Fall has pretty much already come and gone in Ukraine. The golden trees, that reminded me so much of home, are already starting to droop and lose their leaves. The air has gone from crisp to chilly and the days now end at 4:30. Thermals, scarves, hats, and gloves, all things that I previously wore as accessories, are now necessities. My first Ukrainian Fall was challenging in so many aspects, but very pleasant. Now, it is time for Winter, which I hear no one is quite fond of here. Winter is coming and I have no choice but to dive right into it.
As hard as I know it is going to be, I don't think it will be the hardest aspect of Peace Corps life that I will have to face. So far, the hardest part has been being away from home. I know you are thinking, "Of course it is", but it is not hard for the reasons that you might think. While of course I miss things like food I recognize, movie theaters, and other American luxuries, those things aren't what my heart aches for. The hardest thing about being here is being away from the ones that I love, and missing out on the good or bad events in their lives.
The younger sister of one of my oldest friends was killed in a car accident the other day. Her name was Mikal Ann and she was only 17 years old. While her sister and I haven't been very close in the past couple of years, her and her family have always meant the world to me. They are a wonderful family that always treated me like one of their own. Hearing about Mikal Ann and then not being able to be with them in their time of need made my heart hurt. Since I cannot be with them, I am sending them all my love and prayers from here.
While the thought of missing out on things like weddings, baby showers, first steps, and graduations feels my heart with sadness, I know that they are sacrifices I have to make in order to live out this dream. While it won't be easy, I think it will be worth it.
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