Mashed Potatoes and Pickles

Mashed Potatoes and Pickles indeed. You may ask what about mashed potatoes and pickles? And I will answer you that that was my breakfast yesterday. Mind you that this was not dinner leftovers, this was cooked intentionally for breakfast. And the best part?! (Yes, it DOES get better) The best part is that it didn’t even strike me as odd or strange or out of place. Which is funny enough, but the fact that I remembered it later and then actually understood that I actually ate that for breakfast and that I didn’t bat an eyelash just makes it even better.

And it’s times like these that I remember that I am in Ukraine and things that I now take for granted really are the hilarious moments that I should pass on to you. Such as:
1. My cat (one of them) had kittens on Monday- in my bedroom, under my wardrobe.

2. My host sister just showed me the new fence/path liners that we are going to be putting into our yard around our new path (note to self, remember to post pictures) and the fence is glow in the dark. Like giant Glow Sticks stuck into the ground.

3. The little kids we see in the neighborhood love to say greetings to us when they see us so it is normal to hear “Good Morning, Good Evening, Goodbye” all crammed together in one breath and accompanied by a huge amount of giggling and blushing.

4. We had a meeting with our partner organization last Friday night- and the office is attached to the disco tech it runs so the background music for our professional meeting was loud, thumping European pop. Oh, and two baboosyas were arguing in the back of the room (about the government, a guy comes in to change the light bulbs in the middle of the room, and the lady we were meeting with just ups and walks out in the middle of the discussion. But, the thing is that it was one of the most productive meetings we have had yet.

5. I had rabbit for lunch the other day, it was cooked like a turkey- bag and all- and it was so amazingly good.

6. Dinner was homemade cheese (something like cottage cheese) covered in sour cream and with sugar and raspberry jam on top. Drinks was sour milk also with raspberry jam and sugar. Everything was homemade- I met the cow!- and everything was similarly extremely tasty!

So, essentially my life is currently marked with a lot of new adventures and some amazing moments. And this is awesome because it makes up for the homesickness and the stress. I think that since things are starting to become normal for me, like mashed potatoes and pickles, I am starting to realize how intensely stressful PST is and that makes me miss you all that much more. But I feel all of your warm fuzzies that you send, and get all your emails- which absolutely and completely make me the happiest person ever- so I am doing well. I miss you all and hope that you know that I think of you all often (hopefully you feel the warm fuzzies I send back!).

To everyone who loves and supports me, thank you. I can’t say it better than that. <3