Last post from America

I got home from Pittsburgh at 2 AM this morning, which gives me only today and tomorrow to prepare for my flight on Wednesday.

Given that instead of packing, I spent most of today in a Volkswagen dealership, magically turning this -

- into this -

- I have even less time to pack than I anticipated. So, this post will be short and sweet.

I'm nervous about leaving for Ukraine. I know that the trip will be a life-changing experience, but I also have incredibly high expectations for myself that may prove difficult to live up to. I am so lucky to have found such an interesting thesis topic and to have been given an opportunity to pursue it in this way. If I don't do this project the justice it deserves, I know I will be frustrated with myself...

Hopefully this nervousness will wear away soon after I arrive in Kyiv. In fact, I'm confident it will, because this is going to be a fun and exciting adventure with no room for fear and nerves!

I'm bringing a good digital camera to Ukraine, so I will be supplementing my posts with lots of nice pictures. (No more of the camera-phone-quality stuff, thank goodness!) I may even try to make a movie or two.

Wish me bon voyage! And, if you have a few minutes, read this article from Discover magazine:

The First Nuclear Refugees Come Home

Chernobyl-area natives return to find a city of ghosts. By Maryann de Leo

______________________

[Just to explain the photos above: my car was totaled a few weeks ago after being struck on the side of the road (where it was parked) by a speeding criminal in a stolen car under police pursuit. I was in bed when the accident happened, and no one was injured. Insurance is giving me a hell of a time, but I should get back most of what I paid for the car. In the meantime, I went ahead and bought basically the exact same car from a dealer here in Virginia. "Safe Happens" is no joke - despite all that exterior damage, the cabin of my Jetta was untouched. After seeing that, I'm definitely a VW girl for life!]