My permanent site placement!

I just found out my permanent site today!!! I’m in a large town called “Kizul-Adyr” which translates to “red-something…” No, something isn’t the last word, but I can’t find “Adyr” in my dictionary so as far as I know I’m going to be living in “red-something” for the next two years in the Talas Oblast (“Oblast” is basically what they call each respective “state” here, so Talas is the name of the “state” I’m in and Kizul-Adyr is name of the city). Anyway, I’m stoked! Not only is it in the Northern part of the country, but because for all of my IST’s (In-Service-Training’s) that take place in the capitol city of Bishkek various times throughout the year I have to travel through Kazakhstan on the main highway, I’m given a “travel” Visa for Kazakhstan that doesn’t expire until I leave the country. That means that on school vacations and summer break I can travel throughout Kazakhstan and visit other PCV’s there! This is a privilege only extended to Talas volunteers, and only out of necessity, which makes my site placement all the more UNBELIVEABLY AWESOME!!!

Also, not to brag, but taken verbatim from my site description in the packet I received today Kizul-Adyr’s details boast that “near the large Kizul-Adyr water reservoir…people swim and hang out. You can also rent Jet-Skis and Catamarans by the day, there is also the most exciting water slide in The Kyrgyz Republic”. More and more it’s looking like The Kyrgyz Republic is where I was meant to be placed. As excited as I was for SE Asia when I was initially nominated I just can’t imagine being anywhere but here, right now, with these people. I’ve also started dating a girl in my training class; she and I have both been placed in sites that, although far from one another, are each only 5 hours from Bishkek respectively…which means many weekend trips to the big city are already in the works!

Life here is going great! I’ve met some amazing people (as well as one particularly attractive one:)) and I just found out that I’m going to be spending my next two years of service in paradise! From what I’ve read Talas is beautiful, mountainous, and possesses a comparatively more liberal Kyrgyz culture from what one might experience in the southern regions. Today I also found out that my really good friend Kristen, whom I’ve had the pleasure of being neighbors with throughout PST, has also been placed in Talas! We’re about 30 minutes away from each other, so these next two years are going to be an absolute blast!

Sometimes I still wake up and look at the beautiful hand-woven carpet hanging on the wall next to my bed, I hear the train rattle by in the distance while my cow moos at the rooster to stop crowing and it feels so unreal…almost like a dream, but I’m living it. I guess it still hasn’t fully sunk in yet that this is where I’m living now, this is what I’m doing now, and for the next two years as I slowly perfect my Kyrgyz and more fully integrate myself into my respective community—this is my life. It’s just a bit crazy. You know, but in a really ridiculously good way:)