Every Day is an Adventure

I am sorry for the delay in updating! My internet access is somewhat limited, and it is pretty difficult to know where to begin.

It has been just a week since arriving in Ukraine and only my fifth night with my host family but it feels like so much longer. I was feeling quite frustrated by my inability to communicate and feeling like a child, but I think I made a very big advance in my language lesson today. We learned pronouns and little of verb conjugation,and I am thrilled that I can compose sentances instead of just regurgitating memorized phrases.

Living with a host family is quite a challenge for me. I went from being married for almost 10 years to living on my own for a few years,and I became rather set in my ways and addicted to my independence and privacy. My host family has been everything warm and welcoming, but it definitely is a challenge. Add language bariers to that,and it is quite the adventure!

Living here is fascinating. I have traveled before, but never from the perspective of a long term resident. It is amazing to have the opportunity to devote myself completely to studying the language and culture! The more I can do now, the easier it will beon me in June when I go to my final site.

I have quite a lot to say about the language situation in Ukraine but that will have to wait for anoher time. The short version is that while I knew people spoke both Russian ad Ukrainian here, I had no idea it would be such a completely bilingual country. I am studying Ukrainian and living with a family that,when alone,mainly speaks Russian,but are still perfectly able to speak with me and correct me in Ukrainian. Ok,except for the six year old child. He gets confused by my mangled Ukrainian sometimes and keeps answering me in Russian.

It has only been a week, and I am already going through a roller coaster of ups and downs, but I find this a very interesting place to be.