Where do I begin?

For some reason the simple task of writing my first entry has been very daunting. I have so many things I want to post, so many observations, impressions, and experiences I want to share...so many that I don't know where to begin!
I guess I can start with a brief explanation of my blog's title, "Everything Will Be Illuminated." This is a not-so-subtle nod to the book (and movie) by a similar title, "Everything Is Illuminated," in which a young Jewish man makes a trip to Ukraine to discover his roots...I hope you are seeing the connection here. (If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it. It is a most premium book.) But this blog title has also become my mantra in the past few weeks as I have been getting my bearings. I arrived in Ukraine almost three weeks ago with 2 very heavy suitcases, the name of the family I would be staying with for the first month, 8 years of Russian training, and the vaguest of ideas about what exactly I would be doing in Kiev. I knew I had been sent here by the JDC as part of their Jewish Service Corps to do social welfare work in the Jewish community in Kiev.
What does this mean exactly? It remains to be illuminated. What I have learned is that Kiev's (and Ukraine's for that matter as all of the Jewish communities seem to be well connected and communicate frequently) Jewish community is alive and thriving! There is so much going on here and JDC seems to have its hand in most of it. This is both exciting and concerning because while there is so much opportunity to be involved in the community, I am wondering what I can do for this community that it is not already doing for itself. Again, this will be illuminated.
In addition to all of the questions I have about my work and my life here, people here have lots of questions for me. I hope to be able to answer them in the coming months (and certainly by the end of my year here). Some questions include (but are certainly not limited to): What do I do at work? Where do I live? What am I doing here? Why did I come here? What will I do when I return to the US?
So welcome to my adventure. I am excited to share my trials, tribulations, struggles and successes with you as I seek illumination.