I can't remember the last time I slept...and I couldn't be happier!

Learning a new language while living abroad is like that scene from the movie "Abyss" where Ed Harris tries to breath that liquid oxygen stuff. He resists it at first because it's so different, then he starts to panic because it feels like he's drowning, then he relaxes as he takes it into his lungs, and finally he can breath again, but in a different way. In terms of learning Russian, I'm think I'm safely in the "relax and take it in" phase, which is good because I've got my language proficiency interview, or LPI, next week. It's basically a non-threatening, informal conversation, in Russian, with a Peace Corps staff person that determines whether or not I've learned enough Russian to get by over here, and more importantly, if I'm fit to be sworn in as a volunteer in a few weeks. I feel like the LPI is the biggest hurdle I'll face in trying to become a volunteer (remember, I'm still just a trainee), but there are two others. I've already had one of them, the demonstration lesson I taught that was observed by Peace Corps staff, and I think it went really well. The other one is our community project, which my training cluster and I are putting on this Friday at the school we've all been teaching at during training. It's a "Farewell to Fall Festival" at which we're going to have different tables celebrating different American holidays. It's going to go really well, I think, but there's still a lot to do.

That's about it on my end--prayers and letters are always appreciated. The Peace Corps address a few posts down still works so if you want to be totally awesome like Kourtney (three letters so far, just got you latest!), Liz (two letters and a lot of awesome webcomics), my awesome cousin Gretchen and my dad (I've finished season seven of the West Wing already, thanks!) then feel free to drop me a line! I love you all very much!