Swallow's Nest, near Yalta, Ukraine.

Getting Over It

I can't believe that I have been home for almost 8 months. Soon it will be a year. I have stopped saying things to new people about Peace Corps. If they ask what I did before I was here, I say that I was abroad, or that I taught, or something vague. This is mostly because I allowed myself some time to deal with the transition by being vocal about it, allowing the "this one time in Ukraine..." stories, or simply by making observations between here and there to people. But typically the responses, while polite, are a glazed kinda look like "here she goes again" and I realize that most people just can't relate to such an experience and most people don't want to. And that's fine. I just can't relate too much to them in return. Rightly or wrongly, I decided what the difference between "me" and "them" was just this experience, so when I meet new people, I omit the Peace Corps experience.

I wonder what other people have done in similiar situations? It was a very important part of my life and even after all these months later, I miss the experience every day, so I feel like I should be able to talk about it, but at the same time, I don't want to alienate people. Or more importantly, myself.

In all actuality, I think that I need to find more fulfilling work that will allow me to have that same sense of purpose, responsibility and challenge that I felt from living and working Ukraine. If you'd talked to me recently, then I've probably mentioned a position in Saudi Arabia. I'm not sure if I've gone off the dead end yet... But it may just be a matter of time! In the meantime, I'll be over in the corner, answering the phone like a robot. :)

Welcome to Nikolaiv, the ugliest zh. d. vauxhaul in Ukraine

Strangely Enough...

Directly after posting these photos, I went to my inbox and saw that the PCVUkraine group had sent out an e-mail. The subject line? Krakow. Here is a link that talks about why this city is such a wonderful travel destination. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008807200492

Krakow

Krakow is an escape for Eastern European PCVs. It's Europe without the sticker shock of the Euro. And it's absolutely beautiful. For me, Krakow also held one more very important attraction: it was a budget airline hub. In addition, it was also unbelievably easy to get to and from the airport to the city and the train station is steps away from the old part of town. It's all just too... convenient. Something rarely afforded to us in our daily lives. These pics are from last July.



Krakow's most famous site is the Castle. Here is a just a small detail of the space that sits up on a hill.



Is the Pope Catholic? Well, not anymore, but you can still rest assured. There are as many Catholic churches in Krakow as there are universities in Boston.

From Above

Instead of writing cover letters, I've decided to post pictures!

You Scream, I scream...

Spoiled

So, yes, I just got back less than a week ago from vacation, which means that I don't have any right to complain, but it was hard not to acknowledge that over a year ago I was just getting back to Ukraine after vacationing in Croatia.

I lost the disk that Eric gave me but found it today, which seems so fitting, since it is the anniversary of the trip. I am putting in some pics from the island of Hvar, which I would do just about anything to get back there right now.

Austin

Last Monday, late late at night, I arrived back at the Logan airport. Sadly, I missed the last Silver line bus and had to take a cab back to my home. Then the day after returning to work, I slept through my alarm and woke up 45 minutes after I should have left the house. Needless to say, I was exhausted.

But what else could have been expected?

On the go for the past 4 or 5 days could have been the culprit, but I would not have had it any other way. We spent a wonderful holiday in Austin, Texas, which I have to admit, converted me to a bit of that Texas chauvinism.

It's big, it's spread out, it's barbecue, it's cowboys, it's fabulous. I loved it.

Austin really does seem to have everything.

What kind of flowers are these?

Images from the Texas State Capitol Building

Sunflower

In Texas, they ponder deep and meaningful Theological questions

Heading South

Tomorrow I am off to the Lone Star State for a few days. Gonna see the link-mates and a cluster-mate. Will be awesome to get see some folks stateside.

A part of me wonders why we decided it would be such a great idea to go to Austin in the dead of summer when even the Texans are complaining of the heat? But I guess that's why the good Lord created cold beer. And margaritas.