Hi, what's your name?

After an early wake-up and short flight, I arrived in D.C. yesterday to join fellow volunteers to begin learning about our time in Ukraine, but more broadly just a brief PC 101 about safety, health and service. But before that even began, I was lucky enough to experience "that suitcase horror story." My suitcase broke en route to Washington! I apparently packed too much, or incorrectly, and the seam broke along edge. I guess all good adventures must begin with a broken suitcase.

The nerves and anxieties of meeting the other 40-or-so people yesterday quickly washed away because of the smiles and (firm!) handshakes from every single person here. Unlike camp or school, everyone is on the same page of "so, uh, what are we doing here?" We went through various exercises of expectations, goals and fears (thanks YJ/Hillel for all those years of prep!) and I wrote this:

I have chosen to commit to the Peace Corps at this time in my life because... I am young, healthy, motivated. I want to experience something new. I am committed to changing the world. I am interested in being better.

I will feel successful as a volunteer when... I feel needed. I teach someone else something that gives he/she the opportunity to feel able and smile. I can tell my family and friends that my work here is making our world a better place.

I am so happy to be here, and I do not think I could see myself experiencing this adventure without the support of this family that we are in the process of forming.

Next time I write, my IP address will be cyrillic. до побачення!

psych!

So in the recent 24 hours, I received an email that removed all my anxiety of packing away from me. I am now leaving on Tuesday (!) with 40-or-so other volunteers. I really think something is watching over me because the mess of stuff sprawled out on my dining room table... it's not just giving my mom the headache. Unlike other volunteers who have been talking about how they can rethink their repack, I have to just wonder about how I did not even pack. Off to a great start!

However, what I am most blessed about is that I get to experience my last Shabbat with my family this coming weekend. Last Shabbat was a bust, excuse me, fast, and even though Yom Kippur is one of the most beautiful holidays because of what it stands for (change, reflection, newness, happiness), all I really wanted was a run-of-the-mill Shabbat... and I get it!

The other night I went to meet Gilad for beer and it was a total fail. I guess other people enjoy beer, too. So, while we were off trying to find another place to hang, Ima spent her night in a bookstore reading about Ukraina and I learned a few new things!

1. Ukraine's national flower is the sunflower and my favorite flower is the sunflower!

2. Ukrainians love flowers and it's a really good gift but only in odd numbers and never more than 9.

3. Ukrainians generally grow their own produce which means that it's not far off from that other place I love...

All of my things have to do with the earth. So crunchy.

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I leave for Ukraine in just about two weeks, but before I begin that adventure, I begin a familiar adventure with a whole entire people.

Rosh Hashanah comes around every single year (ha) in order to mark the beginning, of well, anything I choose. Coincidentally, in just two weeks time, I will be beginning a new chapter in my life as a Peace Corps volunteer. I find it very fitting that I should begin my new life in a clean and fresh way, with a shofar sound blasting through a hall, calling out to the heavens that I am ready to make change, and be changed.

I wish everyone I love a happy new year, a shana tovah, and that each of us will begin this year with only the goal of looking forward, and not looking back. Our main goal in life is to go up, and with the new year in front of us, I only plan to do so.