Going Home

I started the process of going home a week before I actually ended up in Salt Lake City. I started by stopping off at my school where I said goodbye to the teachers that were there and the new school director – who was a teacher, so I already knew him well. They gave me a nice gift – a sugar bowl and creamer that match the pialas (small bowls used for drinking tea) I was given last year. From there, Ludmilla and I went to the home of the former director, who I worked with throughout my two years there. We interrupted their lunch, but she didn’t drop a beat in setting a place for Ludmilla and I. Her daughter, who speaks perfect English and studies in London, was home visiting so it was great to meet her.  I then went home and did the last of my packing up.

Oksana, Ludmilla Sergeevna, Ludmilla Iosifovna, and Me!

I left the next day to go into to Kokshetau to stay the night before getting a taxi to Astana. Ludmilla, her husband and daughter came to pick up me and my luggage. I had a tearful goodbye with my Babushka, who told me I was like the daughter she never had. It was so sweet! She also checked to make sure I had the necklace she’d given me, which had been a gift from her son and she said would keep me safe while traveling. Then, I was gone.

The next day I met Hannah at the train station to get a taxi to Astana, where we would then stay the night and get on a train to Almaty in the morning. A group of girls that had been Hannah’s students and come to camp GLOW came to see us off, as well as my Counterpart Ludmilla, who gave me a beautiful bracelet as a final parting gift.

After loading the luggage into the taxi, Hannah, Trevor (who came along to help move the luggage around and keep us company) and I were off to Astana. We made it to the train station around dinner time and considered roughing it in the train station waiting area for the night, but eventually decided to get a hotel room. We got some dinner, watched a little Seinfeld, and slept a little before getting up early in t he morning to catch the 7 am train to Almaty. It was a little stressful getting the luggage into the train car, but everything fit in alright. And luckily we had some compassionate train-mates – a Kaz-23 and her counterpart who were headed down to Almaty for a conference. That was a happy coincidence!

Hannah and I got into Almaty at 5:00 am on August 3^rd. I spent the day at the Peace Corps office in meetings with my manager and the country director and getting papers signed off by other staff members. And then, with a flick of the pen, I was no longer a volunteer, but a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.

I got a little bit of sleep that night in the office, but at 5:00 am on the 4^th a taxi was at the office to take my friend Athena and I to the airport. My first stop was in Abu Dhabi where I had a 24 hour layover. I didn’t want to spend 24 hours in the airport, so I treated myself to a night in a nice hotel, complete with room service…

Islands of Abu Dhabi

Vegetable Thai Curry, and Chcolate Royale with Strawberry Ice Cream

It was lovely.

Then I had a 14 hour flight to Chicago. The flight left an hour early than I had originally seen on the itinerary, and arrived an hour early. Which would have been great if I’d known it would get in that early because I could have made it on a flight that evening to SLC. But, I had no way of knowing, so I had booked the flight for the next morning. I was absolutely exhausted by the time I got to Chicago because I had not been able to sleep at all on the plane, so I found a bench and slept (not-so-soundly) for the next 5 hours. I woke up around 11:00 pm, watched a movie, played a game on my computer, and around 1 am went to the bathroom to freshen up and change my clothes… then I slept for a couple more hours. I went up to the baggage check area around 4:00 am to wait in lines. Then finally, 2 and a half hours later, I was on a plane to Salt Lake City.

August 6^th, 2011. Home!

 

Keeping a close eye on the baggage.

 

My little brother suggested we go to Ihop for breakfast. So, alright. Couldn’t say no to that.

I’ve been back in America for a week now and I’m still “wow’ed” by a lot of things. The food, the Television, the daily showers, the comfy bed, the Targets…. :) It may not be perfect, but America is pretty fantastic.

I had a little family gathering today and my grandparents, an aunt and a few cousins stopped by.

And now it’s time for me to pack up again! But only for a short vacation. My family is heading to Disneyland for the week. I’m so excited! And THEN, when I get home from vacation, I can figure out what to do with the rest of my life…….