Wake up!

5-30-08

You know those moments when all of the sudden you start to pay attention again? You've spent so long going through the motions, getting by and in your groove that you forget to stop and smell the flowers. I've been in such a daze that I failed to remember I was in the Peace Corps, working in a field in the middle of nowhere.
The wakeup call is never expected. It always kind of jumps out and screams, "Look where you are! Look at what you're doing!" I had that day yesterday. Because of the rain I haven't been out running for a few weeks. Last I went the winter wheat was knee high. Yesterday it was chest high, sprinkled with red, yellow and purple flowers. It was beautiful, and though I forced myself to remember if I feel this way every spring or if this moment was truly singular, I cannot recall an instant of this much beauty.
The thing about the second year is that things become normal. Gathering baby turkeys into a bucket and getting drunk with teachers at school isn't strange anymore. It's my life. I attended the Last Bell Ceremony at school today and even before I went I knew what was going to happen. I knew that the microphones and sound system weren't going to work. I expected awful singing and dancing. I knew that even though students were required to wear black and white at least one student would wear leopard print. And I knew that the Kill Bill soundtrack would be utilized more than necessary.
At the same time I know that this is normal to me, my wakeup call convinced me that this is not perhaps normal for all of you, if you're even still reading. And even if you're not reading, this is still a record for me, so that when I arrive home someday I can look back and remember what it was like here.
So here is what's been going on, what's been keeping me occupied and sane, or perhaps insane.
1. Hula. My mom sent me this Hula workout video and I'm totally into it even though I realized that I can't move my hips. This is also why I am such a crappy dancer. I am determined to conquer this video.
2. We had an earthquake a few weeks ago and actually had to evacuate school. The actual earthquake was in the Black Sea, but not too far away. My students tried to pretend they were scared so the director would cancel school. They failed.
3. I took a good look at my schedule yesterday and realized I am going to be gone from around June 22 to August 22. Is that allowed? Shit.
4. I am working four summer camps this summer. Eight if you count our Oblast camps as five instead of one. What was I thinking? Right. I wasn't.
5. The Ukrainian Dentist is one of the scariest experiences on Earth. And I love the dentist….in America. Here they use an electric drill and then they power wash teeth with a mix of baking soda. After the procedure I spent five minutes spitting out blood and chunks of my gums into the sink. Macguiver thought I was kidding until she went after me.
6. Speaking of Macguiver, we started a "Passed Out Drunk" series of photographs. To all you worriers out there, we aren't really drunk in the pictures. It's pretend.
7. I love living overseas. Truly. Do I want to come home?
8. I turn 28 soon. It bothered me more that my brother turned 30.
9. I got a Uker-cut. That's a Ukrainian haircut. It's…..special. And I like it.
10. I ironed my jeans before I packed them the other day. That was a hard one to admit.
11. I told all of the teachers about the grant Inna and I wrote today. We were applauded and they want to help!!!
12. Crazy Organization Lady is telling everyone that she wrote the grant.
13. Crazy Organization Lady is still crazy.
As I open my eyes and look around, maybe you should consider doing the same. Just stop. Stop thinking, stop doing and just breath. Look around. Listen. Can you believe you're where you are? That you are doing what you are doing? When you are old and retired are you going to look back and say to yourself, "I did that. I seriously did that." When I grow old I want to look back and be proud and amazed. I want to be amazing.