Hoppin' All Over the World

18 May 2012

They're heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere!

They’re here. After such a long time waiting the K-20s are finally here! And let me tell you – they seem like a really wonderful bunch. I’m pleased as punch that these are the kids that accepted their invitations to serve here in the K. Very much an eclectic group of people; young and old, black and white, crazy and crazier. Can’t wait to really get to know them. I keep having this ridiculous feeling that I want to be friends with them but 1) I’m not really quite allowed to be their friend yet; have to maintain my professional distance and be a good trainer and 2) they are NOT havin’ it. Haha. I wonder if we were the same with the 18s (although I think it’s a bit of the reverse in this case), where they tried to befriend us but we were just too involved in our own group to really branch out. Not sure I can handle two months of waiting to be friends – especially since a few of them are headed out in my direction and I want to like them and be ready to spend the next year havin’ a BLAST with them.

Back at site after almost 3 weeks in the Kek. First week was spent saying goodbye to one of my new best friends – BP, as we like to call him. John has been a staple in my Bishkek life over the past six months. Don’t know what I would’ve done without him and our Team Indulgence nights. However, I think that we sent him off (on his glorious 6 week vacation to Uzbekistan, Australia, NZ, Fiji, etc.) in true TI style. As sad as it was, I know that I’ll be able to do it all over again come July when he’s back for a month of consulting work. Good thing that’s when my session of PST will be. :)

Second week was doing our ToT for the K-20 PST. Lots of repetition of things we learned in our own PST, but it feels kind of nice being on the know-it-all end of things this time around and not the holy-shit-what-did-I-get-myself-into end. All of the trainers are going to be great; we have a very enthusiastic and positive energy going on and the LCFs (the language teachers) are ready and rarin’ to go with this new batch of trainees.

Third week kicked off with our jaunt out to the airport at 2 am to great the new trainees. I think that all of the vols who decided to show up – there were about 20 of us – were all so past the point of tired that we were all just giddy silly fools and so excited for them all to arrive safe and sound. A few vols waited inside the airport with PC signs (like they wouldn’t know who we were without them?! *facepalm*) while the rest of us waited outside, jumping up and down and very fidgety. We created a tunnel of sorts for people to walk down – we even got some locals to go through and cheered them on; they thought we were nuts! – just to add to their embarrassment of being up for howevermanyhours and traveled halfway around the world. Lots of them were good sports about it.

After the airport, we all headed to the hotel where the trainees would stay for the first few nights and the vols were let off into the world of 5 am Bishkek. Surprisingly beautiful and serene, I might add. Then we all tried to pull our shit together to manage a few hours of sleep before PST officially began. Lots of information was thrown in the trainees faces, all the trainers seemed way more excited then the rest of them, and the staff seemed incredibly well-put-together and ready to go. Our team this year really is going to be prime time. On Tuesday, they all got matched up with their host families for PST. Everyone was terrified and it was really cathartic knowing that I wasn’t the only one flipping out over this; that it very much is a big deal not speaking the language and getting placed with a family you don’t know anything about. They all took it like champs. I hope they’re doing well. Haven’t heard much to the contrary, so I’m guessing no news is good news.

I am excited to see them all in six weeks time for my session, but am still really nervous about handling them all on my own. The other two sessions for TEFL have two volunteers to work things out. I’m on my lonesome. Sometimes I think that’s a great idea and sometimes I’m scared shitless. I know I’ll be fine and my energy and enthusiasm will be enough to get me through the really awkward times, but at the same time, I want to share all my knowledge about teaching and living in the K with them. Does that make me weird? I hope not. Otherwise this’ll be awkward as hell. Fingers crossed that I’ll figure out what I’m doing before then and that things will go over smoothly.

Still having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that a lot of my best friends from country are either traveling the world right now or are back in America. Can’t fathom it. It seems like only yesterday we were all sitting in a field in Kengesh and I was getting shit for wanting to come to Talas. Wonder if the 20s will feel that way about us in a year. Gosh, I hope they will. It really is interesting how people can get so close after only one year when put in places and experiences like this. Some of the 18s I will remember and love for the rest of my life. Like I said before, don’t know what I’m going to do without them until I really get to know the 20s. I’ll make due, I guess.

Haven’t been reading much lately. Been too wrapped up in TV shows finishing (Glee and Smash, although I haven’t seen the finales to either). Still trying to work my way through Game of Thrones – I’m on book four – but this one is just not as interesting. Why did he make it so that this book is ‘written’ by the crappy characters and the fifth one is with all the good ones?! Damn him, knowing we HAVE to read one to get to the other. Have Steve Jobs’ biography up next on the queue and am getting ready to rewatch all of Lost with Steve. Found The Avengers, but haven’t watched it yet. Quality is pretty shite and I just can’t bring myself to watch it like that – want to be able to really appreciate RDJ’s dialogue and to stare at Thor’s arms ‘cause… goddamn. Anyone got anything new for me? I’m really starting to need some of the following:

- A Bit of Fy and Laurie

- Jeeves and Wooster

- Less Than Perfect (old skool Zachary Levi, YESFRICKINPLEASE!)

If you have access to any or all of those things, send in my direction, please and thank you.

MOM AND TIF COME IN LESS THAN A MONTH. Sorry, just a wee bit excited. Cannot wait to be able to show off this beautiful country to them and to show off my (not so) amazing Kyrgyz skills. And just to hang out with them again. Miss them so much. And then less than a month after that, Jess comes to visit and help with camp. Going to be one of the best summers ever. Here’s hoping that Diana and Mrs EA find a way to make it in my direction and that my trip with Dad actually pans out. :)

This post has gotten completely incoherent, which means that I need to finish up and do something my brain can handle (Lost, it is then.). Please know that I’m missing you all and wishing the best summers. Hope tornadoes haven’t swept you all away. All my love to you guys.

24 April 2012

Can you tell I'm bored?

‘Cause I’ve been in a very list-y mood recently, I’m going to have a completely pointless post about top five things I’ve done/watched/read in country or just in general. None of these are going to be in any order, unless indicated, so take ‘em as they come. Again, I repeat, this a completely pointless entry, but it’ll at least give you an idea of the things my brain thinks of while I’m sitting through lessons at school. Awesome. Ready for this? Here we go!

Top 5 Books I’ve Read While In Country

- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

- Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel

- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

- A Song of Ice & Fire by George RR Martin

- The Power of the Myth by Joseph Campbell

11 April 2012

taps mic Is this thing on?

It’s been a while, all you cats and kittens! Sorry for the massive delay, but things have finally started to pick up in the good ol’ Red Star. Firstly, spring has sprung and I seriously could NOT be happier. :) It’s amazing what a little fresh air and sunshine can do for a girl’s mood. Every once in a while I’ll even play ‘Taxi Driver’ in the abandoned cars outside our house with my host siblings and other neighborhood kids. As expected, everyone was right: I do speak more Kyrgyz with the little guys AND they’re a lot more forgiving when I make mistakes. Gotta make more of an effort to keep doing that, I guess. Always love being THAT guy – the one that hangs out with people 12-15 years younger than they are. *facepalm*

And since spring has arrived, that means my first year of teaching (!) is almost at a close. Crazy shit, man. I can’t believe that only a year ago I was freaking out about whether or not I’d be a good teacher (only sometimes) and if my students would like me (only when my counterpart isn’t there). Granted, I still think those things on a daily basis, it’s not as crippling of a feeling. There are definitely LOTS of things I would go back and do differently, if given the chance, and many things I will change for next year (big changes headed my way on that front, burusaa). Let’s hope it all works out. Otherwise the next 14 months are gonna be crazy as balls (not that they weren’t going to be anyway).

With the end of school approaching, that also means that summer is coming [Sorry, Starks, life in the K is a bit different than Winterfell!]! And boy, what a summer it’s shaping up to be. Helping organize two camps – both in Talas, working another one, teaching the newbs (aka the K20s) the ways of the force, Mom and Tif are going to attempt the trek through the mountains of Talas for a visit, and Jess is going to come and hang (but really to work an arts camp with me – you saint, you!). Complete antithesis from what I was(n’t) doing last year. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t completely terrified about all of the work that I’m going to have to do in the next 4 months, but I’m SO stoked to finally be DOING something.

The 20s coming hits me with absolute mixed feelings. On the one hand, I’m so ready for some fresh meat… I mean, new friends, but on the other, that means that some of my closest friends in country (18s) are getting the hell outta dodge and moving on to different and exciting things. I’ve got all my crossable limbs crossed in the hopes that the majority of the 20s will be awesome and just what we need in country – and ESPECIALLY out in my neck of the woods since I’ll be all alone. No pressure or anything, 20s. ;) And if any of you actually read this blog, INDULGE THE SHIT OUTTA ANY AND EVERYTHING YOU CAN WHILE YOU’RE IN PHILLY! Food, alcohol (responsibly, of course!), coffee, technology, friends, family, etc… You think I’m being over-dramatic, but just you wait, Henry Higgins. However, with that being said, everyone in country is pumped as balls to meet you guys and are ready for you to get here already! Hurry the hell up, 13 May!

And ‘cause there’s always a more ‘serious’ part of each blog, here we go. Grad schools. They’re driving me nuts already. I’m sure there are quite a few people back in the States that already want to slit my throat for going on and on and on and on about this and I’ve still got PLENTY of time to figure my shit out. Well, you all know how I am: I like to be semi-organized and have a plan. Haha. Right now, what I thinkin’ about doing is finding out when the hell the next round of the GREs is available in Kazakhstan (seriously, SOMEONE help a sister out and figure out where the hell I can LOOK for this info) and then apply to a few schools (both in the UK and in the States) for right outta PC. If I get in to any of those – they would probably be my ‘dream schools’ – then awesome, I’ll go. If I don’t, then I’ll probably end up taking a year off after I’m done with service and look for work/take classes/more thoroughly research schools. Anyone know of any jobs with non-profits or development work in Chicago, DC, or NYC that are hiring for year-long type stints? That would help keep me from feeling stagnant and bored (after two years in the K where everything I do means something) while figuring out grad school. It would also probably help as an interim period where I can readjust and figure out what the hell I actually want to do. We’ll see what happens. Like I said before, I’ve got time (14 months, but who’s counting) to figure stuff out. In the mean time, I have to relearn all of the math skills I’ve forgotten since high school and start prepping for the GREs. GOD, I hate standardized tests.

How are all you crazy kids doing? What’s the deal? Some of you are finishing up uni and grad schools, yeah? Good luck with theses and dissertations and practicums and whatever the hell else you guys are doing to keep yourselves occupied and intelligent. :) Some of you are looking for new places in new cities with new jobs. To you, I am sending the biggest of hugs and best of well wishes. Hope spring is treating you guys well. Miss you loads and wish that you could all see the gorgeousness of Talas in the spring/summer. I’ll try and start taking more pictures soon, I promise. Love you all. Let me know how you’re doing every once in a while.

PS – My Kindle has finally made its way back to me, so I’m the MOST open for new book recommendations. In fact, thanks to Diana and Chanelle, I’ve spent loads of MB rediscovering the addictiveness of GoodReads. Kill me now, I love it too much. Hit me up with some books. Read some good ones lately. Let’s talk about it!

26 February 2012

I'm singin' the blues (and not as well as Etta)...

I’m hitting my One Year of Service blues. It’s a normal part of the Peace Corps experience for PCVs once we reach our 11-15 month mark; one of many on our natural roller coaster of emotions during service. It’s normal but it definitely sucks. A lot. Been struggling with lots of things in regards to these silly Blues (I wonder if they would be more manageable if Hugh Laurie or Michael Buble sang them…?), but with the help and kind words from family and friends – seriously, you guys are LIFESAVERS for listening to me bitch as much as I do – I’ve been slowly getting through them. Just bear with me for a little while longer and hopefully when the winter fades away, so will the Blues.

It’s not as if I don’t like being the Peace Corps and am completely ready to give it all up just to go back to being a crazy, over-indulgent American, ‘cause that’s not the case at all. I do love being in Peace Corps, I’m just going through that phase of feeling unfulfilled and useless at site. It probably doesn’t help that I just spent like 6 weeks out of country (in Morocco and Thailand, yes please!) and speaking mainly English all the time. In order to deal with this, I’m trying to interact more with my host-family and do more things with people in the village and just being more pro-active about projects and life in K-stan in general. And one thing that a friend of mine helped me to realize is that no matter what I actually do in country, one of the things that Peace Corps has helped me discover is who I am as a person. Yes, cue cheesy inspirational music… It’s helping me figure out what I love about myself, what I like in my life, what I don’t like, etc. And that’s something that I will hopefully take with me for the rest of my life. Kuday burusaa (‘god willing’ in Kyrgyz).

Which then brings me to the point of my Americanness. While I don’t love-with-every-fibre-of-my-being my Americanness, Peace Corps has helped me appreciate it so much more than I had in the past. And I cannot wait to take those feelings of appreciation back to the States/UK with me after I’m finished with this experience. For the longest time, I was always the girl who wanted to get out and travel and experience any- and everything she could. [I still am, but that’s beside the point.] And in doing so, I ventured to the UK where I was always dubbed the ‘Most Un-American American’ any of my friends had ever met. And that was something on which I really prided myself. I don’t think I have really changed that much in terms of attitude or general personality, but I most definitely am an American and would not have it any other way. However, don’t expect me to go get a biker tattoo complete with bald eagle and giant American flag; I’m not quite there yet. But I really am so thankful that I have the access to silly TV shows whenever I need them or can go out for a meal that doesn’t take 3 hours from start to finish, unless I make it last that long by talking or giggling with friends. I would not give up the fact that I am the biggest fucking theatre geek on the planet and had the ability – either in Chicago or on trips with Mom/Ri to NYC – to go see 5 plays in the course of a weekend. I love that in America, being a 24 year old woman who is NOT married isn’t a bad thing. I love that in America, I could go to the grocery store and buy a whole bunch of things that aren’t oil, potatoes, or sheep fat to make a delicious, homemade meal (oh my God, a spinach and strawberry salad with a strawberry vinaigrette dressing would be so fucking primetime right now!).

Maybe what’s frustrating me so much about this whole thing is the fact that I feel like I’ve lost so much of ‘ME’ over the course of the past year. As silly and crazy as I can be with certain people in country, I cannot be the Sarah Hopkins most of you knew back in the States. I have to curb my stupid pop-culture referencing (and yeah, I’ll admit it, sometimes that’s a little weird), I have to push down the fact that I would be much more willing to jam out (and sing at the top of my lungs) to a Broadway musical soundtrack then some club album. I’m just not quite me anymore. And I need to get that back, but don’t know how.

With all of that bitching and complaining being said, here are some of the awesome things to which I’m looking forward in the next few months, PC and Kyrgyzstan-related:

- Spring.

- My mom (and possibly Tif) coming to visit.

- A possible visit from the padre (or some crazy adventure in Russia?).

- The K-20s finally showing up.

- Summer.

- The possibility of being a PCVT and helping the newbies through PST.

- Two different summer camps I’m helping put together.

- Jess coming to visit.

- Fresh fruits and vegetables (that don’t cost me half my month’s salary).

- Hopefully starting up a few projects I love and can get behind.

- My kindle coming back into my possession.

- New Game of Thrones season.

I just really need to keep focusing on all of the good things about this experience and taking one day at a day. One ‘accomplishment’ for each day and then going on from there. I can do this. I really can. :) The Blues are a natural part of this experience and so is getting over it. Be patient with me and I’ll get there.

You all are so amazing. I miss and love you so much. Think about you guys so often. Let me know what’s going on in your lives (JOE – this means you!). Don’t hear from nearly enough of you on a regular basis. Haha.

24 January 2012

Calm it down, kids.

Alright, for those of you who’d like a less cryptic update as to why I’m currently hanging out in Thailand, here’s the entry for you. No one needs to be freaking out about this, I’ll be fine (Mom, Dad, this means you!). I'm not having my hand chopped off nor am I undergoing some radical lobotomy.

I’m here because I have a ganglion cyst on the inside of my right wrist. I’m pretty sure it was caused due to me lugging my giant-ass suitcases worth of goodies (thank you again, Mom) back to my village through Kazakhstan. Lots of lifting and dragging a giant 50+ lb bag with one hand. Obviously, my wrist did NOT like that. So now I have this little bubble of whatever stuck on one of my tendons on my wrist. At first it was causing me loads of pain when I used and flexed it. Because of that I went to Bishkek to have it checked out. They wanted to try compression bandages and just force/squeeze the thing away. Needless to say, ‘cause of my lifestyle back in Talas (thank you, little host siblings!), immobility and something like that just wasn’t going to fly. Continuing on on the goose chase, we tried the med unit at the US Embassy to see if they could just drain the damn thing and be done with it. Because of the location of the cyst, she couldn’t. She said that she could attempt to drain it, but because it is so close to arteries, tendons, veins, etc., she didn’t want to inject the steroids to keep it from getting infected and returning. Fast forward a few hours and here I am, in Bangkok, having shenanigans dealt with. The doc says that the pain is most likely from tendonitis from the heavy lifting and not from the cyst itself, therefore trying to prolong the need for surgery (to Mom’s very large relief). Have an appointment on Saturday to see if the anti-inflammatory drugs are doing their job (as of right now, it still hurts), and then another a week later to see if it’s operation time or just go home with a giant lump on my wrist until the end of service where I’ll more than likely want it cut off anyway. Haha.

Will continue to keep everyone updated on how life goes. As for right now, Thailand is hot, humid, delicious, noisy, sunny, fantastic. Now, if only I had my fucking camera…
<3

12 January 2012

Finally.

Well gang, I think it’s about that time again. Time for me to update you all on the craziness that has become my life. I bet you’ve missed it, haven’t you? NOT. Haha. Quite a bit has been going on both in the K and other places; lots of stuff that I think I need to get out of my head, so I can work slash talk (to) myself through some things. Bear with me? If you’re not interested, it’s as easy as hitting that little ‘x’ on the corner of your screen or redirecting to whatever stumbleupon site you were just playing on. ;)

Firstly – my trip to Morocco with the madre. Holy balls, was it brilliant. Definitely going back, insha’allah. Started off with an awesome 4 am flight out of Bishkek, after having spent about an hour sleeping on the couch in the PCV resource centre; yeah, I’m classy like that. Don’t you love it when you start international flights (which you KNOW are going to take forever and be physically draining) with no sleep? Fast-forward a flight to Istanbul and then another one to Casablanca to when I’m hurrying through Moroccan customs, knowing my mom is on the other side of it. Cue sappy music: Yes, I did kind of walk quickly into her arms with the biggest ass grin on my face. Don’t judge – I hadn’t seen her in exactly 9 months (and as surprising as it is, that is legit the longest I have gone without seeing her – Mama’s girl, probably, but I wouldn’t have it any other way)! And then everything clicked back into our normal crazy selves, like nothing had happened or we had been apart. So wonderful.

Then we head out into the warm, Moroccan sun to find our guide Youssef. Boys and girls, let me tell you about this guy: if we had had a different guide, I honestly think it would have been a COMPLETELY different trip. He was so perfect for my mom’s and my craziness, ‘cause he was just as crazy. Totally not afraid to joke around, make fun of us, be silly, dance and sing on our long drives around the country. If it gives you any indication of what kind of a guy he was, he is probably one of U2’s biggest fans (although JP might contest that…) and could not help brag and show pictures of when he was hired by them for about a month while they were in Fes recording No Line on the Horizon. He definitely made our introduction and stay in the country more than epic. Too bad he’s not on FB, otherwise I’d give him a shout-out. Haha.

Anyway, we were off to do a little drive through Casablanca before heading to our hotel (hello, Jetlag!). For those of you who haven’t been driving in Morocco – consider yourselves lucky and I highly recommend investing in about six extra seat belts and airbags for your cars if you do so. Terrifying. And that’s me saying it after having lived in Africa and gone through the Talas pass during winter. Balls. Imagining Mom driving there was a point of much laughter during the two weeks. :) Passed by both Hassan II Mosque (GORGEOUS!) and Rick’s Café (God bless smart marketing!) and a really cool open square near our hotel. But instead of really indulging – there was a Pizza Hut delivery place super close to us, but for some STUPID reason, I didn’t go there once during my whole trip; STUPID Sarah – Mom and I opted for dinner at the hotel and then having a mini-Christmas. I gave her some Kyrgyz stuff (calpaks, slippers, PC shirts, etc.) to deliver to the rest of the fam and she brought so stuff that was much needed on my side (more ‘me’ clothes from home, Chex Mix [!], PB M&Ms, nice mittens from Dad, Starbucks VIA – YESSSSSS!). Took a much-needed and enjoyed shower and then passed the balls out.

The next morning we barely made it (we both like to sleep and I didn’t wanna get outta bed) to the guided tour of the Hassan II Mosque. It is situated right on the coast, I think it even hangs over the water?, because of a verse in the Koran about God’s throne being on the water. I think it’s the only working mosque that allows women/people of non-Muslim faith in to see it. Let me tell you: was NOT disappointed. Seriously gorgeous. There are a bazillion pictures of it on FB, so check it out there. The main hall fits about 20,000 men and 5,000 women AND the roof opens during the summer and Ramadan. Epic. Seeing this mosque just reaffirmed for me the beauty and amazingness of Islam and everything related to it. In fact, the whole trip did that as well, which makes it that much damn harder to be here in K-stan for another 18 months. Come on, Hopkins, just power through it. You’ll get there eventually.

After the tour we headed to Rabat for the afternoon to eat lunch, look around the medina, and then head on to Fes, which turned out to be both Mom’s and my favourite city. Don’t know why exactly, but it was gorgeous. Especially at sunset. LOVE. There was a point where we were on a giant hill over looking the city as the sun was going down and one of the two fortresses that had been built ages ago was lit up both by the sun and artificial lights and it looked almost identical to Edinburgh Castle. Needless to say, my heart missed that and everyone in good ol’ Ed right now. Cannot WAIT to get back there. Too bad everyone I know will more than likely be off pursuing their own crazy adventures other places. Unless you’d like to stay and just hang out with me…? Wink wink, nudge nudge. In Fes we toured the old medina (love it); bought some gorgeous Moroccan carpets from a women’s co-op – they rival even Persian ones! – but alas Mom had to take mine back to the States, which means I won’t see it for another year and a half; toured a pottery place where they did literally everything by hand with little to no electronic help; and obviously bought a fez, ‘cause they’re cool.

From Fes we took a day trip to some Roman ruins – Volubilis – and drove through olive country. It was astounding to me how many different types of ecospheres there are in Morocco; literally every kind you could possibly think of. Desert, coastal region, gorgeous vineyard-y, etc. Best of all worlds, I guess. After our adventures there, we made our way down to Erfoud which is where we spent the night before CAMELS. Yes, you read that correctly: Mom and I trekked (with the help of a 4x4) out to the edge of the Sahara Desert and then rode camels to this super cool Berber camp where we spent the freezing cold – although it could probably be argued that my room back in Kyzyl Jyldyz is actually colder than it was there – night in tents before catch the sunrise and heading back to ‘civilization.’ I just have this to say: Camels are one of the weirdest effing animals on the planet. They look SO WEIRD. Their humps and their knobbly knees… Come on, man. Oh, and they’re SUPER tall. When they stand up, with you on ‘em, terrifying. Haha. But at the same time, sunrise and sunset out in the middle (well, not really) of the Sahara Desert is stunning. You’re so far removed from all the bullshit of life and just nothing between you and the sun but sand. If you don’t believe me, look at the pics on FB. Done and done.

Then off to Marrakech. Not really our favourite of the cities, but still pretty cool nonetheless. This is where we did most of our shopping – both for souvenirs and just personal stuff. Let me tell you: Mom is THE WORST haggler on the planet. Haha. She can be guilted into buying almost anything. Even a dozen shishkabob sticks that she will more than likely never use. Or a puzzle box. Silly Mom. ;) Loads of cool stuff, minus the snake charmers (when did that dislike of snakes come up, Sarah?!). And the food… OHMYGOD,YOUGUYSTHEFOOD! Moroccan PCVs do NOT know how good they’ve got it. Fresh fruits and vegetables for cheap, even in the middle of winter. Food with spices and flavor abound. Sheep/lamb cooked properly – not just boiled! Heaven in a little tiny wonderful country.

Which then brings me to a little bit of a ‘deeper’ topic. While in Morocco, and a few weeks before hand, I did a lot of soul-searching about how I feel about K-stan, my experiences, and how I think I will change in the future once I’m finished. Even though I loved every single thing about Morocco – even the hellish traffic – and envied most of the PCVs there (seriously, even their ‘tiny’ villages were epic to proportions!), I don’t think I would trade their experience for mine in a thousand years. I feel as if I am having a ‘real’ PC experience here. I really am so far (well, relatively) removed from everything ‘comfortable’ and ‘known’ to me. I have been forced to really settle into Kyrgyz life and become one of them, as much as possible.

However, with all that being said, I have come to the realization that despite how much of a ‘hippie’ and whatever I’ve considered myself over the past few years, I really like a lot of American and Western things. For example, I miss going to movies, I miss going to the theatre and geeking out, I miss being able to go shopping and or dress up for a night out (with decent drinks), I miss being able to cook a full meal in less than 5 hours. None of this is coming out the way I want it to; I wish I could put it more eloquently… I love what I do here, I really do, but I also miss so many things from America. And I’m having a hard time coming to terms with that; letting the two co-exist with one another. It’s as if I cannot let the materialistic part of me come through and be happy if I’m going to be living and serving in developing countries where people wouldn’t even DREAM of having the things I’m ‘giving up.’ Does any of this make sense? Hopefully, little by little, I’ll be able to get my shit together and realize that the two CAN go side by side and be happy and appreciate for it all.

Kyrgyzstan is treating me well, just know. Having some pretty hard times readjusting to life back in the K after my trip. Luckily I had a few days in the Kek with JDubs and 2/3 of Team Indulgence to help slide me back into things. But my first night back in my village was just awful: my little sister is apparently pretty sick so she screamed and cried all.night.long. That, in combination with not really knowing what time zone I’m in, have not done wonders for my mental health and sleep cycle. Haha. Also had forgotten that I had loads of work to do to get this Mom’s Club off the ground. It’s been diving in and hitting the ground running. Never been my strong point, but I’m hoping that with the new year I’ll be better at this kind of stuff. Even went so far as to completely clean and reorganize my little tiny room here in the vil. It’s amazing what that, and a bunch of ‘new’ clothes will do to a girl’s confidence, motivation, and well-being. Get ‘er done, Hopkins. :)

Now for the randomness:

- Kindle broke so it’s back to physical books until Mom can send me the replacement one. Could also be an issue when the power goes out – as it’s not really possible to read in the dark. Luckily I have a few that could keep my attention until then.

- The new Sherlock – HOLYBALLS. I need more Sherlock/Irene Addler in my life. Sexy, brilliant, smart, wonderful. The second one was just as awesome – we all know I love me some Russell Tovey, especially when he properly acts! – but not as much as the first one. I think it’ll be quite similar to the first season: third and first were better than the second one. Now, if only I could somehow manage enough free interwebz (NOT gonna happen) to see the last one come Sunday. Anyone want to help a sister out? :)

- Anyone else, other than the Lukester read Passage by Justin Cronin? Finished it while in Morocco and want to talk about it more… Also, who knows definitively when the next one is coming out?

- Weddings, babies, and engagements: Guys, I know that life goes on, but COME ON! Do so flipping many of you need to have important events happen in your life while I’m gone? Jonesy, Skank, Skippy (yeah, I know this is old)! Alright, it needs to stop. Enough with all that until I can actually get back and participate in these things, will you?!

- Only 2 more weeks until my birthday. God, I feel old.

- The Hobbit. YESPLEASE. If the perfection that is the trailer is any indication of the rest of the film(s) – and let’s be honest, it’ll probably be better, ‘cause we haven’t even seen Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug yet! – then I’m ready. Now. Kathryn, Fifi, Fee Cee, please be advised that a trip to your neck of the woods for Christmas next year (or at least on my way home from PC in June-ish of 2013) is in the possible mix of places to find a warm place with an English speaking movie theatre.

I’m sure there are other things I’m missing that I wanted to talk about, but my brain is completely scrambled with every thing possible. So I’ll just end it now.

I will try and be better about updating this thing in this year, but bear with me if I don’t. Sometimes it’s just normal life here, nothing exciting! Missing you all to the moon and back. Hope your New Years is starting out wonderfully and wishing you legitimately all of the best in everything that you all do!

PS – With thanks to Chris Swerczek, the idea has now been planted in my head about possibly writing a book… Thoughts? Topics? Would anyone actually read some piece of shit I write? Haha. Always been a dream of mine, but never thought people would actually want or read it.