And the winner is...

So, after six weeks and two agonizing days of waiting, we finally found out where our permanent sites would be. That's the place we'll (by "we" I mean me and all the other Peace Corps Trainees in my group) each be living for the next two years. About two weeks ago, we had interviews with PC representatives who asked us what we wanted in a site, then they tried to match us up as best they could. I asked for the southern part of Ukraine, mostly because I'm a little scared of extreme cold, but was prepared for anywhere. My main concern was that I be placed in an area that was Russian-speaking (rather than Ukrainian or Surjik – a mix of Russian and Ukrainian – speaking).
When the big day (last Monday) finally rolled around, they announced my site as Simferopol – the capital of Crimea, which is the peninsula (more like an island, but it's not completely separate from the mainland) in the south of Ukraine. Although we were warned that Crimea is NOT California, it's about as close as you could get while still remaining in Ukraine. Needless, to say, I was pretty happy. And, after four days and three nights in Simferopol, I'm still happy. Things look good, dear friends.
Here are some short links about Simferopol, so I don't have to repeat information someone already said once before, and probably more succinctly:

Winkipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simferopol
The Weather: http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/33946.html
Photos: http://www.on-the-matrix.com/europe/ukr_simferopol.asp

My new host family was great: my host dad, Igor, is a contractor and appears to be working to renovate most of the city of Simferopol; my host mom, Olga (pronounced "Olya"), is an English language tutor; and my 14 year-old sister, Aliona, goes to the local gymnasiuam – a secondary school that specializes in foreign languages, particularly English and German. Their apartment is very nice, and they definitely made me feel right at home. They even drove me to Yalta – coastal Crimean town famed for the "Yalta Conference" during WWII – one afternoon…in their BMW. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that I'm in Peace Corps. I'm pretty sure the reality will hit a little harder when I'm on my own at site, though there are two other volunteers who live in Simferopol as well.
My teacher training institute (the place where I'll be working) is a little crowded, but everyone is very enthusiastic and seems to be looking forward to trying out all my "new ideas". Please note that I didn't tell them I actually had any ideas, they just assumed that I did. I think it's the glasses. Oh well, I do, in fact, have new ideas, I just thought it was funny that they kept referring to them without any mention of it on my part.
All in all, I continue to be happy with my PC experience thus far. The one and only thing that could make me happier is RECEIVING A PACKAGE. Today, for example, I went up to the mail room which was filled with packages for trainees. I looked through them, hoping to find one of my very own, only to be disappointed and to wonder…deep down inside, if anyone loves me anymore. Sigh. Because, in case you didn't know, a package is the ONLY way to prove your love for me at this point. OK, maybe not, but at least an email would be nice every now and again, folks.
Hope you're all doing well, and I'll talk to you soon!