A Cross-Cultural Open Gym Experience
Before I found out I was moving to Ukraine, I probably couldn’t have found it on a map. Ukraine, Romania, Georgia, Poland, and Belarus all blended together in my mind when I pictured Eastern Europe and...
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Home Sweet Home
After 10 weeks of training, it was time yet again to leave a family, a community, and in my case an entire region of a country. Since graduation, it seems as if I’m in a constant state of motion....
View ArticleThe Unofficial English Club
Today was a good day. After many failed attempts and half-starts, I had my very first English Club. I had tried several times to arrange meetings through the chain of command: principal, vice...
View ArticleWould you like fries with that?
I’m really not that American who travels abroad and eats at McDonalds. OK, up until my trip to Prague last week, that was a true statement. Immersing myself in local culture, eating foreign cuisine,...
View ArticleGrapes have seeds and other revelations
I’m fond of saying that I’ve learned a lot in my short time in Peace Corps Ukraine. And one of the more tangible things is a proverb: краше пізно ніж ніколі. It means “better late than never.” And it’s...
View ArticleSweet Solitude
This is my moment of zen. I hesitated to share it with you. In a culture as public and communal as Ukraine, I get territorial about my precious private moments. I took this photo on the coast of the...
View ArticleRunning Into New Friends
I made a pact with myself when school started. I was going to run every day during September. I’ve always been good at daily exercising, but I’ve never had to do it on my own before. It’s a lot easier...
View ArticleWhen time isn't money
In Ukraine, I wear a lot of hats. And not just in winter. I’m an English teacher, an American culture expert, a Mexican food chef, a basketball coach, a yoga instructor, a journalist, a travel agent,...
View ArticleThe Year of Borshch
I’ve officially been in Ukraine for a year. In a way, it’s not hard to believe. Practically every time I met another volunteer the subject of time came up. “So how far along are you?” “How much longer...
View ArticleAll Quarantined-up and Nowhere To Go
It’s that time of year again: quarantine in Ukraine. Of course, this is no ordinary closure of schools. Generally, there are isolated outbreaks of the seasonal flu in January or February, causing...
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