floor had a dancefloor, the second floor a bowling alley, the third floor billiards. I stayed mostly on the first floor, as I have a reputation to uphold--I was nominated the "best female dancer" in my group (which only speaks to the lack of diversity in my group--if I am considered best dancer, then you know it's a joke!). After 2 or 3 hours on the floor some of us headed back to the apartment for some attempted shut eye. Got a bus the next day and headed back to site.
Although I did not get a long opportunity to speak to many people, it was still great to see so many folks, especially those I don't get to see that often, and remember how clueless we all were when we arrived a year ago. It was a great time.
posted by Molly | 8:59 AM
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