Beginnings are important to me, who remembers exact dates of most events in my life. I spent most of the last hour running and trying to come up with an idea of how to start this blog. The first entry of a great adventure of my life should be as monumental as the bon voyage. That's too much pressure. Anyway, I always like the last page of the book the best (the Great Gatsby) and usually"accidentally" read it first. And so if this blog is to be remembered for anything it should be the final entry.

Well, I decided to start writing today because I basically spend most of my time thinking about Kazakhstan anyway, so I might as well write some of this down. I am going to Central Asia for Community Development. They sold it to me as working with youth with disabilities, which is something I am very interested in doing after last summer. I was a Paraprofessional and job coach for young adults. One student really inspired me, and I have felt called to this field.

So it's back to Asia for me, and I am learning a little Russian online this summer. I was heartbroken when my Pacific Island assignment was cancelled, and spent about the next 30 hours crying about it. I was researching solar panels on a Thursday, got the call on Friday, and was researching winter boots on Monday. I was supposed to go to an "Island Paradise"--Kiribati. But the planes were deemed "unreliable" and the assignment was cancelled. I was excited to be warm, because even though I was born and raised in MN I am always cold. And I was excited to be isolated without electricity, because I feel like that's an adventure! In Kazakhstan I fear the modernity and the winter, but I think this change in plans is ultimately best for me.

Or so I like to think.... All that I have packed are winter boots and long underwear. Oh yeah, and wool socks.