6 weeks from today...eek!

The Peace Corps sent me a very nice CD with language lessons (which are less than useful right now, as my computer has no sound) and much information about staging (the three days I'll be in Chicago before flying to Kyiv) and PST (Pre-Service Training...the first three months). Last night I was looking it all over, when it hit me that OH MY WORD I'M MOVING TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD IN SIX WEEKS. Basically, I sort of freaked out and started thinking, "What on earth am I doing? Why don't I get a nice boring job here in the Lansing area? My friends are here, my church is here, my parents are less than two hours away!"

Today, I'm dealing with it a bit better. :) I truly believe that this is what I'm supposed to be doing at this point of my life...any time that there could have been a big snag in the application process, it got worked out (twice), which I take as divine confirmation.

In other quasi-related news, I bought a book and CD of Great Lakes folksongs at the folk festival that includes lesson plans and handouts. My mind is working out a classroom unit of folk music, Michiganian, Ukrainian, and who knows what all else. While at the festival, I also got to talk to a man who paints Ukrainian pysanky (the painted eggs often given at Easter). He told me some things about Ukraine's history. Very cool. And I want to learn how to make pysanky!

Article for reading: "It's All About Jesus" by Sam Torode. He grew up in a fundamentalist Christian household and eventually converted to Orthodoxy. Knowing that Ukraine is highly Orthodox, I found this article interesting and food for thought.