The Real World

On television, what’s shown is only the exciting parts, the parts that make for a good story. Most of those ridiculous reality TV shows have cameras on their "characters" 24/7, but they only air the most interesting parts. We all know that its only 10% of a real person’s life and the other 90% is a drag. The last few months I've been posting stories that I thought were funny. (Jonathon's Real World) I've realized that they don't really give any insight to what my real life is like. So, from now on I'll try and write more about everything in general. I’ve also had a comment that I should post more pictures, that is also doable and on the way as well as soon as I figure out how to do that.
Ukraine is finally back in full swing after the holidays. Everyone is back at work and even my schedule is filling up fast. I've picked up 2 classes a week, teaching at one of the universities. I just got back from language training in Rivne and a workgroup in Kyiv. And the best job related news is that I finally have a primary project. Over the next year or so I will be facilitating connections between my city, which is the Oblast Center (like a state capital) and 2 pilot regions near my city. I will create research teams to update the tourist information in these regions and then there will be conferences and training sessions for businesses in the tourism sector on how to use that information to their benefit on topics like marketing, business management, strategy, etc. That will start to take up a majority of my time. Finding a purpose while here in Ukraine has been half the battle to my Peace Corps service, now I feel like I have it and I'm excited to finally have some real work to do. Last year was all about just getting to Ukraine and surviving, now that I've done that it’s all about actually living here.
I got another package from home! This package was one of the best because my mom sent me a new pair of jeans and 2 new shirts. I'm not really a clothes person but Ukraine is abnormally harsh on clothes. A few months ago, during the raining season, (it literally rained for 2 months straight) I was walking home with a friend of mine. I walked up a sidewalk that was slightly tilted to avoid having to swim across a mud puddle. I slipped and fell into the puddle and accidentally ripped my jeans. Since then my friend has learned how to say "Jonathon fall down, ooops" and since this is the max of his English skills, he says this every time he sees me. So, now I can wear my new jeans and say "Jonathon have new jeans with out hole - hooray!”
I also got a ton of new movies, magazines, and food from the US. I almost don't want to come home so I can keep getting boxes of stuff from home. It’s like having Christmas once a month. (Just kidding mom and dad)