Barriers and Будьмо

Can you feel it? That hum? That pulse? It runs not in your veins but in the streets, through neighborhoods and shops, into people as they go about their daily lives. As they walk briskly to work or stroll the City Center during rush hour. And as I sat in the underground mall or walked the streets of Kiev, Ukraine, and watched people go about their lives I realized this is normal. For them. Yet for me, it's one grand adventure- of seeing a new place and experiencing a new culture, a new language. And to think that people walk by St. Sophia's Cathedral or Independence Square every day and don't really see it is incredible. Every city has a heartbeat, and I was lucky enough to feel Kiev's.

In our society today do we take the time to stop and truly listen or see or feel something? I would say no. We are rushing constantly trying to make appointments and lunches and we let the little things slip past us as we "live life". Going to Ukraine and living in Bulgaria for two months, I have come to the realization that we take many things for granted and we don't even acknowledge it. We get hung up on when homework is due or what we should do over the summer or how we are going to make money for next semester. All are valid things, but did you notice the gorgeous mountains with snowy caps set to a clear blue backdrop? Did you take the time to see how your friend is doing or eat lunch slowly and really taste the food you are eating?

Ukraine was a wonderful experience. I set off last Friday with two amazing friends- Mary and Sabine- full of adrenaline and excitement as we left Blago to set our scene in Kiev and L'viv for a week. We saw so much and walked even more (we literally walked the entire city, at least that is how it felt anyway), but of course what would an adventure be without its barriers. Keeps things interesting, right? That's what I think too.  Language would be the biggest and most foreseeable thing, of course, and every other obstacle we had stemmed from the fact that we couldn't speak the language. Being in a Bulgarian language class really helped in knowing the Cyrillic Alphabet, yet even then there were little differences. Example: Ukrainians use the "И" and "ї" for the same sound. So some words would you the first, some the second. In Kiev you would use Russian and in L'viv you used Ukrainian. It's little things like that. 

This is one of the smoothest trips I've ever been on. Mary, the courageous one who asked people for help, Sabine, the decision-maker, and I, the navigator (for those of you who know me, what were those two thinking, right?!), we made the perfect traveling team. There was cohesion and we talked things out instead of getting heated with one another, and we approached things with a positive attitude. How I could get so lucky to have these two ladies was mindblowing really. And they are just a blast to be with. We had this thing throughout the week, one of my favorite parts, where when we had just done something really awesome or a situation that could have gone really badly turned out fantastically, we would group hug. Right there wherever we were. That's right, in the middle of Kiev, crowded streets and all.

One of the coolest things we saw was the Chernobyl Museum. It is about the nuclear plant outside of Kiev that in 1986 blew up because of high radiation levels. It devastated people's lives, killed many, and forever altered Ukraine. And yet, when did we learn about it? Never. I hadn't heard of it and we aren't taught it in school, at least not in the U.S. It was amazing to see these people and the aid they received and what they had to go through and to know that it was mostly covered up at the time is astounding. To think that there is stuff that happens that is never revealed to the public is kind of scary. To think that people have the power to alter history and we (the public) never really knew what happened- wow. The world is all about striving to gain power in any way possible and once they have it they will do anything to keep it...think about that for a minute.

On a happier note, the food and beer was really good. Ukrainians know their light beer and sausage. We had some amazing meals and those are some of the times I will remember the most. The good company, the easy conversation that flowed between us, the delectable food placed before us. If you are ever in L'viv, go to Kumpel- a brewery with in-house beer and homemade sausage- and Bunker- set in a 1940s bunker from WWII it has great food and a lively atmosphere. Get the half meter sausage. So yummy.

After being in Bulgaria and going out with many different nationalities, we have a new cheers to add to the list. Nasdrave for Bulgaria, Prost for the Dutch, ¡Salud for the Spaniards, Lechaim just because, and now Budmo for Ukraine. So despite all the obstacles we faced throughout the trip (which were few in number) at the end of each day there was always a drink and a cheers waiting for us in order to celebrate. To celebrate life and new friends and a new city and a new perspective on the life that God gave me. And now settled back into life in Blago, with a new appreciation for the surrogate home I have made here, I raise a glass to you, to living life and risking what you know to gain even more than you expected to receive.

Будьмо!