LONDON

As a volunteer with ILP, we get weekends off and specific days off for vacations. We decided to take our first-weekend trip to London! Flights are surprisingly really cheap too and from London. 

London exceeded my expectations in every way! We stayed in a charming little hostel in the heart of Piccadilly Square, surrounded by the city's vibrant energy. Our cozy room was all to ourselves, and the location was perfect – we could walk to many of London's famous landmarks and attractions. We took advantage of our Oyster card metro pass, which granted us unlimited rides on the Tube and access to Hop On Hop Off red double-decker buses. Navigating the metro and exploring the city was a thrilling experience, and we felt like we were on a treasure hunt, discovering hidden gems around every corner. One of the highlights of our trip was visiting Buckingham Palace, which was even more breathtakingly beautiful than I had imagined. The palace itself was majestic and dazzling, and the stunning gardens were a haven of tranquility, filled with vibrant flowers and lush greenery. It was a truly unforgettable experience.

We saw Westminster and Big Ben. Sadly Big Ben wasn’t doing so hot. He was under construction.. but it was still cool to see him.

One of the highlights of our London adventure was the London Eye, a majestic Ferris wheel that offers breathtaking views of the city and the River Thames. While it was a bit overwhelming with the sheer number of tourists, we still enjoyed the experience and took in the stunning vistas.

However, our visit wasn't so fortunate when one of my friends had her wallet stolen while we were there. I could feel her distress and anxiety as we searched for it, but unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found. Thankfully, she still had her passport safe and sound.

Despite this setback, we pushed on and explored some of London's iconic landmarks. We marveled at the grandeur of London Bridge, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. Seeing these famous sites in person was truly awe-inspiring, as I had grown up watching them on TV for years. It was surreal to finally be standing in front of them, taking in their grandeur and history.

A highlight for me was for sure Kings Cross train station and Platform 9&3/4. I am a huge Harry Potter fan and about jumped out of my shoes when I saw the platform. I got my picture taken running into the wall with a trolly while wearing my house scarf! (which by the way is Ravenclaw) I made friends with a girl named Alyssa. She is living in London for a study abroad. She was a hoot and I loved being a nerd with her while we waited in line. She was quite hilarious to talk with actually. She had a big personality and was not afraid to speak her mind. I had a camelback full of water in my bag and was drinking my water in the line. She thought it was hilarious and clever of me to put beer on my back. Haha. I had to clarify to her that it was just water. She was shocked and surprised that I didn't put beer there. 

We also walked across the Millennium Bridge in London. This is the bridge a bunch of Death Eaters destroyed at the beginning of Harry Potter 6. And no joke the weather and sky looked exactly how it did in the movie. I was in awe the whole time. 

I was able to experience the typical London weather! It was overcast and gloomy but the atmosphere was warm and cheerful. Everyone was so friendly and kind. I loved hearing everyone speak with an English accent. It was crazy though because some people there really loved MY accent. This is weird because I don’t really think the American accent is that cool. But it was fun to have people commenting on it! 

I ate the most delicious falafel sandwich and rich chocolate chip cookies at a pastry shop. 

London felt like walking into a clean house. It felt so fresh coming from Ukraine. The streets and buildings were up-to-date and very fancy. The roads were smooth and I loved riding on the other side of the road. We heard different variations of live music on the streets. Bagpipes, drums, violins, pianos, and guitars all echoed off the surrounding buildings as we strolled down the streets. I also made friends with this cat at a souvenir shop.  

A Typical Day for Me

I've been indulging in the joys of slow living in Ukraine and abroad, and I must say, it's been a breath of fresh air. For the first time in a long while, I feel like I can finally exhale and unwind. It's incredible to feel my batteries recharging as I rediscover the simple pleasures in life - from lacing up my running shoes to devouring great books, snoozing in my hammock, savoring delicious meals, and swimming under the sun. I also love the teaching opportunities that have filled my days with purpose. This summer has been nothing short of sublime

The past few weeks have been a serene adventure, and I've finally adjusted to the Ukrainian pace of life. No more Obolon for me – summer vacation has arrived, and the kids are out of school! I've transitioned to a new teaching gig at a day care, where I'm working with adorable 4-6 year olds for their daily English classes The kids are adorable and make me just so giddy. The only down fall is that they are extremely difficult to control. They are between the ages of 4-6 and have never been to an English class before. Because they are new and are already pretty fluent in Ukraine, communication between the kids and me is so hard. They don’t understand what I’m saying. I feel their pain because I don’t know what they are saying. I have about 10 kids in each class. They love running, jumping, playing tag, and screaming. It takes a solid 10 minutes every day to get them to be quiet and sit down. They don’t understand anything I am saying. Like, sit, shh, or repeat. It’s definitely different from my last teaching experience. 

I have a nickname for the kids because of their high energy and big hearts I call them the monsters. People think I'm kidding and chuckle when I say the monsters are here. But I definitely am not.

I teach them very basic things and have them repeat simple words instead of phrases. At first, I didn’t think the kids were even comprehending anything I was saying. But after 3 short weeks, I have noticed they can sing a lot of the songs in English and can even ask me a few questions! 

I mostly do art projects with them. Which is a blast but if you know me you know I’m not artsy or crafty in any way, shape, or form. I’m pretty sure everything I have made with the kids could easily go on a Pinterest fail page. Haha. I don’t mind though because my purpose as a teacher is to get them to speak not to make crafts. We just use crafts to help with conversation. 

I teach every day from 9-1. It’s perfect! I’m an earlier riser! So I get up at 5:30 am and run for about an hour. I Have breakfast at 7 and get on the bus by 7:30. I ride the bus for an hour after I prepare from 8:30-9 and teach at 9. After school, we always eat lunch with the kids. We sit at the tiniest tables ever! The tables are set with the most adorable fresh flowers white dishes and a placemat. I feel so spoiled. Ukrainians love SOUP. We always have hot soup with usually some form of mystery meat. Honestly, it smells like fish but looks like a chicken. Or it’s some sort of beef that has a weird jello thing around it. The kids are in the cafeteria as well and they can’t leave until they have eaten their vegetables. I usually hear them squirming in their seat and joking them down so they can get back to playtime. 

The summer heat has definitely hit Ukraine. The locals say their summers are never this hot. It’s been in the ’90s with at least 50% humidity. AC doesn’t exist here and neither does ice or anything cold. All the drinks at the store are warm. The water is warm, the food is warm, EVERYTHING. Even food that should be cold like dairy, vegetables, and fruit is warm. I’m shook. I’m dying without anything cold!

We are usually pretty boiling hot after school so we usually always run to the Dnipro River at Hydro Park and swim. It feels so amazing! 

The public transportation system in Ukraine can be a daunting challenge. Despite using our phone's GPS, we often find ourselves standing at the bus stop, surrounded by multiple buses whizzing by, yet none of them bear the number we're looking for. It's a daily ritual: we stand on the corner, scan the horizon for any glimpse of our elusive bus, and then approach passersby, armed with hand gestures and broken Ukrainian phrases, in a desperate bid to glean some information. Unfortunately, the language barrier proves to be a significant hurdle – it seems that not a single person on the street speaks English. While it can be frustrating, there's also a certain comedy to the situation. If you ever find yourself navigating Ukraine's bus system, I hope you have better luck than us – but don't say I didn't warn you

I had the pleasure of celebrating my 21st birthday in Ukraine, surrounded by the warmth and hospitality of my host family. They surprised me with a delicious chocolate strawberry cake, complete with a thoughtful touch - the number 22 on top! Despite their limited knowledge of English numbers, they went above and beyond to make me feel special. And in a heartwarming moment, they even learned the Happy Birthday song in English! To make it an unforgettable day, I spent it with my dear friends Roxi, Rachel, and Olivia, whom I've affectionately dubbed my 'besties'. We indulged in ice cream treats and capped off the evening by watching The Amazing Race together. It was truly a birthday to cherish!

My host dad Vova is probably the sweetest person ever. He spends 90% of his time cooking food. He is always in the kitchen whipping something up for us to eat. No matter the time of day. When we get home from school he gets super excited and puts dinner on the table. He always watches us and eat and asks us, "You like" while wearing the biggest smile. When he is not in the kitchen is out walking Nora their dog. His English is pretty broken and really the only thing he says is are you full? Bon appetite and "me Nora walk" when he leaves with his dog in the morning. 

There is just a little snippet of my everyday life here in Ukraine.