Hot at Home, Graduation Time in Chernivtsi

I've now been home for just over 2 weeks and it has flown by. I have immensely enjoyed visiting family and friends I have not see in nearly 6 months. The temperatures have been in the mid-90s everyday since I returned and I have loved it. 

I want to congratulate my sweet student Anna who is now the proud new holder of a master's degree. Graduation was yesterday in Chernivtsi, complete with a parade of graduates through the town. Here she is on the far left:

What a special day!

Throughout my time in Ukraine, I maintained a list of people, places, foods, activities, etc. I wanted to see/experience, etc. when I returned home. Running on smooth pavement, drinking water from the tap, taking a shower with water that I didn't have to heat on my hands and knees with a match and newspaper, etc. were just some of what I will no longer take from granted.

Before this experience, my life had been consumed with struggling to stay afloat between Furman and the History Museum. I am proud of the work I accomplished there but have regained a sense of balance. The daily necessities of life take longer in Ukraine because the luxuries, comforts, and conveniences we have in the U.S. don't exist on the same scale. I have spent more time doing basic tasks and less time on work. I have enjoyed relationships with people here, such as the young man at my gym, that are build on a smile and a wave. 

I will miss Anna and Ivana. I will miss walking everywhere, eating holubsee and borscht, and having the luxury of time to read everyday, keep track of my workout and running statistics, and be quiet and  reflective on this experience and time in my life. I needed to get away from the place I have lived for the overwhelmingly majority of my life to reset, and I have indeed accomplished that.