Digressions from 27 months of Peace Corps in the Borderland.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

I forgot that I had this.

I FORGOT THAT I HAD A BLOG. NO JOKE. haha. It's been nearly one year since I've posted here.

Ukraine has a weird way of making time feel like its creeping and speeding by simultaneously. I can't believe it's been nearly a year since I've written. but in some ways, this year has felt like the longest of my life when measured against being away from the people that I love in America.

I want to update you on everything, but I feel like it's kind of hopeless. In a nutshell, I have changed a lot but not changed that much at all - I'm closer to the person that I used to imagine myself being. I'm more self-aware and generally more thoughtful. I haven't decided if I'm more or less patient - more patience after service seems like a common theme among PC Volunteers but in many ways, I feel like I have gotten less patient. Less patient with carelessness and unreasonable helplessness. I'm also much quicker to push people out of my way in "waiting lines". America, look out.

About what's been up in Ukraine: I have accomplished so much in a year. so so so much. but when I try to put it into words, I'm at a loss. How do you chart smiles that used to not exist when you first came? How do you graph the impact that was made on you from having a conversation with your favorite teacher about her life growing up under communism? How do you diagram all the students that rush to give you hugs in the morning? To me, these are accomplishments - the kind I cherish the most.

I've no doubt done a lot of tangibly evident things in Ukraine which have been very meaningful and I could go on and on about them, but who cares? because the most lasting memories and changing experiences have come from those conversations, those hugs, the smiles, and the emotional connection that has developed in the past year.

With the changing of seasons and the promise of spring and warm weather - I promise to be better at keeping you updated :)

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