Where to next?

Two days until my new site is revealed. I've been thinking about where I might like to go. It doesn't take as much thought as you might think. Even though I've been living here for two months, I know virtually nothing about the rest of the country. So it's really a choice between one city I've never heard of and another that I've also never heard of. I'm sure it makes a difference even if I don't know what it is, but I think to a large degree your site is what you make it. I think I'll do just fine wherever I end up.

The one thing I do hope is that I'm placed near PCVs I like and respect. I'm sure I will make Ukrainian friends, but it's nice to have American friends too. Things may be different at site because I will be working with English teachers (and presumably they speak English pretty well), but up to this point the conversations I can have in Ukrainian are still pretty superficial. It's nice to be able to communicate at all, but I really need more than that. I'm hoping for the best, but my friends are only a phone call away. I'm sure we'll visit each other during service too. It's just a little intimidating going somewhere alone for two years.

The nice thing about being around other PCVs is that they understand what you're going through. Family, friends, and Ukrainians can be very sympathetic, but they don't really understand what doing Peace Corps is like. That's something you can only get from other PCVs and it's kind of nice to have. On the other hand, I hope that being off on my own will make me more independent and better adjusted to life in Ukraine. That doesn't happen by itself, it happens when you're challenged and you're forced to make it on your own. Much of it I know I'll enjoy and I just hope that the parts I don't will be good for me!