Back in Macedonia & My Time in the US

Well, I’m back in Macedonia now, having been gone just 3 weeks. I flew to Washington, DC, had a few doctor’s appointments and then had a break before my surgery so I got to go home to Seattle, WA for 4 days. It was great, but way too short. I spent most of the time with my family. I got to meet Rick, my sister’s fiancé for the first time, try on bridesmaid dresses, see my cat at home, have home cooked food and saw some old friends.

My dad came to DC with me so he could be with me for the surgery. I was really grateful for that. After the surgery I was really tired, the general anesthesia really knocked me out. I stayed at the hotel and didn’t leave for about 5 days because I had no strength. I spent a lot of time following the World Cup Soccer Championship and eating take-out food. When I was able to get out and about I enjoyed some of the Smithsonian museums, eating ethnic food, meeting up with two friends who live in the area and going to Starbucks almost every day.

I also enjoyed meeting other Peace Corps Volunteers when I was in Washington DC. I made friends with Andrea, who is serving in Ghana, Africa. I was amazed at the stories she told me about living there. I am really glad I did not go serve in Africa. I also met volunteers from the South Pacific, Ukraine, Morocco, and other countries in Africa. They were surprised to hear that I have electricity, plumbing and internet at home. One guy saw the photos of my apartment and said it was nicer than the hotels in his country!

The 4th of July was fun too, being in DC, which is reputed to have the best fireworks display in the nation. People go to the mall early, have a picnic and enjoy the concerts before the fireworks. But I knew I wouldn’t have the strength to be out and about all day. Instead, I met up with other Peace Corps friends and we just walked down the street a little bit where we could see the fireworks. It was incredibly crowded, but it worked out really well and was a lot of fun.

Well, now I’m back in Macedonia at my apartment. I’m busy unpacking and cleaning. When being med evac’d, Peace Corps makes you pack up all your stuff in case you’re not able to return, so they can just ship everything home for you. Actually, unpacking isn’t that bad. The worst thing is that I forgot to defrost my fridge before I left. So when I returned I discovered that the ice had melted and that my fridge was covered in mold. Yuck! I spent three days scrubbing it out as best I could (with bleach) and today I have “resurrected” it by plugging it back in.

My kitten Miloyka has been in Tetovo, a city about an hour west of the capital. A married couple (PCV’s) have been taking care of her while I’ve been gone. They have really enjoyed having her. Well, they still have Miloyka and will keep her for another two weeks because I’m going to be gone for a week at a girl’s summer camp the end of this month. I miss Miloyka a lot, but at least this way she won’t have to be at home all by herself for a week. I’ll get her back the beginning of August.

The girl’s camp is called GLOW: Girl’s Leading Our World. It is a summer camp for Macedonian and Albanian girls and will teach them about leadership, self-esteem, goal setting, decision making, health & beauty, and the environment. It will all be in English too. The girls are from ages 14 to 18, with a total of 60 campers. One of my host cousins will be there too. I’m looking forward to it; almost all of my female PCV friends will be there as well.

P.S. I got a new digital camera, so stay tuned for new pics coming soon!