So, if I didn’t make it clear in my last post, Summer 2011 was probably the greatest summer of my life. It was certainly my busiest, most fulfilling, most exciting, and the most exhausting. I met the most people, worked with the greatest people, and made memories that I’ll cherish forever. A huge part of [...]

Ok so this summer can be divided into 4 major events: Camp Express Yourself, FLEX, Eurotrip, and COS conference (yet to happen). I’ll devote the next 4 entries to each of these 4 events so as to improve coherency and readability. #1! My second year of Camp Express Yourself was, in a cliche, two of [...]

While it does appear I have hopelessly and thoughtlessly abandoned my wordpress, I really haven’t.  Sure things have been happening (to me, around me, without me, within me), and maybe that’s why I’ve not been able to find the time to write. Though the truth is when I start writing a blog a few sentences [...]

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow. Crunchy numbers A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 1,900 times in 2010. That’s about 5 full 747s.   [...]

September 19th was my village’s “birthday.”  It was the day our village was officially free from soviet oppression.  There was a kind of rally in the park with speakers, singing, some student performances, and so on.I like this photo for two reasons mostly: the smoke in the air (as this was directly after a shot) [...]

So the rumors were that the second year in Peace Corps is when the mood really shifts–the mood of the students, colleagues, work, and (duh) the volunteer.  Some people apparently have been having a great time since September 2009.  I think they’re either lying or lucky.  But they still made me feel bad for having [...]

I’ve been a bad blogger! But, let’s face it, an awesome summer-vacationer. Let’s do a brief recap of the last few months. The month started off with 4 days of relaxation. On the first Monday (the 7th) I started my two weeks of summer camp at site. I spent the next 10 days 8am-2pm teaching [...]

Normally I wouldn’t blog on just one solitary event that doesn’t sound, probably, very noteworthy. HOWEVER. This made me laugh like an angry goose, so I decided to share it with the world. Earlier this evening I was on the phone with my grandma back home when two 5th form boys walked by (they are [...]

Things are looking up. Be it the arrival of spring, the end of the school year, the good and recent adventures in Kharkiv with dear friends, the nearness of seeing my family, or the feeling like maybe I’m finally integrating into the community here, something in the air is alive. And it feels good. I [...]

So, as I’m sure American/British/wherever news has been covering, there are some great upheavals in the world recently. Well, always, but recently of concern to me are the bombings in Moscow and Dagestan, governmental overthrow in Kyrgyzstan, and rising tensions between Poland and Russia following the horrific and tragic death of the Polish president [...]

The last few days have been really low. An unimaginable, endless stream of bad luck, bad news, bad happenings, frustrations, rejection, &c. Today ended on a high note, so I’m grasping at any shred of happiness I can. The only things keeping me from going back to America: my cat and some of my [...]

Another post already? Well today was glorious and sunny, so I went on a picnic. I stopped off at the shop, bought some bread, cheese, a small sausage, a cucumber and a tomato. I walked through the forest to the river, taking in the singing birds, earthen-scented breeze, scurrying small animals, and [...]

Tonight I went to midnight mass. It was a beautiful experience. Before I went to the church I stopped by the bakery and bought паска (paska), a traditional Easter bread (curiously enough, Easter in Ukraine is also called Паска). It was 5hry, and the woman was very nice. (pictures below) After the [...]

Things I did expect when joining Peace Corps: Hardship Friendship Frustration Determination Loneliness Happiness Ambiguity Perspicacity Things I did not expect when joining Peace Corps: Mood swings hearkening back to the years twixt twelve and twenty. Joy in tiny forms kittens I guess when your nerves live quivering on edge 24/7, mood swings are inevitable. The usual reserves of strength are drained just in order to [...]

ANOTHER food post? I’m sorry. It becomes kind of a big deal. I received not one but two boxes from home today: one from my grandma and one from some of my best friends, the hudsons and tracey. Totaling probably 40 combined pounds (and lugged home by my director and one [...]

Something I can honestly (and somewhat boastfully) say is that I’ve never lacked creativity. Though it has dulled against the cold stone of adulthood, it remains in small, crispy fragments that are sometimes useful. One such instance is when staring into a fridge with one egg in it, half a bag of pasta, a cardboard [...]

So, three weeks after signing up for internet I finally have it. The guy would come by once a week or so at 4:50, fart around for 10 minutes and leave. It took my neighbor calling and hollering at him twice to light a fire under his tookus. BUT. I have internet now, [...]

As I read many of these blogs when I was anticipating my arrival here, one thing I really was curious about was the food that would be available to me (especially in winter). So, as Peace Corps so kindly flung us into the world during the hardest, most dismal season in Ukraine, and as I’ve [...]

Today I went to Kharkiv with my school for what I was led to believe was some sort of circus. It was not (sad day). It was a play, but it was still pretty amusing. Afterward we spent a few minutes wandering around площадь свободы (Svobody Square)–3rd largest square in Europe!–stalking around the scariest [...]

Ahh..ahh ahh ahhhh okay. Okay okay.  So much to go over. I feel like maybe I need to outline my entry for some semblance of organization. 1. Swearing-In/Retreat was kinda heavy. Mostly finding out where I’d be living for two years, meeting my counterpart, saying one last goodbye to friends/host families, itd. Everyone else [...]

Well well. I’m back in Kyiv for a fieldtrip (nothing scary this time). Our LCF (language tutor) made us get from our маршрутка (for those of you who don’t know, marshrutkas are horrible little deathtraps on wheels. It’s basically a really big minivan that fits a hundred people and smells like bodies, vodka, and [...]

My mailing address (FOR LETTERS ONLY) during PST. U.S. Peace Corps/Ukraine PCV Jillian Danley P.O. Box 204 Kyiv, Ukraine 01032 OR U.S. Peace Corps/Ukraine PCV Jillian Danley 111A Saksahanskogo Street Kyiv, Ukraine 01032 PLEASE NOTE: This is only valid until 12/17/09 AND NO LATER.  After that date I will move into my permanent site/village and have my permanent address, with which I will update. [...]

As the heading sayeth.  I have received my ticket to Staging (9/24) and then on to Ukraine (9/26).  I’m not entirely sure what Staging has in store for me.  It sounds basically like a frantic whirlwind of last second information, introductions, and butt-patting-on before we’re flung across the ocean. Ed’s only an hour by Amtrak from [...]

I recently had a bit of a panicky moment suddenly over the size of my suitcase.  It’s a monster.  A big, blue, gaping monster with teeth like zippers and…oh, yeah, they are zippers.  I imagined myself staggering onto a narrow train, the bulging blue eyes of whisper-thin Ukrainians locked onto me, my spine compacting beneath [...]

Bought & Packed Clothes: Turtleneck, short sleeve professional shirt/tops (4) Blazers (3) Black jeans/work slacks (2) Dusters (2) Blue jeans (1) Long skirt (1) Casual tops (?) Track jacket Columbia 3-in-1 jacket Underthings Slippers/slipper socks (5) Smartwool socks (5) Long underwear (3 pair) Pajama pants (2) Pajama Tees (2) Under garments (? infinite.) Shoes: Work heels/wedges (2) Professional flats (2) Grey, nice hiking boots (1) Tennis shoes (1) YakTrax slip-on cleats House/Personal Sewing kit Swiss Army Knife Umbrella Wrist brace Knee brace Quick drying towel [...]

-Email for Word doc TEFL info -Study for TEFL Pre-test -Take TEFL Pre-Test -Eye Exam at ShopKo (8/14) -Buy 2nd pair of glasses -Add OpenOffice to netbook -Transfer music/e-books to HD -Petition insurance to supply 3 months of Rx NO GO -Call JBS RE: Necon (in September) -Pick up Rx patanol -Refill Rx 8/23 -Apply for PC life insurance -Insure possessions -Purchase Ukrainian dictionary, duct tape, shortwave radio, [...]

Привіт!  Welcome to my blog.  This little slice of internet pie will (hopefully) give you all a taste of my life as a prospective, then active, Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) In Ukraine. Until my departure (and I’m sure well after), this blog may act as a sounding board for my chronic whining, my frustrations, my fears, [...]