Friday, July 25, 2014

FinnTales in America

"It's just not as exciting…

So if you're not Facebook friends with me, or friends with me at all, then you might be able to guess the big news by this posts' title. I'm back in the American saddle again. NOT by choice. By evacuation. The calendar says it's been a month, but I don't know where that month went or really what I did during it. There are about 2 weeks left in our 'administrative hold', at the end of which we will either be sent back to Ukraine or Peace Corps will close our service and I will officially become an Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV)."

That was an attempt at reviving the blog in April. It's now the end of July. Huge success.

I don't really know where to start now, but I do know I want to start writing again. So many processed and un-processed emotions have fluttered around my head for the past 4 (I just had to count on my fingers) months, but I haven't had the guts to type any of these butterflies out.

This summer has been part extreme busyness/traveling, part roaming around the house in a moo-moo wondering which pillow I can fluff next. And I don't like it. I have had some job and school leads, but I'm currently in a perpetual purgatory of a waiting room.

Starting August 2nd, I have 3 destination weddings in 4 weeks, and then a week long trip to Turkey (and hopefully smuggling my way back to Ukraine for a quick visit). After that I'll either be starting graduate school and moving to D.C. for my new job, or donning my moo-moo and sending out more applications to the netherworld of federal hiring offices.

My camera's in Ukraine, or in a container ship crossing the Atlantic right now. So while I don't have any super interesting pictures from the evacuation, I do have some heartstring-tugging (for me) pictures from my last few months in my village.
So this @ my site mate's goodbye "baba/dedyshka & cosmonauts" party last May, but one of my favorite pictures of my time in Ukraine. 


Leramontov helped me cook up come shepard's pie comfort food during those cold, dark, winter days
My sweet Ukrainian BFF's birthday party in December. On a school night. I'm also pretty sure this was the "American smile" shot. (Tatyana is the beauty in the green)

My Christmas decorations! You can almost hear me singing "Oh Holy Night" to Lermontov.

New Years Eve with my family! Smiles all around.

NYE at some point took on an American Halloween flavor.

Sigh...this was about 2 days before we were consolidated at safe houses. We were told to try and pack up all of the things that we would want shipped back to us in America in case of an evacuation...

About 3 ft high. It didn't look much better when I put it in my suitcase.
Lermontov thought I had just built a huge fort for her.
So I spent 50% of my time just playing along.

I misses her so....



The traditional way of closing a service in Ukraine is by ringing this bell in Kiev. Since none of the evacuated volunteers got the opportunity to do so, the thoughtful Peace Corps post staff rang it for us. 

One of the best things about evacuation: this is how we skype date now. 

It was like looking into a mirror's reflection in a mirror.