Colder Than a Bucket Bath

Convincing other PCVs that jumpin' in is a good idea.

Howdy all! Oh how the last week has been an eventful one. Tuesday morning, I headed to a Soviet Retreat to study Ukrainian for week. There were around 55 PCVs in attendance and many Ukrainian Peace Corps Staff. Each day we had numerous sessions about different topics as well in different groups.

It was great fun; because I got to see a lot of PCV friends I hadn’t seen in awhile as well as meet new people. I tried to change it up with people I would sit with at meals to really be a social butterfly. On Wednesday evening after dinner, I got back to the dorm we were staying in to hear about people who wanted to go jump in the river. It didn’t take much convincing and I was in thin long underwear ready to get my polar bearness on.


Me sprinting for the shore for a towel post polar bear dip. Coldest thing ever!

We all gathered outside. Took some before photos and then walked down to the river. The river was frozen accept for a little sliver right at the bank that was only a foot deep. I’m sorry, but I wasn’t about to roll around and get all sandy in freezing water. If I’m going to do a polar bear dip/dive I’m going all out.

While everyone was watching the crazies roll around in the little open water, I had my eyes set on a fishing hole square that had been cut in the ice. I took my coat off and then went out on the ice slowly. In my “expert” opinion (after jumping up and down on the ice a few times), I was convinced there was no danger, I started to persuade people to come out and jump into the little hole.

My beloved cluster mate, Laura, was the first to take the plunge. It was sort of funny, because she was in all white long underwear and looked as if she was coming to be baptized. This started the jokes of me saving the souls of the sinful Ukrainian PCVs’ souls. Around 10 PCVs took the leap of faith. I was the last to jump in. I asked from a countdown from 10 in English for the group. It was around “4” that I thought “what the F am I doing,” but the peer pressure worked as I jumped in screamin’ at the top of my lungs.


Story time with yours truly.

I had ice baths up to my knee/thigh in college, but this was by far the coldest thing I have ever experience. After my head broke the service, I started doggy paddling thinking swim to the shore and get out. My good friend, Kelsey was yelling at me to grab her to be pulled out. Oh how the shock of it caught me off guard. Overall, I would say all PCVs should take a polar bear dip once in their service. (keep an eye out for a video to be posted on facebook)

I was surprised with how much I enjoyed the language refresher, but eventually Friday morning rolled around and it was time to pack up. Peace Corps had hired a small marsuka to take us to Lutsk since there were a decent amount of us. I grabbed a 107 back to Kivertsi to have some down time before our collaborative meeting on Saturday.


Dana, Maggie, Theodora, LCF Katia, Me and Emily. The group I studied UKR with.

Saturday morning, I was slow to rise with it being so freezing in my flat (heat not working again). Eventually got moving met up with Val and Ben (closest and newest PCVs to me) and we jumped a marsuka to the University in Lutsk. There gathered around 24 PCVs from my oblast and two boarding ones.Collaborative meeting is to share and discuss information about all different topics that are relevant to youth development, community development and TEFL volunteers. It is also nice to get to meet a lot of new people. (PC Ukraine brings two groups of volunteers a year; they get placed to their site in Dec. & May) So this last bunch of volunteers just got to their sites before American Christmas.

The meeting went really well. After we broke off in two groups, one headed to a pizza place while the group I was in hit up a Chinese restaurant a little further from the center. After dinner, I headed back to Kivertsi. Once at home, Melissa and I got talking on the phone about how we were losers and thinking of going to bed really earlier. We settled on it would be more fun if she came to Kivertsi to chat, watch Toy Story 3 and spend the night. It ended up being true. We hung out until late last night, made a small breakfast this morning before she headed back into Lutsk.


The snowy drive back to Lutsk. We had a brief warm spell; waiting for April weather now.

Now I’m just jamming out to my Christian worship music and waiting for my Ukrainian friend Tanya to call me, because I’m suppose to go over to her house for dinner. Oh, how I love her mother’s home cooking. I’m also going to put some “Friends” episodes onto her new desktop computer. Then later tonight, I plan on screaming at my computer screen while watching the digital updates of the Bears Packer game. GO BEARS!

Well I hope everyone at home is well and warm. It is strange to think just a little over a week ago I was in America. I’m sure these next months until the fall will fly, so I’m trying to absorb as much of this experience I can. Really lucked out to be 1 of 404 American Peace Corps volunteers in Ukraine. Miss and love you all.

Kate