Born in the USA, Back in the USSR

Ok, so that was super cheesy and not exactly politically correct, but I couldn't resist.

I went back to the United States for a week for Fulbright orientation. Though this involved being in DC in July (something that should be avoided when possible), I had a great time being back in the US. It was amazing, however, to see how used I had gotten to certain things in Ukraine. For example, I was BEYOND excited to be back in a city where most buildings are going to be air conditioned. Then I get to DC, and I freeze. Even the buildings that do have AC in Kiev are air-conditioned just to the point where it is not hot, but I'd be shocked to find a place with the AC turned down to 60 degrees. The AC I'd been looking forward to was, surprisingly, just as uncomfortable to me as not having it.

I also found myself really excited to come back to Ukrainian food and portion sizes. I was saddened by the amount of food I threw away in DC when I'd discovered that the item I'd ordered was simply too much for me to handle, especially now that I've grown accustomed to eating about half the amount of food as one normally does in the US (and lost several pounds between that and the mystery illness of my first few weeks). I was happy to have a Chipotle burrito (or, rather, a third of one), but I was just as happy to come back to a bowl of borsht (beet-root soup), cabbage salad, and buckwheat.

When I took a taxi back from the airport in Kiev, I had a full conversation in Russian with someone who was not my teacher. It was my first. Among other things, the driver told me I should find a Ukrainian boyfriend so that I could practice my Russian, of course. He stopped short of offering his services. It was exciting to be able to keep up, and I think it's a sign that things are looking up this summer.