Monday, 10 September 2007
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Chapter ...
The most frightening thing about leaving to join the Peace Corps is ... that I don't like change. I don't want things to change and I don't want people to change. I'm fully expecting to go to the Ukraine and have an amazing and wrenching experience.
However, I'd prefer it if everything here stayed exactly the same. My friends can't get into serious relationships, no one is allowed to move away, nobody better die, and my sister BETTER NOT get pregnant.
I have begun to realize that that's just too bad. This chapter on my life is closing. My time at the newspaper and my column; my time at Oshkosh, where I've made some amazing friends; my close friendships apart from work; my life here. It's closing. Things won't be the same when I come back. My friends might move away, my sister will have been married for two and a half years, my favorite supervisors at the retail store might quit their jobs and move on. Nobody will pause in their lives for me.
A brand new chapter full of possibilities is opening and it's exciting ... but I also find myself resisting it today. I have three weeks and then I will go some place far away and nothing will ever be the same.
What the HELL can I be thinking of??
Also, here in Colorado, I know which day Fall started. It started Sept. 9. Yesterday. Because two days ago, it was still warm, and even the breezes were warm, and it was still summer. And then yesterday I woke up and went outside and it was overcast and the breeze was actually chilly. That chilly nip that says winter is coming and I will soon need a hat. I loved the summer and I'm not ready for cold.
But I better get ready because do you know why? Winters get frigid in Ukraine. I've been advised to bring a winter coat and long underwear. It's okay. Other than that, it'll be a one-of-a-kind experience.
Also, here's an update: My last day at the newspaper is this Thursday. I'll be joining the Peace Corps at the end of the month to teach English as a foreign language in Ukraine. I leave for Philadelphia for two days of orientation on Sept. 27. I'll learn about what's expected of me, what to expect at my post, and I'll receive immunizations. Then, on Oct. 1, I'll leave for Ukraine. The first three months there will be pre-service training. I'll live with a host family learning the language intensively, and how to teach there. I'll learn Ukrainian or Russian first, depending on what part of the country I'm posted at. After three months, I'll move to my post where I'll either live with a host family again or live in an apartment or dormitory for two years while I work. According to my Ukraine Welcome book, it's likely I'll live a "rugged" existence in a small village. I will be able to receive mail, and Internet access will be iffy. I will definitely continue to blog whenever I am able and post photos if I can. My Dad gave me the COOLEST digital camera.
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Comments (10)
First of all (((((HUGS)))))!!
Second of all, will you have internet access? Perhaps you can keep up with everyone this way. And keep your blog up, because I really enjoy your blogs!
I know nothing about the Peace Corps, so I am really hoping this will be a possibility, because I'd love to learn.
Keep your chin up! Tracy
Hey, you look great in that after pic! Does the peace corp give you a paycheck?
Make sure you post pics from the Ukraine of the villages and all.