Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is a day to be spent with lovers or hot hot sexy men.  Ok, so not necessarily the second part but, I am sure that would be quite the plus!  Every Valentine's day, I spend the day with some people I love and cherish deeply (usually my family...) and this year was just the same.

The kids and I before launching the floating light

The story travels back a couple weeks ago with the floating lantern.... When I was in Kyiv with some friends, I saw floating lights and told myself that I HAD to buy some!   I tell people back home that my life here is like the movie Tangled. So any moment I get to have a Tangled moment, I jump on it. The flowers in the hair, the holiday festivities that sometimes turn into huge dance parties (just like in the movie), the summer greenery and flowers gives it that enchanted feeling, and of course-- the floating lights.  I did not know how much these floating lights cost, but regardless of the price I was already sold on buying them.  So even though I found out they are more expensive than I am budgeted to spend on random things, I bought it anyway and last night made it all worth it.  

I get really stoked about things like lighting a floating lantern in to the sky and it was that much more amazing to see the kids even more stoked than I was.  We all said what we loved about ourselves and then launched this lantern into the sky as a symbol of loving yourself and one another (as a bonus there was no fighting for at least 15 minutes!!!).  We all stood outside in the snowy dark night watching this floating lantern get higher and higher into the sky for about 10 minutes. I am almost positive they now all think that this is a common thing to do in America.

Though my time last night was not spent eating my favorite chocolate and wine, it was spent with some kids that I absolutely love and I am glad to have made this Valentine's Day a night to remember for them.  I love Valentine's Day.  It is a happy day whether you have a lover or not.  As long as you show people some loving it is an awesome feeling.  Every year when my nerdy self had no plans for the holiday, my mom and dad would always make me feel extra special and loved and that is exactly what I tried to do last night for the kids.  They enjoyed the chocolate I got them, but I think they enjoyed being able to go outside after dinner to launch a floating light.  So to all you lovely people out there, keep spreading the love even after the day is over.  And to anyone who plans to spend a Valentine's Day with me, I am almost positive I will be releasing a lantern into the sky every year.  It was that amazing. 

Our light floating with the snow. 

Until Next Time, 

з днем святого валентина 

Being a Big Sister to 39

After about 11 months of being in Ukraine, I have decided that it was a good time to self-reflect on my time here thus far.  At one point in time (maybe a couple weeks ago), I felt that I was wasting my time not doing anything.  When I spoke to a friend this past weekend, he made it so clear to me that these negative thoughts may easily come from the root source of comparison.

Oh the sweet sweet joys of comparing oneself to another (I do it way too often though I hate to admit it).  I have decided to stop comparing myself  in this country amongst what other volunteers are doing because I simply can't. Each person serving is on a completely different journey.  I don't think peace corps can emphasize the fact that each persons' journey during their service is, well... a journey!  You don't know how it will turn out, you can't predict the results of it- you just have to roll with the punches and take what it is that comes out at you.

Looking at the bigger picture, I do see that I am doing something.  I may not teach English or go to an office everyday and I may not have a whole bunch of grants finished and completed but, I do have about 39 little brothers and sisters who I have noticed look up to my like a big sister, and for me-- that is quite something.

I love these kids to death, and though at times they get on my last nerve, I still love them.  Even though they knock on my door ALL THE TIME at night and always get all up in my personal space, I still love them.  Every time I come back from a weekend trip, I am greeted with big smiles and hugs with girls saying "MORRRHAAN!!!".  When girls have boy problems they come "try" to talk to me about it, when the kids need help with their homework in more than just English I help them, if there is a fight for the most part all I gotta do is yell STOP and they (for the most part) listen, and if they want to play games they come to me because I am game master!

Living in the dorms is giving me a whole different experience than what it would be living in an apartment.  Though there are definitely many pros and cons to the dorm life, I think overall it is making my peace corps experience much more enriched with awesome relationships and unforgettable memories.  I have a special relationship with the kids who live in the dorms.  They are more than just students, they are becoming family.  Now this may sound like a good thing but, for those of you who know what the relationship is like between my and my siblings (or anyone like my siblings), it can get pretty intense.  But,  I am happy to say that I think I am growing up and am now able to control my aggravation and want to scream in their face by simply putting headphones on, locking my door, and I simply breathe and then I laugh.  Now that I wrote that, it sounds almost like I am a crazy person (which I guess I am). Overall, I have realized how much of a role model I am to these girls and boys.  I am happy that I kept my spunky self and my crazy style.  My act of confidence reflects back on these kids, and I am not starting to see it.  I have finally realized what is really needed at this school.  It isn't new books, new windows, a better stadium, or any of that.  It is giving the kids I live with the confidence to believe that they can do whatever they set their minds to. This school needs the girls to be empowered to be strong, independent, and educated females.  These kids need an older figure who is always there for them.  Not just in times of disciplinary actions, but also in times of celebrations.  I am that person to many of these kids, even though I didn't realize it.  I am "like [their] mom during the week", according to Sonya a 4th grade girl who lives across from me.  These kids need to find their talents and hobbies and be encouraged to master them.  They need someone to notice the subjects they have a hard time in and have someone take the time to help them understand it better.

My role as a peace corps volunteer is a youth development volunteer, and in my journey so far, that means being a big sister to 26 sisters and 13 brothers.

Until Next Time,
*bada bapbada-- I'm lovin' it*