| Tuesday, 28 August 2001: Swearing In Ceremony |
| I know, I know, I'm a horrible person. Not only have I not emailed anyone in the last few weeks, but I haven't even updated my web page to let you all know what is going on. Well, even though I have no excuse, there has been a ton going on! In the past few weeks I have finished my training, gone to Plovdiv and Sofia, prepared for my dad's visit to Bulgaria, studied for my final Language Proficiency Interview, taken my LPI, gotten extremely sick, tried to pack my whole life back into bags to take to site, finish the Thracian web page that I have been working on, and finally, come crashing down because I have been trying to do way too much!! Don't read that wrong. I love it here and wouldn't change a darn thing. I am extremely busy, and that's probably a good thing since it takes my mind off of anything else. So, in no particular order: I apologize wholeheartedly to all of you who I haven't emailed in such a long time. It's really not because I don't care, but I've been so incredibly stretched thin. Plovdiv and Sofia were some great trips, although the Sofia trip was mainly to get away from Panagyurishte and to find out where dad will be staying tonight. Just an update for all of you, dad should already be in Sofia as we speak, barring any problems. He will come with Steve Taylor, the country director, tomorrow, and will leave with me on Friday when I head off to Karnobat (that's when the real journey begins!!). Training is pretty much finito, and that's the most amazing things. I can't believe that I finished 10 weeks of this. I can't believe that I've been gone for that amount of time. Some days it seems really long, and other days it seems really short. But yesterday I took my Language Proficiency Interview, and I think it went ok. I felt like an idiot, but honestly, when don't I?? :) The Thracian web page will be up and running shortly, I will have a link to it soon, just so you can all see the wonderful things that I am seeing here. --- I promise that pictures will be up soon!!! But I am sending a CD of about 200 pics home with dad, and soon they will make their way to moms house, so bug her about burning a copy for you!!! Packing sucks. I can't believe I have to do it again. And this time I have way more things because apparently PC never learned about saving trees. We have been given so many books and forms and papers and crap that I don't know what to do with it all. Other than that, my nose is killing me, because I have blown it so many times today. I have the worst cold of the century, and my cough sucks. My head is throbbing, and all I hope is that I feel better for swearing in. Well, I guess I should head out now, I'm too delirious to create sentences that make sense, and I can't ramble anymore. Keep those letters coming, and if you ever feel the need to send me peanut butter or anything else American, you have my address!!! Just make sure to mark it "educational materials", and don't put an amount over $50 on the customs form!!!! I love you and miss you all! Love, sarah |