Kyiv Expat Life: February 2020 Round Up
Just by looking at this blog, someone could assume my life only involves epic train trips, road tripping through Eastern Europe, and an exorbitant number of cocktails. However, only one of those things is true. As my…
Alternative Places to Learn Russian
After my long rant about why people should stop asking about learning Russian in Kyiv and instead just make their plans to go to the Motherland, you might find it odd that I’m encouraging you to think…
How to Plan an International Family Vacation
After about a year of living in Ukraine I found myself as the tour director for a very small, very specific group of visitors — my family. I’m not even sure how the idea got started, considering…
The Only Thing I’ve Learned This Year
It’s my expat anniversary! Three years ago, I boarded a plane headed for Tokyo, where I’d spend a night before going on to Singapore. I don’t remember which airline I flew, though it was definitely not United…
How to Choose Your Next Expat Home
The snow pants were presenting a problem. As was my Little Red Riding Hood pea coat, my cozy and fluffy sweater shawl, and my snow boots. Leaving Kyiv and moving to Tbilisi in the middle of winter meant…
The Best Bars in Kyiv
When people ask me what I miss about Kyiv, I say my friends – including my bartenders. I think my mom cringes at this, but I promise it’s not a confession of alcoholism. What I love about…
Required Travel Reading: Books About Ukraine
Books are (sometimes) better than travel. Even with over a year and a half in Ukraine, there’s only so much culture and history and cocktails I had time to soak up. Reading books about Ukraine added dimension…
(My) Ultimate Kiev Restaurant Guide
When people ask me why I decided to return to Kiev, I rattle off a list of things. The friendly Ukrainian people, my supportive school, the creative energy. And the food. The Kiev restaurant scene is unbelievable…
On Leaving Ukraine
I knew it was time to leave Ukraine when they knocked down the cigarette stands across the street. It’s not that I smoke cigarettes, but that was my go-to place for late night chocolate. I had established…
My Weird Reverse Culture Shock After Ukraine
It’s been a long time since I’ve chilled out in the US. In the last two years, I’ve only spent about a week back home. So when I packed up my life in Ukraine and prepared for…
