the long process of leaving

The end of my Peace Corps Service is very near. Earlier this week I took the GRE to get me on the path to grad school. And I have spent the rest of the week doing final medical and adminstrative what have you. I will be glad to be finished with all of my admin stuff, and the details of getting rid of my things, finishing projects. But leaving is very bittersweet. I am so excited to be getting back to my family and friends, to my country and getting more education. And I am ready to leave behind bumpy soviet buses, narrow food selection and real weather, but there is really no way to be ready to leave my host family, my friends (both Ukrainian and American), the people I work with and my students. I am lucky to have so much to get back to and to look forward to but I will always be looking back to this part of the world and these people who have been a very significant part of my life. But for now I am occupied with dismantling my life, putting it in a suit case that doesn't weigh too much, and putting it back together again.

The first bell

These are the two first graders who rang the bell to begin the school year.

Nationalism

This is a HUGE Ukrianian Flag at a Yulya Tymoshenko rally I stumbled unpon in the main square in Lviv in September.

Where the Wild Things Are

These are carvings of Kosacks, traditional Ukrianian warriors, in the park in Ternopil.

A typical sidewalk scene in Ternopil

Anyone need a bra...some underwear...a cheese grater...power tools...potato?

Soccer Field/ Pasture

Dignity and Decorum

This is my host brother Bohdan at the first bell ceremony. He is the flag carrier and the Student Body President. In addition he is one of the sweetest and funniest people that I know and he is 15 and growing on an almost hourly basis.

Last Cluster Standing

This was my training Cluster, left to right, Jeremey Doughty, Sharece Bunn, Andriy Chukin (our teacher), Mandi Scott (Andriy's Fiance) and of course Me. We are the only cluster that had not had anyone early terminate or medically seperated. And considering that we are all close friends and even family, I think it is no coincidence that we are all still here. Jeremey, Sharece and I are going to be Andriy's "groom's men" when he and Mandi get married next year.

Ya Patriot.

This picture is a bit dark but that is my friend Travis. We were in training together. And he is holding an American Flag that flew above the his home state capital of Carson City Nevada in honor of our Peace Corps Group 29.

I can only think of lame titles for this picture so I am going to have none at all.

This is an old soviet truck still in use. Just above ths star it says C.C.C.P. Which is the abreviation for the USSR in Russian.

Self Portrait on a Mountain

This is me on top of a mountain in the Carpathians (historical home of Dracula). I did not, however, climb this mountain I took a lovely ride up in something that aproximates a sky lift. But it was one of the most beautiful and serene days of my service and one of those times I felt very lucky to be in the place I was.

The Village in Early Fall

This is a house right by the school where I teach. The gardents in Ukriane are one of my favorite things about this country. There is never any reason to it, there is just color and texture springing up everywhere.