Ukraine
I lived in Ukraine for two years while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer from 2010 - 2012, and can't say enough about it. I lived in a small village and it allowed me to really integrate into the culture, and see beyond the surface. Ukraine has a complicated, depressing and violent history that continues to this day. The Ukrainian identity is incredibly strong and unique among the ex-Soviet states. Even when it was occupied by at least a dozen different empires, foreign countries and powers, people still referred to themselves as Ukrainians, and carried on uniquely Ukrainian traditions. Currently, Ukraine is fighting to reclaim territory that Russia unlawfully and violently occupied. Ukraine is harsh, hard to navigate, and not very outsider-friendly. When you know the history, it makes sense.
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Easter in Ukraine: Church and Vodka at 3 a.m.
Easter in Ukraine Yesterday, I was dropped off with my host family in a tiny Ukrainian village for two years of service in the Peace Corps. They don’t speak English, I don’t speak…
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Surviving Smuggling Babushkas: Walking from Ukraine to Poland
Walking across the border from Ukraine to Poland is infamous for its chaos, and it lived up to its reputation. The journey starts from the bus stop in Shehyni (Шегині), Ukraine. On the…
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Eight Days, Naked and Happy, at Fox Bay on the Black Sea Coast
I heard about a magical place that Peace Corps volunteers referred to as Hippie Beach, a nude beach on the Black Sea Coast of Crimea where you can camp on the beach for…
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Koktebel Jazz Festival: Cha-Cha & Illegal Camping
A few Peace Corps friends and I went to Crimea for the Koktebel Jazz Festival, held annually on the Black Sea peninsula. We don’t have anywhere to stay and brought our tent hoping…
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Climbing Mt. Hoverla: Ukraine’s Tallest Mountain
Mt. Hoverla, in the Carpathian Mountains, is Ukraine's tallest mountain at 2,061 meters (6,762 ft). A dwarf compared to other mountains, but the perfect size for an inexperienced climber. Like most places outside…
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Exploring Kiev: Capitol of Ukraine
I lived in Ukraine for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer and spent a good amount of time in Kiev. It's a pretty cool city, with amazing history, Soviet-style architecture and a…
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Six Days in Crimea with 10 Ukrainian Teachers
I had been at my new school serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine for a week before I was invited to go to Crimea with 10 teachers, their spouses, the Principal…
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First Day of School, Ukraine style
Today is another holiday in Ukraine, The Day of Knowledge, or as we call it in America- the first day of school. But, of course, in Ukrainian style they must have a huge…
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Peace Corps Ukraine: Pig Slaughtering and an Ogre
This vegetarian survived the pig slaughtering, slightly scarred for life, but not totally scarred for life. Two weeks into the twelve week Peace Corps Ukraine pre-service training in a northern Ukrainian village, my…
