Kiev

Another long and hard week. It was frustrating that the school changed its schedule without notice and I only got to teach for fifteen minutes, ten of which were my partner's responsibility. We had expected to alternate sections of the class and hers was the logical section to teach in the shortened schedule. This is something I've been told to get used to. Still felt a little more comfortable in the classroom. I teach civics this week.

The difficult week was made bearable by a trip to Kiev the previous Sunday. We went as a cluster with the guidance of our language instructors, who really just wanted to go shopping, and rightly so. We walked around what felt like the entire city, stopping in at churches and overlooks to see the sights. My favorite parts of the day were probably the most spontaneous. Our technical instructor decided the quickest way to get to the Peace Corps office was through the botanical gardens. Best shortcut ever. Beautiful mini magnolias were in bloom as we strolled through the gardens. We ate at a wonderful Ukrainian restaurant for lunch, but it was slightly overshadowed by the deep fried hotdog I had for 50 cents on the street. And the churches were nice, but it was the giant painted styrofoam eggs spread throughout the grounds that entertained us the most. We had a large photo op with the eggs in various poses rousing much laughter from the cluster and funny looks from Ukrainians. My truly favorite moment was walking into Mykhailivska church to the sounds of a gorgeous choir. We were lucky to have caught the singing on one of the few days they perform and at the only time that day. It made for a truly moving experience as I perused the gilded icons and frescoes covering the walls of the immaculate church. As our instructors shopped we were fortunate to people gaze for an hour while listening to the lovely tunes of America's greatest hits sung by a Ukrainian duo that would have rocked any frat party. And I must admit I got fries and a McFlurry. It was a really good day and a good reward for three weeks of training.

My bout with homesickness has subsided for the moment. It feels really good to say I've been here for a month, though the next 26 stand as a formidable peak to be conquered. Communications with my host family are getting better and my city is starting to feel like home. But I never get truly comfortable without some event proving that complacency is inherently forbidden in the Peace Corps experience. But there is also always a measure of success that rewards and motivates. I know I am more capable now than I was four weeks ago, and that makes it all worth it.