Week 9

 

90. Explore your host country
    1. This can mean weekend trips to new places or just saying yes when someone asks for help with an event somewhere new
91. Learn about the history of your host country
    1. Do this before you go and try and continue to do it while you’re there
    2. You might be surprised at what you learn, and it might even help you understand some of the quirks that exist in the country
92. Ask if there’s anything you can do to help
    1. Now this is just polite to do when you visit someone’s house but try and do it often at your school or place of work. There might be a need that you can meet that you don’t notice.
93. Be open to being uncomfortable
    1. When you’re in a new place and trying new things, it can be easy to shy away from being uncomfortable, but sometimes try and lean into it. You never know what you might learn.
    2. For me, this was a random night where my landlord came out to collect rent money and him and his buddy ended up telling me all about their military service in Ethiopia and Cold War Berlin, complete with pictures. I was totally out of my element at first, but it ended up being one of my favorite nights of my service.
94. …but also know how to comfort yourself
    1. Sometimes I just have to make mac and cheese and watch a movie that reminds me of home
    2. Or call my sisters and just talk about whatever trash reality show we’re both watching
    3. It’s an aspect of self-care
95. Learn how to pack light
    1. I walk so much more here than I did at home, which is great, but over two years I’ve also learned how to pack much lighter since I have to carry my bags all over this country
96. Always have a bag with you
    1. They charge for bags here at the grocery story and whatnot, so toss an extra canvas one in your bag and you don’t have to worry about it
97. When you’re working on a project, a grant, a seminar, whatever ESPECIALLY if there’s money involved: KEEP EVERYTHING
    1. Keep every note, receipt, email…whatever. Just keep it.
    2. Keep it organized…but keep it.
98. Learn some filler words in language
    1. I mean like the equivalents to “goodness” or “darn”
    2. The people you interact with will find it charming and endearing
99. Always bring a toothbrush
    1. You never know when you’re going to get stuck somewhere or have a particularly garlicy meal.

Week 8

 

80. Get to class early so you can chat with your students
81. Bring your own bags whenever you go to the store
82. Rainboots. Rainboots.
83. Sidewalks are overrated (I miss level sidewalks)
84. Don’t be afraid to try a new project, whether that’s learning how to make something new or trying to get your kids to try a different way to learn something
85. Ask for permission…and sometimes just do it anyway if they’re not that interested
    1. Obviously use your best judgement here, but I spent a long time at site (probably too long) waiting for my school to ask me to do something. I taught and did my clubs, but not much besides that. It hit a point where I just said I was doing a sports club or I wasn’t going to do this if people weren’t going to come or I was going to work on this project.
    2. I still met the needs of my school and I did all of the things they asked of me, I just did a couple of other things (largely on my own) as well. Some were successful, like sports camp and our book report contest, some were not so much, class English clubs were too confusing, and the older kids were too busy (or just not interested) for a leadership club.
86. Remember that your service belongs to you too. Make sure you are satisfied with what you’re doing.
    1. This is in your work and outside of it. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally, but also make sure you feel fulfilled. This is supposed to be difficult, it isn’t supposed to be painful.
87. Make sure you’re setting yourself up for success for when this adventure is over
    1. For me, this meant studying for and taking the LSAT as well as getting all my application materials ready to go (and applying soon). But this could mean taking online classes to learn a new skill, polishing up your resume, studying for the GRE. Peace Corps gives you plenty of time (an absurd amount of time really) and you don’t have to use all of it towards your future, but it’s too good a chance to waste.
88. Speaking of having too much time…develop hobbies. Here some things I’ve learned (or gotten much better at) since I’ve been here:
    1. Cross stitch
    2. Knitting
    3. Baking bread
    4. Making soup
    5. Making bagels
    6. Making Ukrainian food
    7. Making pasta sauce

So, a lot of it is food related. I’m a pretty good cook. My future husband and children are in for a treat.

89. Wear light denim so you can brush chalk onto it and no one cares.
    1. They still care, but I don’t so…
    2. This only works if you work somewhere where the dress code isn’t the strictest.

Week 7

 

68. Don’t be afraid to explore
69. When in doubt, add another layer
70. WARM SOCKS, wear them
71. Wear what you feel comfortable in, they’re going to stare anyway
72. Download podcasts before you leave for a trip
73. Podcasts will make living alone feel less lonely
74. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
    1. I’m not good at this, but I’m working on it
75. Make notes of your mental health—ask for help here too if you need it
76. Make sure you have a support system in country and at home
77. Don’t be afraid to share when you’re struggling
    1. I wrote a piece about my mental health journey during my time in Ukraine that highlights a lot of this
78. Ask for good pens in care packages
79. Forgive your at home friends if they don’t reach out or it seems like they’re forgetting about you

Week 6

 

56. Keep backup headphones in your purse/backpack just in case you get stranded somewhere.
57. Bring a book/your kindle just in case you get stranded somewhere.
58. Be ready to entertain yourself just in case you get stranded somewhere/abandoned at a social event.
59. Keep a spare red pen on you for random grading session
60. FIGHT for your RIGHT to open the window on a hot bus
61. Or don’t and just melt all summer
62. Take a train over a bus
    1. You can walk around on a train
    2. There are bathrooms on trains
63. My train rules: book the top bunk
64. Get on the train first, open the window if you can
65. Make your bed, drink a water bottle, eat your snacks
66. Take a Benadryl, GO TO SLEEEEEEEP
67. Fill up your water bottle when you can (see lesson 55)

Week 5

 

45. Carry a backpack, not a purse, your back will thank you.
46. Say yes to everything…for 6 months…
47. …but, don’t be afraid to say no.
    1. I can see how those last two seem contradictory. Peace Corps tells you to say yes to everything. Every invite, every offer. I think that’s great advice, with a caveat. Saying yes to everything allowed me to experience some incredible things: I (sort of) learned a traditional dance with my students, I rang in the new year in a random nightclub on the border til 6 in the morning, I jumped in a frozen lake, I tried all sorts of new foods, I judged a Halloween witch pageant…but after 6 months at site, I recommend you start saying no, and to be firm in your no. You don’t want to overstretch yourself and burn out.
48. Self care!
    1. I know my Whitworth RA friends will get a chuckle out of this, but wow is it important. It goes along with the above two as well. Knowing when to say no, I’m not going to do xyz just because I don’t want to is valid. Not leaving your house all weekend is ok. It’s the extremes that are dangerous.
49. Take walks.
    1. I got this from a friend who was kicking my butt on fitbit step challenges. I asked him how and he just said he walked a lot. A lot of the cool places in my village I just stumbled on to while going for a run or a walk. I of course got a cursory tour when I first came, but on my own I discovered the stadium with the baby goats and secret path to the border and the paved road to my house.
50. You don’t have to wear tights just because they want you to wear coats.
51. Learn how to say you’re not cold in every language they’ll ask you.
    1. For me it’s Russian, Romanian and Ukrainian
52. Keep your battery pack charged always .
    1. You never know when your power is going to go out
53. Take advantage of a good shower
    1. If you are somewhere and they have hot water and maybe even decent water pressure, take a shower. Even if you’re not dirty, take a shower. You never know when you’ll get a decent shower again.
54. Book the top bunk on the train if you don’t want to chat for a while.
55. Hydrate or die
    1. Your body will thank you.

Week 4

 

33. It’s ok to pretend you don’t understand Ukrainian if you don’t feel safe or you feel uncomfortable or you just don’t feel like it
34. It’s ok to be rude if you don’t feel safe or you feel uncomfortable
    1. It’s ok to be rude if you don’t feel safe or you feel uncomfortable
    2. That one is hard to learn because I like to be nice, but I have learned that not everyone deserves me to be nice to them and being a jerk in a situation where I don’t feel safe is sometimes the most effective way to get out of a situation. I feel like it applies anywhere because people (read men) are pushy and creepy all over the world.

35. If 40 kids come to English club, it’s a win.
36. If 2 kids come to English club, it’s a win.
37. Call your mom, she’s smarter than you.
    1. She would also be the first to tell me this.
38. Talk to the kids that don’t speak English, talk to them a lot.
39. Trust everyone, but still be smart about your choices.
    1. Don’t carry around/flash a ton of cash.
    2. Be aware of your surroundings
    3. Lock your door.
40. Ask for details about events: where is it? When does it start? When will it end? What should I wear?
    1. ASK. ASK. ASK.
    2. See me at the school Christmas disco WAY under dressed til 1:00 in the morning.
41. Keep a ball in the classroom for spontaneous game time/lesson filler/a fun way to call on people.
    1. Two words: EL PRESIDENTE, Thanks Whitworth.
42. Write it down so you don’t forget.
    1. Thank you bullet journals!
43. Learn new ways to check if your kids understand you. “Do you have any questions?” isn’t enough.
    1. I’m going with “What questions do you have?”, but also am checking for understanding in ways that aren’t as obvious.
44. Take pictures. Even if you feel weird because no one else is taking pictures. They already think you’re weird and you want to remember this.

Week 3

I’m nearing the end of my Peace Corps service, I just have about 10 weeks left, which is insane.

As a way to reflect on my time here in Ukraine, I decided to share some things I learned since I’ve been here—specifically one thing for every week I have been in Ukraine. That’s a grand total of 112 things. I am absolutely certain that I have learned way more things than just 112 over the past two years, but this seems like a good way to start to try to sum up my experiences here.

Week 3

1. Your kids are just as nervous around you as you are around them
2. Wait to correct any mistakes until they’re finished speaking
3. It doesn’t matter if you run in a parka or in shorts, people will stare
4. Run anyway
5. Your host mom will know about your run before you get back
6. Read as much as you can
7. People are still going to stare no matter what you wear or how you do your hair, so do what you want
8. Check in with your friends, even if it’s just to be selfish and share your own problems
9. But listen to your friends, listen more than you talk
10. Try to cook new things and eat them, even if they suck
11. Try to share your struggles and failures as much as your successes

Week 2

As a way to reflect on my time here in Ukraine, I decided to share some things I learned since I’ve been here—specifically one thing for every week I have been in Ukraine. That’s a grand total of 112 things. I am absolutely certain that I have learned way more things than just 112 over the past two years, but this seems like a good way to start to try to sum up my experiences here.

11. Try everything at least once, even holodets
12. Holodets is meat jello
13. Vareniky isn’t terribly hard to make, but yours will never be as good as your host mom’s
14. Try not to wear loud shoes on your first day in a quiet classroom, it will drive you crazy
15. The only way to get off the bus is to push. You can’t be polite
16. Lines are only suggested, generally everything is a blob of who gets to push to the front first
17. When in doubt, put on another layer of clothing, you can always take it off later
18. UNO requires no translation
19. You’ll never get used to having hot dogs for breakfast
20. The overnight train is only cool the first time
21. You don’t have to eat everything they feed you! But you do have to be polite about it.

SeeWhitReflect

I’m nearing the end of my Peace Corps service, which is insane.

As a way to reflect on my time here in Ukraine, I decided to share some things I learned since I’ve been here—specifically one thing for every week I have been in Ukraine. That’s a grand total of 112 things. I am absolutely certain that I have learned way more things than just 112 over the past two years, but this seems like a good way to start to try to sum up my experiences here.

Rather than inundate my blog with a giant list, I’ve going to post 10-11 things a week and update it from there. I’ll have one master list, but I’ll share week by week. Sometimes I’ll share an anecdote or a reason, but sometimes I’ll just leave it. We’ll see!

Week 1

Most of these are from PST

1. Don’t forget to order without gas water if you don’t want sparkling water
2. Cross the street with confidence and the cars will stop (usually)
3. Yak Tracks. Wear them. You’re going to slip and fall on the ice, a lot, but yak tracks might lesson the blow.
4. Celebrate the little moments, like when your host family’s cat finally likes you
5. Give yourself grace in language class. Language is just one tool that you can use to help your community. You’re here to teach English and you already speak that one.
6. Wear your slippers in the house, even if it’s just to make your host mom happy
7. Write everything down. If your kids say something cute, if you have a really good day, if you have a really bad day, write it down. You don’t get these days, feelings and thoughts back.
8. Check in with yourself and make sure this experience is right for you. If something doesn’t feel right, say something.
9. Share all about yourself. Everyone working with you is excited to have you there and they want to know your stories. Share your pictures, your tea, your stories, even if they don’t understand everything, just try.
10. At stores and restaurants, try and order in Ukrainian. You are going to mess up and look silly, but more often than not, the Ukrainians are happy you’re trying.

Week 2

11. Try everything at least once, even holodets
12. Holodets is meat jello
13. Vareniky isn’t terribly hard to make, but yours will never be as good as your host mom’s
14. Try not to wear loud shoes on your first day in a quiet classroom, it will drive you crazy
15. The only way to get off the bus is to push. You can’t be polite
16. Lines are only suggested, generally everything is a blob of who gets to push to the front first
17. When in doubt, put on another layer of clothing, you can always take it off later
18. UNO requires no translation
19. You’ll never get used to having hot dogs for breakfast
20. The overnight train is only cool the first time
21. You don’t have to eat everything they feed you! But you do have to be polite about it.

Week 3

22. Your kids are just as nervous around you as you are around them
23. Wait to correct any mistakes until they’re finished speaking
24. It doesn’t matter if you run in a parka or in shorts, people will stare
25. Run anyway
26. Your host mom will know about your run before you get back
27. Read as much as you can
28. People are still going to stare no matter what you wear or how you do your hair, so do what you want
29. Check in with your friends, even if it’s just to be selfish and share your own problems
30. But listen to your friends, listen more than you talk
31. Try to cook new things and eat them, even if they suck
32. Try to share your struggles and failures as much as your successes

Week 4

33. It’s ok to pretend you don’t understand Ukrainian if you don’t feel safe or you feel uncomfortable or you just don’t feel like it
34. It’s ok to be rude if you don’t feel safe or you feel uncomfortable
    1. It’s ok to be rude if you don’t feel safe or you feel uncomfortable

That one is hard to learn because I like to be nice, but I have learned that not everyone deserves to be nice and being a jerk in a situation where I don’t feel safe is sometimes the most effective way to get out of a situation. I feel like it applies anywhere because people (read men) are pushy and creepy all over the world.

35. If 40 kids come to English club, it’s a win.
36. If 2 kids come to English club, it’s a win.
37. Call your mom, she’s smarter than you
38. Talk to the kids that don’t speak English, talk to them a lot.
39. Trust everyone, but still be smart about your choices.
40. Ask for details about events: where is it? When does it start? When will it end? What should I wear?
41. Keep a ball in the classroom for spontaneous game time/lesson filler/a fun way to call on people
42. Write it down so you don’t forget
43. Learn new ways to check if your kids understand you. “Do you have any questions?” isn’t enough.
44. Take pictures. Even if you feel weird because no one else is taking pictures. They already think you’re weird and you want to remember this.

Week 5

45. Carry a backpack, not a purse, your back will thank you.
46. Say yes to everything…for 6 months…
47. …but, don’t be afraid to say no.
    1. I can see how those last two seem contradictory. Peace Corps tells you to say yes to everything. Every invite, every offer. I think that’s great advice, with a caveat. Saying yes to everything allowed me to experience some incredible things: I (sort of) learned a traditional dance with my students, I rang in the new year in a random nightclub on the border til 6 in the morning, I jumped in a frozen lake, I tried all sorts of new foods, I judged a Halloween witch pageant…but after 6 months at site, I recommend you start saying no, and to be firm in your no. You don’t want to overstretch yourself and burn out.
48. Self care!
    1. I know my Whitworth RA friends will get a chuckle out of this, but wow is it important. It goes along with the above two as well. Knowing when to say no, I’m not going to do xyz just because I don’t want to is valid. Not leaving your house all weekend is ok. It’s the extremes that are dangerous.
49. Take walks.
    1. I got this from a friend who was kicking my butt on fitbit step challenges. I asked him how and he just said he walked a lot. A lot of the cool places in my village I just stumbled on to while going for a run or a walk. I of course got a cursory tour when I first came, but on my own I discovered the stadium with the baby goats and secret path to the border and the paved road to my house.
50. You don’t have to wear tights just because they want you to wear coats.
51. Learn how to say you’re not cold in every language they’ll ask you.
    1. For me it’s Russian, Romanian and Ukrainian
52. Keep your battery pack charged always.
    1. You never know when your power is going to go out
53. Take advantage of a good shower
    1. If you are somewhere and they have hot water and maybe even decent water pressure, take a shower. Even if you’re not dirty, take a shower. You never know when you’ll get a decent shower again.
54. Book the top bunk on the train if you don’t want to chat for a while.
55. Hydrate or die
    1. Your body will thank you.

Week 6

56. Keep backup headphones in your purse/backpack just in case you get stranded somewhere.
57. Bring a book/your kindle just in case you get stranded somewhere.
58. Be ready to entertain yourself just in case you get stranded somewhere/abandoned at a social event.
59. Keep a spare red pen on you for random grading session
60. FIGHT for your RIGHT to open the window on a hot bus
61. Or don’t and just melt all summer
62. Take a train over a bus
    1. You can walk around on a train
    2. There are bathrooms on trains
63. My train rules: book the top bunk
64. Get on the train first, open the window if you can
65. Make your bed, drink a water bottle, eat your snacks
66. Take a Benadryl, GO TO SLEEEEEEEP
67. Fill up your water bottle when you can (see lesson 55)

Week 7

68. Don’t be afraid to explore
69. When in doubt, add another layer
70. WARM SOCKS, wear them
71. Keep an extra pair of headphones in your backpack/purse
    1. You never know when you’ll forget your good ones
72. Download podcasts before you leave for a trip
73. Podcasts will make living alone feel less lonely
74. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
    1. I’m not good at this, but I’m working on it
75. Make notes of your mental health—ask for help here too if you need it
76. Make sure you have a support system in country and at home
77. Don’t be afraid to share when you’re struggling
    1. I wrote a piece about my mental health journey during my time in Ukraine that highlights a lot of this
78. Ask for good pens in care packages
79. Forgive your at home friends if they don’t reach out or it seems like they’re forgetting about you

Week 8

80. Get to class early so you can chat with your students
81. Bring your own bags whenever you go to the store
82. Rainboots. Rainboots.
83. Sidewalks are overrated (I miss level sidewalks)
84. Don’t be afraid to try a new project, whether that’s learning how to make something new or trying to get your kids to try a different way to learn something
85. Ask for permission…and sometimes just do it anyway if they’re not that interested
    1. Obviously use your best judgement here, but I spent a long time at site (probably too long) waiting for my school to ask me to do something. I taught and did my clubs, but not much besides that. It hit a point where I just said I was doing a sports club or I wasn’t going to do this if people weren’t going to come or I was going to work on this project.
    2. I still met the needs of my school and I did all of the things they asked of me, I just did a couple of other things (largely on my own) as well. Some were successful, like sports camp and our book report contest, some were not so much, class English clubs were too confusing, and the older kids were too busy (or just not interested) for a leadership club.
86. Remember that your service belongs to you too. Make sure you are satisfied with what you’re doing.
    1. This is in your work and outside of it. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally, but also make sure you feel fulfilled. This is supposed to be difficult, it isn’t supposed to be painful.
87. Make sure you’re setting yourself up for success for when this adventure is over
    1. For me, this meant studying for and taking the LSAT as well as getting all my application materials ready to go (and applying soon). But this could mean taking online classes to learn a new skill, polishing up your resume, studying for the GRE. Peace Corps gives you plenty of time (an absurd amount of time really) and you don’t have to use all of it towards your future, but it’s too good a chance to waste.
88. Speaking of having too much time…develop hobbies. Here some things I’ve learned (or gotten much better at) since I’ve been here:
    1. Cross stitch
    2. Knitting
    3. Baking bread
    4. Making soup
    5. Making bagels
    6. Making Ukrainian food
    7. Making pasta sauce

So, a lot of it is food related. I’m a pretty good cook. My future husband and children are in for a treat.

89. Wear light denim so you can brush chalk onto it and no one cares.
    1. They still care, but I don’t so…
    2. This only works if you work somewhere where the dress code isn’t the strictest.

Week 9

90. Explore your host country
    1. This can mean weekend trips to new places or just saying yes when someone asks for help with an event somewhere new
91. Learn about the history of your host country
    1. Do this before you go and try and continue to do it while you’re there
    2. You might be surprised at what you learn, and it might even help you understand some of the quirks that exist in the country
92. Ask if there’s anything you can do to help
    1. Now this is just polite to do when you visit someone’s house but try and do it often at your school or place of work. There might be a need that you can meet that you don’t notice.
93. Be open to being uncomfortable
    1. When you’re in a new place and trying new things, it can be easy to shy away from being uncomfortable, but sometimes try and lean into it. You never know what you might learn.
    2. For me, this was a random night where my landlord came out to collect rent money and him and his buddy ended up telling me all about their military service in Ethiopia and Cold War Berlin, complete with pictures. I was totally out of my element at first, but it ended up being one of my favorite nights of my service.
94. …but also know how to comfort yourself
    1. Sometimes I just have to make mac and cheese and watch a movie that reminds me of home
    2. Or call my sisters and just talk about whatever trash reality show we’re both watching
    3. It’s an aspect of self-care
95. Learn how to pack light
    1. I walk so much more here than I did at home, which is great, but over two years I’ve also learned how to pack much lighter since I have to carry my bags all over this country
96. Always have a bag with you
    1. They charge for bags here at the grocery story and whatnot, so toss an extra canvas one in your bag and you don’t have to worry about it
97. When you’re working on a project, a grant, a seminar, whatever ESPECIALLY if there’s money involved: KEEP EVERYTHING
    1. Keep every note, receipt, email…whatever. Just keep it.
    2. Keep it organized…but keep it.
98. Learn some filler words in language
    1. I mean like the equivalents to “goodness” or “darn”
    2. The people you interact with will find it charming and endearing
99. Always bring a toothbrush
    1. You never know when you’re going to get stuck somewhere or have a particularly garlicy meal.

Week 10

On goodbyes…

100. Take time to breathe
     1. Remember to look around and take in the moments. It’s really easy to get caught up in the chaos of everything going on but take time to take mental photos of the moments.
101. Make sure you say goodbye well.
     1. Whether it means getting meaningful gifts or writing nice notes, make sure you take the time to honor the people that have taken care of you for the past two years.
102. Revel in the relationships you’ve gained.
     1. Some friendships are just for Peace Corps and will naturally fade as you move on to different things, but some of the friends I’ve made here are for keeps and I have been trying to show my appreciation and highlight the absolute joy in getting to have relationships like these.
103. Check in with yourself.
     1. The last month of service is basically as big a rollercoaster as the first month of service. Everything is changing, everything is emotional, everything is bittersweet. I found myself wistfully mentioning that I was on my last ABSURDLY crowded bus. I shouldn’t be sad about that, but it’s the last one.
     2. Make sure to listen to yourself.
104. CRY
     1. My friend Marissa let me cry on her shoulder after I was trying to hold it in after a full weekend of goodbyes. The feelings you’re feeling are valid and important and it’s necessary to fully feel them in the moment.
105. At the same time…don’t get bogged down in the feelings
     1. It’s so hard to not just feel and be sad. I like the term bittersweet and have been using it obnoxiously all the time because all my volunteer friends, those leaving like me and those who still have some time left, keep asking me how I feel. Bittersweet is the best way to describe it. I am so proud of myself and excited to be moving on from this adventure. I’m worried about figuring out what next. I’m sad that I’m leaving my students and my friends. Bittersweet.
106. Realize that some of your thank you’s won’t be big enough, and that’s ok.
     1. There are some people in my service that there’s no one present that would be enough to cover how I feel. The best I can do is try to communicate how important they are to me and how thankful I am for my time with them.
107. Pack early and with a discerning eye
     1. My big thing was…do I want to carry that to the train station? It’s a 10-minute walk and if I was like, I don’t want to carry it, I got rid of it. I’m not super sure how I accumulated so much stuff over two short years, but here we are.
108. Make sure you’re doing the things you want to do.
     1. I’ve been asked to see people or do things and I’ve got a limited window of time left in Ukraine. It’s down to single digits and I think it’s ok to be selfish with my remaining time. I am making sure I see the people and do the things that I want to do before I leave.
109. Pictures make a great going away gift!
110. Make sure to take a deep look at where you are
     1. For me it was a train back to my village, I got off at 10:30 and walked home. It was a clear night and I just looked up and looked at the stars for a good five minutes. I was completely exhausted, but when am I going to see the stars look so close I can touch them in my little Romanian/Moldovan/Ukrainian village again?
111. Respect how others want to say goodbye
     1. My school got me a gift and a certificate, some kids want hugs, some kids want to message me on Instagram. I have to remember that as much as it’s about me and saying goodbye and processing. It’s also so much about them and their feelings as well.
112. Revel in your success.
     1. This is the toughest job I’ve ever loved and I cannot believe I’m getting on a train on Wednesday and never coming back. I cannot say enough about how amazing and difficult this adventure was. I have gained so many incredible experiences and friendships and I would not change a single thing.

To everyone that has supported me through this, I have to say thank you. What an incredible journey.

Mental Health

I want to focus on something that can be a little bit hard to talk about sometimes but is something that has been important to me during my service.

Now that I am coming to the end of my service, I’m doing a lot of reflection on my time here. It has been an incredible adventure, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t come with a fair share of challenges as well.

When I left for Peace Corps, it was the first big step away from my family and my people. I went to college in Spokane, which is on the other side of the state, but was also only a 4-hour drive away from home. Besides being at least two trains and two planes away from home, Ukraine is a 14-hour time difference from Seattle, which makes communication a challenge.

That was one of the most challenging aspects of leaving for my service. I have a tribe of people at home. They’ve started to spread out since I’ve been here and we’re not in college anymore, but they supported me leading up to my service and they check in occasionally since I’ve been here.

That being said, during my Peace Corps service, I have had some of the most isolating periods in my life.

Training was difficult just because everything is so new and overwhelming. They kept us incredibly busy during training with language classes, teaching practice lessons, culture training and English clubs. We were with a cluster and many other volunteers, so there were plenty of people that understood what I was going through.

I moved to site and adjusted quickly to a new pace, a much slower pace, and got to know my students, my host family and got into a routine with working out, eating way too much (thank you to my host mom), and making sure to keep in touch with friends and family back home.

The hardest and lowest time of my service, came last fall. I thought Seattle had prepared me for the many days of grey, but I had the hardest time transitioning to a healthy routine in the fall. I was living by myself for the first time (IN MY LIFE!), which has been an adventure in itself, but I struggled finding a new routine. I would go to school, have lessons and English club and the sun would be setting as I walked home and that was rough. I couldn’t run, which was a major struggle for me.

I also hit this point where I realized I was more than halfway through my service and realizing I had a limited time to be able to do all of the things I wanted to do. Peace Corps has a term for this, they call it the “mid-service slump,” but it was something that hit me particularly hard.

I was worried I hadn’t done enough for my community and that I wouldn’t have time to make an impact. I was worried that I wasn’t integrating or fitting in in my village. All of these things and I had a constant knot in my stomach. I reached out to a few friends and my parents and they encouraged me to reach out to Peace Corps. I was super intimidated by that prospect.

Peace corps had informed us that we were able to have counseling, but I had no idea where to even start with the prospect. I asked a friend who told me they had done it and they told me to start with an email to PCMO, which stands for Peace Corps Medical Office. They sent me a questionnaire asking about my feelings and thoughts. I filled it out and waited. They called me and let me know that I would be able to schedule a counseling appointment. The counselor was in Thailand and we talked on the phone.

I was very nervous for my first appointment, but it went very well. We just talked about my service and what I was feeling and tried to figure out where my feelings were coming from. I mentioned that I felt this insane level of anxiety over the lunch line at school. The cost is different each day and I try to have exact change, but I never knew what the price would be and I would literally dread going to lunch to deal with it. We unpacked that a little and I realized it came from a place of being worried I wasn’t integrating into my village, even though it was clear they were more than happy to be there.

I knew it would be hard for me to just talk to a stranger on the phone, so I would color in a coloring book a friend gave me while we talked. It gave me a place to jot down notes and kept my hands busy.

I learned a lot about myself through these sessions. We worked together to figure out some methods for me to be able to deal with some of my anxiety on my own. Some things included: writing things down, planning for things. I was working on my grant at the time and a lot of things felt out of my control, but I can plan when I’m going to work on things and stick to that with my students and counterparts.

I’ve also started to do something called morning pages. We have a limited number of sessions and I knew I was doing better, but it was my responsibility to maintain my mental health. In a pinterest browsing session, I stumbled on to morning pages and it piqued my interest.

Basically, morning pages are this thing where you wake up in the morning, get some tea or coffee and breakfast and the first thing you do is write three full pages, stream of consciousness, whatever you want, but not about your dreams. For me, it’s been a place where I can take note of things that are making me anxious or upset, acknowledge and respect that those feelings are valid, but I don’t have to carry them with me all day like I was before. I’ve also turned in to a bit of a morning person because of this and I regularly get up at 6:30, long before I have to get ready for school, to drink some tea, eat breakfast and get my pages done.

One of the most important things I’ve learned during my service is how to listen to myself. I think it has a lot to do with living in a village, by myself, without any English speakers. I have become far more attuned to my body, my brain and my heart. That is a skill I will be taking forward as I finish this journey.