Things have begun to slow down a bit ever since my momma left. The weather has also grown increasingly fickle. It's been raining for days, and the chill is bringing my mood down too. I just want it to stay warm and sunny, that's all. : )

This past week was my school's prom. Since Emilija is a homeroom teacher for a 4th year class, we got to go VIP style to the event!

Emilija and me

Me, Ivan (my dancer), and Beti

The event itself was fantastic. All my boy students stuck by my side the entire night!! Every time I sat down to rest or eat, they'd come grab me again for more dancing. It was a blast.

Me and Stefani (my dancer)

Me, Emilija, and our 4th year boys

Other than prom, I had a fellow volunteer, Enid in town this weekend. She came to teach a host ballet class. Even though 15 girls promised to come, we only have 4 show up. At first, I was pretty disappointed, but it actually turned out quite well, b/c she was able to really spend individual time with each girl. The girls did great too!! 

Look how great my studio is! High-five to me!!

I also had a fantastic night with Enid and Elena at the pub. I hadnt been out to the pub here in ages!! I ran into a bunch of local friends, and even made some new ones. Enid and I also got to share dinner with Arnaud and his girlfriend. All in all, it was a pretty great weekend for me.

I've completed the dance studio, and now all I have to do is get all the paperwork together. It's stressing me out more than it should, but once it's done, it'll just be done, and I'll feel much better!! I also have to fill out a huge volunteer reporting form for the Peace Corps. I've been trying to do it in small pieces here and there, but it's now almost due, so I need to get on it! I also have been asked to write two new articles for the Peace Corps magazine. I gladly accepted, but this is just another thing I need to get done by Friday. At least Im working!! :D

OH!! And in just 2.5 weeks, Chad will be arriving in Macedonia. I am so damn excited! We'll be in Struga for just short of a week while I complete a language training event. From there, we will be on the road until June 27th! I think this trip is really what I need. Lately, I've just felt really overwhelmed with work. I've also begun feeling isolated and lonely again, which isnt good. Right now, I have more local friends, and I've been spending time with some new people too. At the end of the day though, I still find myself missing home a lot. That being said, I think I just need to break away for a little bit, which is why I think this trip will be perfect for me. 

Here's your quote for the day:

“Home is not where you live, but where they understand you”

Christian Morganstern

Junebug Waltz

Just got home from round two at the hospital in Skopje. I got to see an orthopedic doctor today, who basically gave the same diagnosis. The root of the problem all stems from the overuse of my body from dancing, so I need to have some physical therapy before I can jump back into things (no pun intended). As frustrating as that is, I know I should listen to my body on this one and just take things easy and slowly.

The good news is, I can walk much better today!! My swelling is going down, and my limp looks less and less like a gangster's walk. :D My pain was also significantly better today. I'm still not going to be able to go to work tomorrow, but I'm confident I'll be much better after the weekend passes, and I've spent a couple more days on the couch.

Yesterday morning, Ivan and Stefani, two of my dancers, dropped by my house for a visit. They brought me cookies, salami, and juice!! I LOVED seeing them!! They stayed for a while, and we worked out ideas for a big event we want to do this summer. They were just as eager as I was, so I have no doubt we can pull it off. I won't get into it too much, b/c it's still too early. Later, Ivan and Lilika helped get the rest of my belongings from my old apartment. Lilika and I had some much needed time to catch up, and she helped me put some final touches on my new apartment. IT LOOKS AWESOME NOW! (pics to come)

Last night was a real treat though. Arnaud and his gf offered to come make dinner at my place. They'd bought things to make homemade lasagna, so we made a feast. They did most of the cooking, b/c I couldn't be up much, but the final result was delicious. Good god, it was so good!! They also brought me my own thing of Sprite, since I couldn't take part in the wine while on my pain medication. It was just really thoughtful of them to put it all together. I feel really fortunate to have so many people care about me in Kocani. I went to bed more than happy.

My mom is less than two weeks away from getting here, and I'm getting more anxious by the day. I don't know how I will contain myself. I just want to introduce her to everyone here! I do wish she were coming for a longer period of time, but I do understand the anxieties of leaving the dogs behind for the first time. Fortunately, we will have a solid week together, and half of that will be in the comfort of my new home (thank goodness!!) Soon after she leaves, I have my EPIC summer vacation, followed by camp. Expect updates.

I've been thinking of good ways to end my blog updates, b/c I feel like they always lack, so I've decided to start ending them in quotes. Here's your quote for the day:

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” 

― Napoleon Bonaparte