Success at REI!

While in Dallas on Sunday, I knew I needed to go to REI to look for my winter coat and a few other things. Kevin and Mitchell made the trek with me, both very aware of how long it can take me to shop :) Approximately 2 hours later, I ended up walking away with my winter coat and a raincoat, both fit for Ukraine!

My winter coat needed to be something that would keep me warm in the (sometimes) freezing Ukraine winters. My sister-in-laws sister, Kim, actually has this jacket as well. I saw hers when I went to New Hampshire a few weeks ago...loved it because it looked so great on, but also because it looked warm. Turns out she too loves it! It can get quite cold in Boston, so it was reassuring to hear from someone I know say that it keeps them warm, rather than just reading a review.

Doesn't she look adorable and still super warm?! That's her sweet puppy Amora nosing around in the snow at my brother and sister-in-laws house.

Kim and Amora

And here I am in the store...if I wore the jacket for more than 10 minutes inside I started sweating because it was 65 degrees outside. The best part about the jacket? It was on sale...and the only one left. It was like we were meant to be :) I wanted a brown, fur-trimmed, down coat, as long as I could get it. The North Face down coats are 2 inches longer but in the end, this one was here and now and I could try it on. In some of the North Face pics online, I couldn't tell if I would like the outer material (they almost look plastic-y?). So the Mountain Hardware Downtown Coat it was!

My apologies for the poor picture quality...Iphone pics and bad lighting in the store.

I knew I wanted a raincoat that would cover my but, because there is NOTHING worse than having to sit on something when it's raining. This jacket was on clearance for $59.00...a total steal for what it had been. And the best part? I could check it off my list!

What's wrong with this next picture?

Oh yes. That would be Kevin standing in the sleeping bag display, inside one of the sleeping bags. I wanted to glance at the sleeping bag section to see if there were any I loved...30 minutes later, I had in fact tried out a sleeping bag and figured out some pros and cons of them. Now, to do some more research and make my decision.

More posts soon about the rest of my time spent in DFW. It was a great weekend and I am so thankful for each one of the people I got to see while I was there. They each hold a special place in my heart and were all incredibly sweet and welcoming for my last weekend in the big D! Toodles :)

Off to the DFW...

This weekend, I head down to Dallas/Ft. Worth to say goodbye to friends before I head off to the Peace Corps. Many people from Norman go to Dallas after they graduate from OU because it's the nearest big (BIG) city and has lots of job opportunities. And why not do a little shopping while I'm down there? I need to hit the REI store to try on some long underwear, and maybe one or two other places to see about a down coat...although I'm not holding my breath that Dallas would have anything remotely warm enough to wear in Ukraine. We'll see!

Chase and Greg, my College of Architecture buds. These two know how to: make a mean spreadsheet in Excel, cause a scene in a restaurant, and make me laugh more than I thought possible.

Rachie! We lived down the hall from each other in the good ol' dorm days. Walker 6 West! Not pictured: her wonderfully funny fiance, Alex.

Kevo--the person who taught me how to gamble :) hahaha. Thank you for the lessons, oh wise one.

Mitchell, who thinks he deserves a post devoted to him. Hmmm...we'll see what can be arranged :) Great sweater by the way...

Sweet Casey Prater! My Interior Design friend, La Baguette buddy, and a great mentor to me. Not pictured: Casey's amazing hubby Collin.

Jose, the friend that always says what everyone else is thinking...even when it SHOULD NOT be said :)

And of course you can expect new pictures once I'm back in town!

WELCOME BACK!!!!

Greetings, and welcome to the newly updated blog! After a few hard days at work, I finally figured out how to do some HTML coding and add the little "info" buttons under the header. Speaking of the header, I have to explain how I did this.

I knew I wanted a sunset picture of some kind. This was a given. I also knew I wanted a "handwriting" type font. Other than that? I had to incorporate some type of Ukrainian/Russian something...enter the onion dome! I have a love for silhouettes, so after many, many searches on google, I finally found a few pieces of architecture that I liked, made them silhouettes, and voila. The background is none other than a good ol' Oklahoma sunset. I added some trees/brush along the bottom to make it more whimsical, and then started playing with the placements of the buildings. Here is what I saw in my head...

And now you can see it transformed to a digital image above! My apologies for the bad quality picture...I just took an Iphone pic.

Check out the blog...leave a comment...you can even start following me! Just click on the link to the right (with the little pictures of people). If you would like to be notified when I update my blog overseas, leave a message with your email address (or you can email me directly) and I will get you added to the group email!

Happy snow day!

Packing List

This is my final packing list of everything I brought with me to Ukraine. hope it helps future Peace Corps volunteers!

Updated: April 4, 2011

Technology Items

External hard-drive (thanks Cliff and Cathy!)

External hard-drive case

Flash drive (thanks Jeremy!)

SLR Camera

SLR Camera holster (thanks Kristen!)

SLR Camera battery charger

SLR Camera extra battery (thanks Gore fam!)

Small, digital camera

Digital camera battery charger

Memory card reader

Old ipod (that holds a whopping 500 songs…!)

Iphone (to use as my ipod/entertainment/alarm clock?)

Iphone charger

Iphone headphones

2 pairs headphones

Portable speakers for ipod/iphone (thanks Carruth fam!)

Laptop

Laptop charger

Laptop sleeve

Kindle (thanks Crow fam!)

Kindle charger

adapter/converter

Clothing Items

4 tank tops for layering/underneath shirts (1 black, 1 grey, 1 tan, 1 white)

4 pairs of Jeans

Long underwear (1 NF "warm" shirt, 1 NF "warm" pants, 1 NF "light" pants)

1 pair Nike leggings-these seem extra heavy!

1 pair of black long leggings

1 pair of Victoria's Secret lounge pants-brown

1 pair of yoga/jazz pants- black

Nike shorts (4 pairs)

1 Work out shirt

Casual shorts (1 grey, 1 black, 1 pin-stripe)

Smartwool socks (thanks Aunt Linda!)

Underwear (maybe around 40 pairs...)

Bras (3 real bras, 2 sports bras, 1 strapless bra)

4 Turtlenecks (charcoal, brown, deep magenta, green)

3 Sweaters (black, white, and pink)

1 3/4 sleeve teal fitted shirt

1 short sleeve red fitted shirt

1 gap grey long sleeve fave tee

Dresses (1 red business, 1 black polo style, 1 black casual, 1 green fun/business, 1 3/4 sleeve grey business)

3 belts

1 black cropped 3/4 sleeve sweater

3 dress skirts (1 black, 1 grey, 1 floral)

1 casual grey skirt

4 Dress shirts (1 white/grey pin-stripe, 1 white ruffly, 1 blue, 1 blue/white pin-stripe)

4 pairs of Dress pants (black, grey, wool, pinstripe)

7 tank tops to be worn under sweaters or alone in the summer (some dressy, some casual)

2 pairs of Capezio body tights (thanks Sabrina!)

1 Long sleeve tee (eastern europe shirt!)

6 T-shirts (to double as my pjs)

3 american apparel v-necks

1 pair of pj shorts

2 Bathing suits

1 bathing suit coverup/summer dress

2 rompers

Shoes

Waterproof snow boots

pink Rainboots

New Balance tennis shoes (running)

Black flats (old)

Black target flats (new w/a bit of of wedge heel)

Chacos

Teva slip-on flip-flops

YakTrax (thanks Carruth fam!)

2 Cute pairs of sandals

Slippers (thanks Britney!)--to buy in Ukraine

Outerwear Items

mountain hardwear Long, down jacket

North Face fleece jacket (grey/black)

North Face outer jacket

Volcom ski/outdoor pants (waterproof!)

Light weight red rain jacket from REI

North Face brown down vest

3 Beanies

Scarves (1 heavy-made my Lyndsay!, 3-light weight/cute)

Ski face shield

Neck warmer

2 ear covers (red and white)

Gloves (waterproof)

Mittens (waterproof)

Glove liners

Mini umbrella

Household/Random Items

Pictures (family, pets, friends, house, trips)

picture album (holds 175)

Custom calendar with family and friend photos (from my sister-in-law, great Christmas present!!!)

Scissors

nail file

Compact sleeping bag (thanks Wally and Cathy!)

Journal

Bible (thanks Tino!)

1 70 page notebook

Favorite pens (thanks to my brother for Christmas!)

Lint roller (with refills)

Tide to go pens (4)

Febreeze (full size bottle)

Duct tape

Sewing kit (thanks Mom for putting it together! :) )

Putty for the walls (to hang posters/pictures)

Notecards (1 pack...wish i could have fit more!)

Sunscreen

Swiss Army Knife with multi-tool options (thanks Carruth fam!)

Key-chain flashlight (thanks Jeremy!)

Coach wristlet

coach key chain wallet

2 carry-all bags (fold up into nothing!)

1 large carry-all beach bag

1 large laundry bag (mcfarlin youth!)

Youth Development Items

2 decks of OU cards (thanks Britney!)

Oklahoma postcards

OU football posters

Uno (thanks Schlegel and Lyndsay!)

Bananagrams (thanks Britney and Venita!)

Skip-bo

2 decks of Phase 10

Deck of cards

Pushpins/magnets?

Map of US (thanks Schlegel and Lyndsay!)

Map of World (thanks Carruth fam!)

Ukrainian phrase book (thanks Venita!)

Russian phrase book (thanks Schlegel and Lyndsay!)

8 koosh balls (those balls that soak up water?!)

Luggage/Traveling Items

Rolling duffel (checked luggage)

Additional rolling duffel (checked luggage)

Smaller rolling duffel for carry-on (45 inches total dimensions)

laptop rolling bag (my personal item) for carry-on

Money belt

Change purse (thanks Casey and Collin!)

Wallet

Passport holder

osprey Backpack for day/weekend trips

Stainless steel water bottle

Regular water bottle (thanks Reudy fam!)

Collapsable water bottle (thanks Conway fam!)

North Face sling purse

Kavu black and white small backpack purse (thanks Casey and Collin!)

kelty side/hip bag

Space saving bags

compactable zipping duffle bag

Luggage locks

Luggage rack that connects carry on and rolling suitcase

pink squishy pillow

eye mask

ear plugs

twin size air mattress

compact air mattress pump (without the batteries)

Toiletry Items

Retainers

Retainer cleaning kit

Sonicare toothbrush

Sonicare toothbrush charger

Sonicare extra toothbrush head

Toothpaste

Regular toothbrush

makeup (blush, blush brush, 2 red lipsticks, 5 mascaras, 2 pressed powders, 2 loose powders, 1 concealer, 1 foundation, 1 travel size moisturizer, 2 multi-color eye-shadows, eyeshadow brush)

makeup bag

jewelry (earrings, 4 necklaces, 2 rings)

jewelry bag

hair ties

safety pins

travel alarm clock

toiletry bag

extra makeup bag

full size Shampoo

full size Conditioner

2 travel size Body wash

full size face wash

Cheap straightener/straightener pouch

Clear nail polish (to double as a fix for runs in tights!)

Girl products

Medicine supply

Hand sanitizer (1 full size, 1 travel size)

Kit with tweezers, nail clippers, etc.

3 Dental floss

1 Deodorant

2 prescription deoderants

3 Razors

Microfiber hair towel

Microfiber towel

4 Chapstick

3 Kleenex travel pack

1 Headband

2 baseball hats

Bobby pins

comb

sunglasses

sunglasses holder

pink body spray

2 trvel size wrinkle release

Kitchen Items

Vegetable peeler

Ziploc bags quart size

Ziploc bags gallon size

Can opener

Chili spices

taco seasoning

alfredo mix

Measuring cups with cups and liters

Measuring spoons with cups and liters

Wish List

Below are some items that I miss from home, aren't available here in Ukraine, are too expensive to buy in Ukraine, etc.  If you are wanting to send something in the mail, go to the "contact" page at the top of my blog, or click here!  There is information on the contact page about packages and mailing things.  Please please please double Ziploc bag items if they are liquid!

Pictures of us together!

Tacky touristy type souvenirs from wherever you live!  (postcards and writing pens are great.  People LOVE them here.)

Anything OU/Oklahoma/Alabama (pens, magnets, t-shirts, postcards)—or any state for that matter!  

Cheez-its

Peanut butter (both creamy and crunchy!)

Peanut butter m&ms

Pop-tarts (frosted strawberry, brown sugar cinnamon, smores, and apparently there’s a new limited edition flavor called CONFETTI CAKE!!!)

Cream of tartar

Alfredo mix

Velveeta

Rotel (got enough to last me!)

Pace Salsa

Eco-friendly reusable grocery bags

Brown sugar (got enough to last!)
Ranch packets (got enough to last!)

Vanilla

Haribo gummy bears

Peachie O’s

Sour patch kids

Red velvet Cake mix
Cream cheese icing in a can

Interior Design magazines

Any type of lotion/soap/perfume/body spray/etc. from Bath and Body Works/Victoria's Secret

Nail polish

Hot sauce 

Chili powder

Mac & Cheese (easy mac packets!)

Puppy chow

If an American holiday is coming up (ie: Valentine's day, St. Patty's day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, etc.) and you see random little kid gifts (like pencils, plastic rings, holiday candy, anything from the Target One section)...my small kids in English clubs absolutely love these things.  One of the things I teach in Ukraine is American holidays and traditions...and I always dedicate at least one or two English club meetings to that holiday.  Having a small treat to give the little kids brings so much joy to their faces.  

I look like a pig for all of the food that I just wrote.  Totally fine with that... :) thank you in advance!!!!

Contact

Feel free to shoot me an email with any questions or words of advice, or just to say hi!

lydfrost@gmail.com

And here is the information everyone has been waiting for...drumroll please...my address here in Ukraine! I finally got a PO Box on Friday (5/17/2011), so now you can send letters (which I will respond to BY HAND) and packages as well. You need to put the address both in Russian and English...so you can copy and paste this into a word document, or give your Russian handwriting a test run!

Лидия Фрост

А/Я 3/14

Кировоград, Украина

25006

Lydia Frost

P.O. Box 3/14

Kirovograd, Ukraine

25006

*Please don't send me valuable items through the mail, as mail sometimes arrives opened, with items missing, or does not arrive at all. 
*Use of padded envelopes (the harder to open, the better) instead of boxes is better, as they usually arrive unopened.
*Don't declare values on packages too high, otherwise I may not get everything inside...and be vague on the food items you declare.
*It costs $0.98 to send a letter to me :) and I promise you'll make my day for sending me one! AND, I will write you one back.

*The most efficient way to send packages is by priority mail. There are three options for boxes:

-small (this one is pretty small...but cheap!): $13.95 and a maximum of 4 pounds

-medium (there are 2 box sizes available depending on what you're shipping): $45.50 and a maximum of 20 pounds

-large (there are 2 box sizes available for this one also, depending on what you're shipping): $58.50 and a maximum of 20 pounds

Here is the USPS website about sending items to Ukraine.

Receiving mail while being a PCV is one of everyone's favorite things. It's the little things from home like pictures, gummy bears, command hooks, and soft sheets that will absolutely make our week when we receive a letter or package in the mail :)

My Peace Corps Story

The Peace Corps has always been a fascinating organization to me. I do not remember at what point I heard of or learned about it, but I know it was many, many years ago. There was a time in college when I doubted that I would be able to do it (to be 100% honest, I was truly worried about what I would eat abroad), and seriously looked into the Americorps NCCC program. Over the past few years though, there were multiple instances that the Peace Corps is what God had in store for me. At some point, He gave me a sense of peace and I knew at that moment I would be able to handle it. Upon deciding that I would go ahead and begin the intense application process, I cannot begin to count how many times Ukraine was brought up in everyday conversation. On a few occasions during the application process, I was in direct contact with returned Peace Corps Volunteers who had served in Ukraine and now worked for PC in one way or another. There are 77 countries that PC Volunteers serve in at the moment, so was it sheer coincidence that Ukraine kept popping up? I think not. When I traveled to Eastern Europe on choir tour during the summer of 2004, I felt called to go back to Ukraine. And now, I am getting that amazing opportunity.

The timeline below is as accurate an account of my application process to date. Let me preface it with a few things before you read:

Everytime you see an update of my application or I receive an email or packet in the mail, know that my heart DROPPED to my stomach with anticipation that I had been turned down. It is SO stressful to open your application status online…all that you want to see is that you have been cleared but instead, you see a giant red exclamation point…showing that there is yet another hold on your application. I went back through and read old emails for the past hour or more as I comprised this list. Good thing I never throw away or delete anything of (remote) importance! I also got out my PC notebook that has every health and dental form, copy of faxes, receipts, etc. to double check dates. And people wonder why it's going to take me the remaining 6 weeks before I leave to pack up my entire house! One more note: for PC applicants, do not be discouraged by the timeline below. From what I've learned, it is a rarity to complete your medical and dental stuff on the first go 'round of forms. I think in the packet you receive, it says that only 15% of forms turned in are correct on the first try. I wish that I would have known just how normal it was to have complications when turning in your forms. After all, the PC wants to ensure your health and well-being for the 27 months you will be gone.

Lydia's Peace Corps Timeline

November 17, 2009 - made the final decision that I was ready to apply for PC, told my parents. Began paperwork for PC but never got the courage to really get it going…

February 1, 2010 - brother popped the question to his girlfriend of quite some time…which in the end would be a major cause for them getting married a quick 9 months later (so that I would be able to be at the wedding! Thanks J & T!)

February 2, 2010 - figured out who my 3 letters of recommendation would be

February 22, 2010 - checked in on people writing my letters of recommendation…

February 28, 2010 - 3 letters of recommendation turned in! Hooray!

March 3, 2010 - completed online application

March 4, 2010 - left for Mexico for 2 weeks (for quinceañeras and Spring Break mission trip!)

March 4, 2010 - received an email from PC wondering what my motivations were for strongly wanting to go to Ukraine. The email also explained that while it is possible to be placed in your first country of choice, it does not happen all that often.

March 7, 2010 - received PC packet in mail with items such as fingerprints, background check, etc. to be returned in 10 days (I would still be in Mexico at this point. Common theme to arise out of PC applications: Lydia is ALWAYS out of town when important information comes in the mail.)

April 13, 2010 - Interview in Dallas (Scott Meier drove me down...and we went shopping after the interview. Duh.) Was nominated for a program leaving in mid-late March 2011 to Eastern Europe working with at-risk youth. God works in great ways!

April 20, 2010 - Another envelope arrives from PC, this time filled with medical and dental forms.

Mid-May 2010 - complete medical and dental tests (including 6 blood tests, 12 x-rays for my teeth/gums, complete physical, urinalysis, female exam, tuberculosis test, 3 vaccinations, etc.)

Late-May 2010 - receive blood test results back; one test comes back “indeterminate,” which could be something as simple as the person at the lab dropped my vial of blood that day. Have to go in for another round of blood tests.

September 15, 2010 -receive letter in the mail that the following items were missing:

~Second page of my physical

~Hepatitis B surface antigen (As it turns out, I was never tested for Hepatitis B surface antigen in the first place. I was tested for Hepatitis BE Antigen, which is not the same thing in any way, shape, or form. So for the next few months, it took many phone calls and emails back and forth to figure out that this was in fact the wrong test altogether.)

~Personal statement describing allergies

November 1, 2010 - fax in forms from Sept. 15, 2010 (they don’t end up going through for some reason)

November 23, 2010 - fax in forms again, asking for an email receipt of receiving the fax. My PC application was put on hold because I did not respond to the information they asked for due to them not receiving the fax.

December 3, 2010 - finally get correct blood test (Hepatitis B Surface Antigen) result back and submitted. Huge sigh of relief!

December 9, 2010 - faxed in correct blood test and it was RECEIVED!

December 15, 2010 - receive email asking for updated resume that includes all work and volunteer experiences since the last time I turned in a resume (March 2010). Each experience needs to have the name of the organization, how many hours I worked there a week and what months, and my activities/duties.

December 28, 2010 - (my birthday!) email updated resume

January 10, 2011 - PC officer responds to my email with updated resume informing me she can’t open the file. Great. I quickly save it as a PDF and send it in…again.

January 11, 2011 - email from PC officer at 8:00 am: “I now have your compete file and will pass you on to your placement officer. They will contact you as soon as they are able to conduct their final review of your file. Thank you for your patience up to this time. I wish you the best of luck in the future!” Like that email doesn't make your mind start racing...

January 11, 2011 - miss phone call from PC officer at noon (see this entry). Receive unofficial PC invitation!!!!!!

January 13, 2011 - leave for my brother and sister-in-laws house in New Hampshire

January 14, 2011 - official PC invitation arrives in mail in Norman, Oklahoma. I am in Derry, New Hampshire. Wonderful.

January 18, 2011 - email my acceptance note!

January 27, 2011 - email aspiration statement and updated resume (tailored to Youth Development now)

January 31, 2011 - Mailed in current passport, got passport/visa pictures taken, and submitted paperwork for my new government issued passport and visa to Ukraine (with the Oklahoma Blizzard of 2011 nipping right at my toes…I was then stuck in the house for the next 4 days).

March 21, 2011 - fly to DC for staging!

March 23, 2011 - fly to Ukraine!

March 25, 2011- move in with host family in Oster :)

June 13, 2011 - leave Oster, head to Kiev for Swearing-In Retreat (posts here and here)

June 16, 2011 - leave Kiev, move to Kirovograd, Ukraine!  My home for the next 2 years.

About Me

My name is Lydia Frost and I am 25 years old. I was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on December 28, 1986, and lived there until I was 14.

Jeremy (my brother), Lena (my mom), Lydia (me), Ed (my dad)

In 2001, my family moved to Norman, Oklahoma. Upon finishing high school in Norman, I started my college career at the University of Oklahoma (OU--Go Sooners!). In May 2009, I graduated from the College ofArchitecture with a Bachelors of Interior Design.

my interior design class

Throughout my time at OU, I was a high school youth intern at McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church. Thanks to McFarlin, I have been blessed with opportunities to travel on over 20 mission trips with the youth and college students in the past 9 years.

the McFarlin Youth Ministries Staff

In November 2010, the Frost Family welcomed a new member to the clan...

Mom, Pops, TINA (my new sister-in-law!), Jeremy, and Lydia

I have the ability to quote Friends many times a day. However, I try to restrict myself and only do it around people who know and watch the show.

I have an unhealthy addiction to pictures. This is evident upon viewing my blog. But, when I'm 80 years old (and can hardly see the pictures), I will still be glad that I have them to look back on. I am also a lover of good architecture, especially when I'm traveling. It is at that point that I can combine three obsessions (pictures, architecture, and traveling) and mesh them into one!

I currently live in Kirovograd, Ukraine, where I work as a Youth Development Peace Corps Volunteer.  My 27-month journey started in March 2011, which you can read more about by clicking on the label, "My Peace Corps Story." 

Construction Zone!

I am in the midst of trying to update my blog for the Peace Corps right now...and although I like to think of myself as technologically savvy, I am most definitely not when it comes to web design. Give me a task in Photoshop, and I can get-r-done, but html codes? No way.

Things to look forward to once this overhaul is completed:

a new tabs menu at the top of my blog (to include: contact info for Ukraine, wish list, packing section, my PC application timeline, and anything else that pops through my head!)

a new background/header

(hopefully) a more conducive layout (having trouble deciding between a 2 column, 3 column, or maybe even 4 column template)

and whatever else I stumble upon while looking at blogging tutorials!

If you see random posts in the near future that seem a little off-the-wall, just ignore them for the time being. I will let everyone know when the blog is ready!

My last trip to New Hampshire for a while...part 1

While in New Hampshire a little over a week ago, I got to experience 3 bouts of snowstorms (I love them, however, everyone else up there wishes they wouldn't happen...). I had my handy dandy new camera with me (my amazing Christmas and birthday present from the 'rents--thank you!), which made me itch to go outside and play with different settings.

Tina, snuggled up with Gracie (their miniature pincher)

My lovely brother got me this book for my birthday, which I started devouring during my time there.

The view looking down the street from J & T's house.

Dressed and ready to head outside. It was in the teens, I believe...

Snow #1: the snow that caused my flight to be canceled which ended up being perfect because I got to extend my (last trip) up to New England for a while. Total blessing in disguise!

A very dry snow...but still b-e-a-youuuuutiful (name that movie...)

el fin!