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I made it alive!

My seventeen hours to get here were definitely long and exhausting, but I think it was worth it.  

I didn't get any sleep on the plane because of course I was crammed between two large men who decided personal space is no common courtesy and were very close to me the entire time. When I got to the airport in Kiev the native coordinators were supposed to pick me up. They weren't there when I first got out so I stood and waited and finally this woman walked through the doors and straight to me and said "Are you Samantha," while she hugged me. I like them. 

They drove me to my host family's house, which is on a dirt road outside of the city and all of the houses have huge walls around them with gates to get in. 

My family is SO cute. I have a host mom, her husband, their son, and the grandma. The mom speaks good english and the son speaks a little bit too. So that is a huge relief. 

They showed me a little bit around the house and the backyard which is beautiful. There's a huge pond with lily pads and coy fish and a bridge that leads over to a big soccer field and garden with a ton of apple trees. 

So we sat outside and talked for a while and they juiced me up some juice from their apples. -And that is all I have drunk since I've gotten here... 

Gma cooked me up some type of fish and tomatoes and cucumbers - every single meal, she cuts up tomatoes and cucumbers for me. 

I've literally already gained 45 pounds because they keep feeding me, and it doesn't stop. 

I spent the whole day at the school doing some training and meeting everybody. The kids are so so cute. I'm excited to start tomorrow. 

Luckily one of the girls lives right next door to me so we can walk / ride the bus / metro to school together. More like she can show me how to get there because it seems way complicated. 

When I got home tonight everyone was in the kitchen getting haircuts by a friend. They asked me if I "needed a hairdresser." No thank you. 

And after dinner my host mom gave me my first russian lesson. She taught me the alphabet, all those backyards letters. Super confusing. But I'm excited that she wants to teach me. 

{ this is vova and the massive dog. He smells. }

 { Vova. He is my new best friend. }

I really like it here so far.