Things I did expect when joining Peace Corps:
Hardship
Friendship
Frustration
Determination
Loneliness
Happiness
Ambiguity
Perspicacity
Things I did not expect when joining Peace Corps:
Mood swings hearkening back to the years twixt twelve and twenty.
Joy in tiny forms
kittens
I guess when your nerves live quivering on edge 24/7, mood swings are inevitable. The usual reserves of strength are drained just in order to stay alive, communicate, and not set your kitchen (and self) on fire.
Case in point: Observe through numbers and arbitrary percentages my inclining and declining level of happiness this past week.
Monday morning: 83% Last monday before holiday. kids great. life good. But it’s monday so ho-hum. Mondays are the same in EVERY country, trust me.
Monday evening: 76% Tomorrow is tuesday.
Tuesday morning: 32%. Today is tuesday. 5 classes with no break. Tear in favorite skirt. Cat can’t figure out litterbox.
Tuesday evening: 78% Tomorrow is wednesday. An easy day.
Wednesday: 90% A good day. Kids are great. Classes are light, especially with testing. Prospect of going to Poltava and seeing some great people, having St. Patrick’s Day party strong. Thoughts drift in and out of Guinness-chocolate-cake territory.
Thursday morning: 95% Feeling productive! Awesome! So much done! Things are great! I feel an exclamation mark blooming with each foot step.
Thursday afternoon: 30% Bus leaves to Poltava at 5:30am. I have work and can not go.
Thursday evening: 65% Tomorrow is still friday. Spring break. Tentative Kharkiv trip?
Friday morning: 94% Going to Kharkiv! Going to see friends! Spring break! AWESOME! Kids good today!
Friday mid-morning: 99% Sunshine! Kitten! Reading a book in the sun while drinking cocoa! Kharkiv plans confirmed! Gooooaaaalazio!
Friday late morning: 13% Kharkiv plans crushed. Clouds cover the sun. Ten long days of nothing stretching before me. Snow. Grey. Miserable. Lonely. Friendless. Other adjectives as well. Everyone going on trips but me. Crushedcrushedcrushed.
So, in order to improve my quickly darkening mood…pictures! Of the newly begun Happiness Collection. Because, let’s face it, who couldn’t use a little more happiness?
hot, frothy, delicious, imported chocolate and coffee
crunchy peanut butter nestled lovingly on almond granola bar
happiness is a sleeping kitten
I closed my eyes.
The world shifted.
Jill
Jilly! Two things:
1. My cat also can’t figure out the litter box. She pees ON US while we’re asleep. It’s the most efficient way to ruin my day before it even begins.
2. I’m also not going anywhere for spring break! Can we skype?!
1. Holy crap
I’m expecting this to happen every day, as his accidents are inching ever closer to my bedroom
Let’s arrange something! I’m GMT+2 and literally have nothing to do for 10 days.
2. YES!! I don’t leave Skype running, as my computer is small and has a hard time handling more than 2 programs open
>———–(( ‘ㅂ’ ))———–<
^ That's supposed to be me with my arms outstretched to give you a big e-hug. Sorry it's so lame/shite. A real hug will be redeemable if we ever should meet irl.
<3 what do you mean IF?!
^ Stealing this.
Poor dear, my parcel had better get there soon. Also Matthew is absolutely precious.
Gah. Hang in there, things will look better as the weather warms up. I never realize how much the wet & overcast weather affects my mood until I’m walking around outside on the first sunny, 70-degree spring day of the year. (Today was that day, and I’m trying to send you some of that sun…is it working?) *hugs*
And the kitty will get better. 4 months old, right? I had SO MUCH TROUBLE getting mine to use the litterbox for the first year. I think they were stressed out–both have mellowed out noticeably. Clover still pees in the laundry hamper, though, so we just don’t let her into the bedroom. I guess it reminds her too much of the enclosed litter box.
thanks :/ I’m sure they will. grey skies make everything seem so ultra crap. it’s been pretty sunny the last few days, so I’m reeeeally hoping it means spring is finally here. *hugs hugs*
He’s been a lot better the last few days. This doesn’t mean he’s finally learned it’s the ONLY place he can go, but he’s been accident free this week. Cats are smart, so I don’t know what their problem is
(i mean…we’ve been thinking they’re smart…hm)
Hi Jill. Come the Spring sunshine, blue skies and all the feeling of joy that comes with this wonderful season- flowers blooming and birds and animals feeding their new born- you will feel so much better. Perhaps you coulld give your kitty a reward if he uses his litter tray? We are all really looking forward to seeing you in July. <3
It has been pretty sunny the last few days, so it might mean that spring is finally here. I wouldn’t be surprised if it snowed again- depressed, but not surprised. But the snow is mostly gone, and now it’s just muddy muddy muddy.
Looking soo forward to July it’s crazy! Seeing everyone and getting out of town for a little while. It’ll be great. <3
Oh, the mood swings. Sometimes I feel like I should be medicated because the rampant roller-coaster oscillations that happen every day.
My Ukrainian friends have two cats, a fact which I just discovered. So, like you, I will be having some quality kitty time to bolster my mood when those 30% days (half days? hours? minutes?) happen.
And we WILL have a get together this summer…and it will not be crushed by any rain, heat, freak snow, etc. That’s a promise.
Your photography is breathtaking.
yeah mood swings are great aren’t they. I feel like a high schooler. One second I’ll be feeling great, only to emotionally crash minutes later. Mehhh. I blame a lot of it on the lack of sunshine.
The kitty has definitely helped. I don’t feel nearly so alone, and it’s someone who has to listen to me (and can’t argue). He’s a pretty sweet cat, so it helps. Plus he keeps away mice and catches spiders, so he earns his keep.
Totes! I’ll be in Kyiv area the 5th and 6th of July and 4th-8th of August just off the top of my head. I imagine that’s the best meeting point
It’d be great to see you and hit up the biiiig city. Are you in a village or city or what, actually?
Thankyouu RE photos. I haven’t been ultra-inspired lately, so I’m hoping I can get out one of these weekends and get some blooming flowers or unfrozen river or sooomething.
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