Have You Ever Seen the Rain...

...coming down on a sunny day? I did. Monday the 18th was like that. And after the scorcher of a Sunday we had, it was a welcome change. Despite the humidity. Incidentally, that song (as referenced shortly prior) is my favorite song. Both the Creedence Clearwater Revival and Rod Stewart versions. Perhaps a bit counter intuitively and sacrilegiously, I like the latter better.     Well, I said I'd write about my 4th of July. In all the pandemonium of last week, I let it get lost in the fray. Too many other things going on to do it justice. I also wanted to write a bit about what's coming up in the next few weeks as well as just a few thoughts.
     Before I get to the real content of the post, I want to apologize for the quality of the previous post. I feel like it's not up to my normal quality. The whole time I was writing it, I felt like I was just throwing words at the wall to see what would stick. I blame that on being sick, lazy and (slightly) tipsy. By the time I was done writing, I felt like I just wanted to hit the "publish" button and forget about it. So that's exactly what I did. If it sounds a bit scattershot, now you know why.
     So, July 4th. How exactly does an American in Ukraine celebrate the birthday of their homeland? As it turns out, with a lot of Ukrainians, the best possible facsimiles of traditional American cook-out food, political discourse, and American classic rock.

     The guy who hosted the party, Andrew, is one of our helpers from English club. He's also the one who helped out at the Liberty retreat back in February. I figured it'd be a party for the Americans he knows. The Eides were there plus some other people Andrew knows. Those other people just happened to include a lot of Ukrainians that I knew as well. Quite a few from the English club, as it turns out. It was a lot of fun to have them there. I'm sure they get other chances to see American culture. But cookouts and celebrations like that are a good way of seeing what Americans are really like. It's also a good chance to taste food as Americans cook it. Burgers, hot dogs, corn-on-the-cob, potato salad, ribs and even root beer floats.
     Speaking of food, it was great. I think the rolls for the burgers could have been chosen a bit better. But everything else was top notch. I even ate the first tortilla chips I've had in nearly a year. They were amazing. Tracy Eide brought home-made root beer and I had my fill of it. It probably contributed to the "round" feeling I had for the rest of the evening. I even got to introduce a friend of mine to root beer floats. She thought it sounded gross at first. But once she tried it, her opinion changed immediately. The hot dogs came from the commissary at the American embassy. Some of the ingredients in the burgers even came from there. I also got to eat the spiciest thing I've had since coming here (which really isn't saying much). Someone brought a really spicy salsa that I really enjoyed but could only have a little of. The heat in it built quickly in my mouth.
     As for music, Jon Eide and I appropriated the stereo to put on some appropriately "American" music. I played through a list of songs from a Readers' Digest collection called American Pie. It even included the titular song from Don McLean. But I also tried to exhaust my knowledge of songs that mention the States or American themes. Born In The USA, American Pie, Little Pink Houses, Look For America, City of New Orleans, The Devil Went Down to Georgia. That sort of thing.
     The party was a lot of fun. It was a good opportunity to relax with old and new friends. I got to talk politics with people I've never met before but who were well versed in the subject. The weather was beautiful too. A lot like today's (the 19th) weather. Breezy and cool. Kind of strange for summer. But I'll take it. I wore almost the exact same clothes today as I did on the 4th. You can see it on the right.
     OK, the coming weeks. There are a few things to note for my immediate future. First off, I'll be ending the Bible study this week. It's been a good, long run. There has been a lot of good discussion, questions and epiphanies. But with the upcoming Liberty camp as well as my impending departure, it's time to start focusing on other things.
     Second, Liberty English camp will be starting on August 1st. The planning team is in the final stages. As of the last tally, the number of attendees is about twenty. Hopefully that number will rise over the next week and a half.
     Thirdly, I'm finally back into a normal schedule for a bit. Every week that I have a camp feels like a massive change where the only way to feel normal again is to get back into a normal schedule. Language lessons, Liberty team meetings, English walking, that sort of thing. So I'm trying to rest up and gather as much energy as I can for the final English camp of the year.
     Lastly, I mentioned it fleetingly a few paragraphs ago but it's time to officially announce it here. I will be leaving Ukraine on September 1st. Yep, thirteen months and one week after departing the States, I will be returning home. If you've been following along since the beginning, you already know I haven't been here the whole time. I was in Poland for a weekend as well as Iowa. But that's still over a year spent away from home. The ticket is bought, my friends at home have been notified (for the inevitable welcome-back party) and I'm starting to think of what I'll do post-Ukraine.
     It's a surreal thought. I've called this place home (once or twice) for the past year (almost). And in just over a month I'll be leaving it and the friends I've made to return to my original home.
     For the past few months, I've been getting the question "What will you do when you go home?" Each time, I had a stock answer I told people. But the truth is that my answer is starting to change. I've been thinking more about it and what I really need after returning home is a normal work schedule. A no-frills, 9-5 day job. Something that I can put my talents into. So consider that an ongoing prayer request until further notice. I have a few ideas toward that end and will keep you apprised as things change.
     As always, you can see the photos I've been taking along the way here. It's a big collection of over 1400 photos now. Check it out of you have a free moment or ten. You will also be able to find me now on Instagram @paucmarc. I joined it in a contest but I figure it'll be another good place to put some photos from here. And look out for my big one-year celebratory post next week. July 25th is the big day. I don't think I've got anything planned except the Bible study Jon and I are involved in. We had another meeting of it on Monday night (the 18th). Unfortunately it's only sporadic right now due to wonky schedules. If you have any questions you'd like answered in the one-year post (related to the year I've spent here) post them in the comments and I'll try to get to all of them next week.
     Alright, that's it. Have a great day. I'll talk to you soon.