first post from Kirovohrad!

Greetings friends and family!

I made it safely to my new city around 10:15 pm last night...yesterday was an INCREDIBLY long day...with lots of hurry up and waiting happening. But,the important things that could be noted are:

1) I am a PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER. Officially :)
2) I have an apartment all to myself (for the first time ever...both to live in an apartment and to live really by myself).
3) All of my baggage is here, safe and sound
4) I have an amazing counterpart
5) My work seems amazing at first glance (currently on the computer there...)
6) I have running water and even better, HOT water at my apartment
7) I could keep numbering, but I think I'll go back to paragraph form now...


As I said, I am sitting on the computer in the library of the Oblast (think state) Center for Creative Youth. My counterpart, Olena, came to pick me up at my apartment this morning at 10 am. I met the director of the organization (which seems rather large...gonna have to figure out some stats some point soon) who is incredibly nice and handed me a GIANT flower arrangement. That should be interesting to carry home on a marshrutka ride...bouncing all over the road. But it was incredibly sweet and I can't wait to put them in a vase and make my apartment smell lovely.

It was dark last night when we got to my apartment, but I met my landlady and her husband. They showed me how to turn on the gas to make the water hot. My apartment is actually a 3 bedroom apartment, but I do not have access to 2 of the rooms which is completely fine because I don't know what I would do with that much space. I have a bathroom with a tub and a toilet...and the tub also has a moveable shower spiggot (sp?). In the kitchen is a table with 2 booth-style seats, a sink, a stove/oven that doesnt work, but that is used as a prep space. I have an electronic hot burner that they showed me how to use last night. My counterpart is getting me a chainick (tea kettle) of some kind from work. Awesome! Then, the living room/my bedroom. Quite a large room. Twin size (ish) bed, a schkaf (things to put clothes in...it's got shelves), a love seat (ish) couch, a coffee table with 2 small stools (we're going to have ask to get the dining room table from the extra room because I don't really have a workspace that I can sit at. There is also a kitchen chair in the living room. Off the living room is a balcony that has my refrigerator, and I assume that is where I will place my clothes to dry. I'll post pics as soon as I can.

It was definitely weird to go to bed last night. I took a shower/bath in my tub...after having unpacked a little. I really want to go buy some cleaning materials and shelf liner before I truly unpack, even though the landlady cleaned everything. That is just my OCDness taking over. I think it's also the fact that I can finally have a place to call my own and to do whatever I want with. I can't wait to rearrange the furniture in the living room. Hopefully tomorrow :)

Looks like Olena and I are going to eat now, so I will try to write more later whenever I get a chance :) love love!