My work counterpart asked me to come our village library in Ukraine one Saturday morning (nov 23, 2013) to lead a presentation about our Community Volunteerism SPA project. It turned out, my coworkers at the library found out it was my birthday and planned an elaborate surprise birthday celebration for me. We spent the day feasting on homemade food, singing, toasting, and telling jokes. In the picture I am holding 2 homemade cakes, a birthday hat, and birthday medals that say 'most courageous', etc in Ukrainian. This was the first day I truly felt welcomed in my community, and now I consider it a second home.