Time Passing

 I will be leaving here next week to journey home for Christmas. I am finding it hard to believe that I haven't seen my family in so long. I really miss them and look forward to next Friday night when the plane touches down in Boston.

Time passes quickly here in my new life. I have been here 9 months already. It seems like just yesterday I arrived here. It's been an adventure, that's for sure. Life is still good, although I do have some tough days. Today was one of those days.

Being a teacher in a secondary school in the days before Christmas can be difficult. The students are restless and who can blame them? Most of them work hard and are looking forward to the holidays and some time off. Anyway, this afternoon I was teaching a class and I felt like no one was listening to me. I can't think of anything more frustrating than trying to teach a lesson no one is interested in. It's hard not to take things personal, so I felt pretty bad.

Later in the afternoon I met with the Girls Club and tried to put on my best teacher face, but it didn't work. The lesson was less than satisfying and I ended up losing it. Thank goodness for my girls!  They are all so wonderful and kind. They made me feel better by telling me how in my own way am a special person. I just love them all. They are "Phenomenal Women".

Thanksgiving in Lviv

Last weekend I traveled to Western Ukraine to the beautiful City of Lviv to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with my fellow PCV's Michelle and Blakely, plus other assorted folks that Michelle either works or is acquainted with. Michelle and I went shopping at the bizarre, cooked a few chickens, made some awesome stuffing (considering neither Michelle nor I knew how to make it!) and potatoes. Blakely made a pasta dish and everyone else brought something to eat or drink. The dinner was wonderful, the evening fun, and everyone enjoyed the traditional foods we made. It was the first American Thanksgiving dinner for most everyone and it was well received.

Lviv is so different from the rest of Ukraine it's hard to believe you are even in an Eastern European country. As I was leaving I was thinking that I had to go "back to Ukraine".

Lviv reminded me so much of Brasov, Romania with it's cobbled streets and ancient architecture. It's historic churches and buildings date from the 13th century. In recent history it was spared some of the invasions and wars that destroyed other Ukrainian cities. It was also part of the Habsberg empire for about 150 years, which is well represented in the wonderful architecture.

The train ride to Lviv was 18 hours each way. It may seem exceedingly long, but getting on the train at 6pm when it's already dark out gives you a false sense of "lateness" and within a few hours the noise and rhythm of the movement lulls you into a sense of comfort and warmth in the compartment and soon puts you to sleep. Unfortunately, I only had about 30 hours to visit and I was right back on the train home the next evening. Next time I plan at least a 2 day visit. It's a long way to go for 1 night, but I wouldn't have missed it for all the tea in Ukraine!

3 Happy Campers

Blakely on top of the Tower

Thanksgiving Dinner at Michelle's Apartment