Yes, it’s true: I’m officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. I’ve been sworn in with the same oath the President of the United States makes (wow!), and well, gosh, I’ve got a really official-looking ID—I must be legit!
The last few days have been a whirlwind, but it’s been great. So many new experiences! The Swearing-In Ceremony was Thursday morning, December 1st, complete with the presence of the Kyrgyz Foreign Minister and the US Ambassador. That day I said goodbye to my wonderful host family, which was sad because I love them so much, and had really come to regard Taldy-Bulak as my home. Earlier that week when I was packing up my stuff, I thought, “Ugh! Do I really have to pack and move again??” But I was consoled by the fact that it was the LAST time I would have to pack until I come home! Finally, some sense of permanence is in my future. I haven’t gone 2 years without packing and moving since high school—crazily enough, I’m finding my most permanent home since then in Kyrgyzstan.
ANYWAY, after swearing in, we all headed to a hotel in Bishkek, and that night we were invited to the US Ambassador’s house! That was exciting! It was almost like being invited to the White House or something. It was a beautiful house, I got to meet the Ambassador, and eat American food! The poor servers bringing out the trays of food were nearly attacked before they even made it in the door; it was quite shameless, really :-).
The next morning, we said goodbye to friends and all headed to our sites. All the volunteers going to Talas traveled together, which was great. This time, the route we took went through Kazakhstan! That was also really exciting, because now I can add another country to my list (and, of course, the stamp and visa in my passport are pretty cool, too). By 6pm, I had arrived at my new home.
Oh, I love my house and my family and my village so much. So far, it’s just so good to be here! My new mom and dad are so great—so friendly, but not overbearing, and so happy to have me here. My dad especially is so caring and fun and jolly! AND, I met my sister this time. She is 16, but studies at a private school where she boards, so is only home for the weekends. It’s so wonderful because she speaks English really well. I like her a lot, and I think we will be fast friends; but I’m also glad she doesn’t live here all the time, for the sake of my Kyrgyz. I don’t think I’d ever learn if I always had her to fall back on. So it’s a perfect situation!
My house is also wonderful. I have my own little “apartment” separate from the main house, but only about 5 feet away. It’s a perfect setup, really. For privacy’s sake, it’s great to have my own space; and it will allow me to be much more independent, which suits my personality well. It’s a perfect balance of being a part of a family, and yet still having my own life. I think I’m going to love it.
The final step of the transition…. Teaching. I’ve had the weekend to rest, adjust, unpack, and buy some needed stuff at the bazaar. But tomorrow I’ll go to the school and see what the plan is for my classes. Now the adventure really begins! To be continued…
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