Lazy Days

Sometimes you just need a lazy day. Or two. Sleep in all day. Do next to nothing. How relaxing.
But now I'm ready to get back to life. One thing that I've remembered while doing nothing is how much I need to do something. I need to be working on something. Always striving to be better. Today I didn't do that and I feel like a bum. Better today than yesterday! Starting now. I'm excited for tomorrow, well now today. Its Sunday and the perfect day for me to reflect, evaluate, and set goals. And then I get to start fresh on Monday.
This is exactly what I needed. I got so sucked into my life, surviving work and trying to make everyone else happy that I seemed to have forgotten about myself. Time to make sure I have my oxygen mask on. I need to build myself up too. Not just others. Otherwise I will have no strength to give to others.
Thanks to all of my amazing friends who have supported me, uplifted me, guided me, inspired me, and who still love me even on my worst days. I want to grow up to be just like you!

TGIF

Its Friday and what better way to celebrate a Friday on vacation than to be lazy all day long! I slept in, ate breakfast, watched a tv show, took a 4 hour nap, watched another tv episode, chatted with some friends, then went to the mall where I met up with friends, ate dinner, and did some light shopping. I found some stuff I've been needing back in Kyiv, and they were Walmart priced. Which they most definitely are not in Ukraine. Happy dance! I feel like I've been spending tons of money, but in reality I haven't been serious shopping in over a year, and everything I've bought has been things I both need and that are practical. No buyers remorse here. The only remorse I've had this entire trip is that I'm eating way too much good food, but I will make up for it at the beginning of the new year. Got to have me something to resolve to do ;) Too much good food and being here too long. Its sad but I'm homesick for Kyiv. I haven't even been here a week, and I'm more than ready to go back. Get back to work, get back to my friends, get back to attempting to have some sort of routine. I wish I could be there to say goodbye to all of my dear friends who are leaving to go home while I'm here. My life is going to be awfully quiet for the next little while. Maybe this trip is just preparing me for that. If there's one thing I've had to get used to again while on this vacation, its been being alone. Not having someone handy to talk to about everything. I guess its time for me to relearn to be my own best friend :) Here's to the opportunities we're given to grow, become stronger, to be better. Cheers!

Wishing you a tolerable Thursday.

My Thursday had a rough start, but ended up being more than tolerable!
I ate Mexican food today and a grasshopper cupcake. Got to see my adorable friends and chat online with some of my best friends. Learned some disappointing news but was supported by friends who knew exactly what to say to help me bounce back. Thanks friends. I closed the night by celebrating a new friend's birthday at Hard Rock Cafe Krakow where we had the best waiter, I ate the best burger and enjoyed some decadent creme brulee! Followed by a movie! At the theater. In English!!!!
I absolutely love movies especially in a theater setting and to see it in English was heaven! We almost had the theater to ourselves. I think the 4 Polish patrons had a blast laughing at me for laughing out loud so much during the movie. It was great fun. I'm now super pumped for New Years Eve (that's the movie I watched), even though I don't think I have any plans. I still think it will be a great one. There's nothing better than a fresh start and a chance for new beginnings.
Okay. So. I think I'll spruce this post up later...I'm falling asleep typing. A sure sign its past my bedtime. Sweet dreams friends.

Visa. It's Everywhere You Want To Be.

Today...I got a visa! It was actually super easy and not nearly as scary as I had pictured in my head. (Think stale cold poorly lit interrogation rooms and scary men with intimidating tones). It was nothing like that. Let me tell you my visa getting experience.

Day 1(Monday): Went to old consulate address. Oops. Epic fail. Such a little thing can be devastating when their working hours are only 9-12 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. That night I found the consulate, so I would know exactly where to go the next morning.

Day 2(Tuesday): Went to the consulate, had the guy at the "reception" desk my paperwork. He asked me why I wanted to go to Ukraine. I answered. He looked over my papers and handed them back to me with a small slip of paper with a bank name, address, and microscopic map. I was told how much it would cost, and that I needed to go to that bank to pay and then come back with the receipt. Got lost going to the bank. (I seem to be really good at getting lost).

Day 3(Wednesday): Third time's a charm! Went to the consulate, handed same man all of my paperwork including receipt. He said "Come back between 2 and 3. We're closed tomorrow, make sure you come back today" I guess he didn't get the memo that I'm here for another week and a half ;) Went back at 2, new man handed me my passport with a beautiful new visa in it! Happy day!!!!



I'm glad I don't have to worry about that anymore. And it wasn't scary at all. Now I'm free to just relax and enjoy the rest of my vacation. Although I'm starting to miss Kyiv. I met a girl at the consulate from the states who was also getting a visa today. We became fast friends. Her and her husband were speaking Russian and I've never been happier in my life. I was surprised at how much I understood and how incredibly happy it made me just to listen. I can't wait until I can speak it someday. She showed me a Polish "Walmart". And we have big plans for a bucket at KFC. Life is good!



I also met up with my bestie Felicity and her awesome mom and her cute brother Spencer. I love them to pieces! WE walked around the city center and checked out a bakery where I accidentally ordered a whole cake instead of just a piece. Oops. Oh the joys of language barriers. Haha. I love my life!



I did a lot of shopping today too. I bought several things that I've been wanting and needing for awhile and I got pretty incredible deals on some of them. I bought new boots(Mock UGGS...$20-score!) A "leather" jacket($12-AMAZING!!!) A super cute shirt that I'm uber excited about($15). A perfect little wallet that I already love more than anything ($5) [I'm thinking I should buy a back up or two ;)]
I also bought Jenessa's hoodie. And found a folding nail file(impossible to find) at a random store. I lost mine a couple years ago and my life has been incomplete ever since(шучу). It was a GREAT shopping day though!



And I can't forget about the food!

Today I had Polish sausage...in Poland! And it was AMAZING!



It came from a sweet stand in the city center on the rynok.



That has serious amounts of meat.



I also ate at Yummie's(Krakow's version of Chili's)



I got a NY Strip Steak. It was divine.



For sweet treats today I tried some ice cream. Strawberries and cream flavored.



And a waffle cone roll with sweet cream filling.



Plus that cake I accidentally ordered. :)

Pizza Power

Blogging early tonight. I'm exhausted. I didn't sleep well last night. I'm pretty sure its about -50 degrees in my room. I should've brought my fleece jammies and a hoodie.

I'm excited to vegg out tonight, snuggle up in my bed, hopefully by the time bedtime rolls around my bed will be toasty and I'll be able to sleep.

My day today...went to the consulate. The guy at the front desk spoke awesome English. That made me happy. He looked over my papers, asked me why I wanted to go to Ukraine, said "I don't think we can give you a visa, you need an invitation, that should look like this(showing me the fancy official looking letter pictured below)."



"I have one of those" "Oh." (Hands me a miniature map to a bank across town) Let the adventure begin.





You're kidding right?! How am I supposed to read this map?! So lost! Best way to get to know a city? Get lost there. Seriously. I am so grateful for the cute little mom, who tried her hardest to help me and when she couldn't called her husband who speaks English to give me directions. Dear cute family...you rescued my sanity from the brink of calamity. A million jenks! (short for dziękuję, "Thank you" in Polish)

After the bank I started heading home(ish). The consulate closes at noon, so after getting lost, there was nothing more I could do today. So do zaftra...
I happen to have to walk through the mall often when coming to or going anywhere from my hostel....so I walked through the mall. Decided to take a peek at the electronics store. So many things I wanted to buy, good thing I didn't do it. Then I went to the grocery store. I was thinking...what should I do for lunch. Peanut butter and honey on nutty bread. Yum! Ended up filling a basket to overflowing. How did that happen?! Oh yeah...I'm hungry. Tip of the day: Don't go grocery shopping when hungry. I decided I had more than enough junk in my basket to last me a week of occasional snacking, so I headed to the check out. Seriously?! All the lines were so long they reached halfway through the store! Ridiculous. So what did I do? I restocked everything in my basket, and I left. Sometimes its not worth the wait. I didn't need to eat that food anyway.

Instead I met up with the Elders.



It was their P-Day today since they had a conference yesterday. They decided they wanted pizza. I couldn't turn it down. It is Tuesday after all, and Tuesdays are pizza day. Its tradition. Only this time I got to eat at Pizza Hut instead of Dominoes. Pretty sure it changed my life. I forgot how good pizza can taste!





They had a new pizza there. The crown pizza. AMAZING!



It had super delicious stretchy mozzarella :)



I'm only slightly ashamed to say that I was able to eat as much as the Elders. Never again though! I was seriously in pain. It hurt to move afterwards.

Elder Kolinowski champed it and ate the last piece! Way to be Elder. Way to be!



Now I'm stuffed to the brim and ready to relax the night away. Perhaps a movie night is in order. Happy day.

Day 2 Here's To You

Day 2 and I'm already forgetting about my challenge. Oops. So here's a last minute glimpse of my day before I hit the hay. (apparently I'm in a rhyming mood)

Consulate was a fail today. They moved so I went to the wrong place(the old address) and they are only open for a few hours in the morning, so that didn't work out well for me. But there's always tomorrow.
Ate KFC for lunch. Burger King for dinner. Feeling American.
Bought a Polish SIM card, now I'm connected in Poland.
Figured out how to text Ukraine for free(ish)! So I can stay in touch with those I love in Ukraine :D
I decided to be brave and attempt the public transportation system. It was actually way nice, they had timetables and everything! Now if only I had been going the right direction. Haha.
Also went to Institute/Seminary and learned about Moses. I learned a lot about him tonight and it made me feel better about myself. Sometimes I get frustrated with things, when I should be patient. I think "Amazing" people are patient in these situations. So I can't be amazing because I'm not patient. Then I read about Moses who on more than occasion showed frustration. It was a lesson I needed. A lot! I'm so glad I went.
And now here I am, up WAY later than I should be. Story of my life.

Also I love Krakow so much that I think I'll live here someday. We'll see where the wind blows me. But I wouldn't mind one bit if it blew me in to Krakow. :D

Krakow Countdown to Christmas Challenge

It has been forever since I've blogged and I apologize. SO much has happened in my life that I wished to have shared with you all, but I am slightly superstitious and don't want to jinx myself by sharing it with the world. Because inevitably, the moment I do, it all goes south.
Let me tell you that I am in Krakow Poland right now. Being here is incredible for so many reasons, but mostly because of how I got here. I have a purpose in being here. Some of you already know, the rest, will find out as things work out this week.
My challenge is this...to make up for my lack of blogging...I want to try to blog everyday about my time here in Krakow. We'll see how well I can do.

Things today that made me happy:
Not dying in the taxi or airplane.
Getting naps after a sleepless night.
Short flights.
Hassle free passport checks.
Meeting new friends!
Incredible food.
Banana juice.
CHERRY coke!
My own hostel room.
Promises of lots of fun to come with new friends.
My new 3 year old best friend, Felicity!
Subway(Mmmmm!)
Krakow's amazing Christmas spirit!
Life!


I (LOVE) my life!

Swimming in Deep Ponds

I've been deeply pondering a lot these last couple of months. Something about being as far away from your comfort zone as you can possibly get, does that to you. One thing that occurred to me is how much I've changed over the last several months. Well actually the last 8 months, but particularly the last 2 1/2 months. I've learned so much about myself. I've realized I had no idea who I was. As I've had to face my fears and insecurities I've discovered my weaknesses. Some I've been able to overcome, some I'm still working on, and many are still lurking in the path ahead. But I have no doubt that in due time I will conquer them as well. I have gained so much strength from my hardships. Mostly battles with myself. Battles between who I am and who I want to be.

I've heard many people say, "That's just who I am". Shoot, I guarantee that I've said that a time or two. But I don't believe that's true. It may be who you are at that moment, but it doesn't have to stay that way. Who you are naturally and who you can be if you really try are more than likely completely different people. You can always change. You can be better. You can be the best you possible. You just have to decide to do it. The "that's just who I am" in you is allowing yourself to be defined by your weaknesses. We all have them. But we can all overcome them. Stop justifying your imperfections. Stop giving them power over who you are. If you have a weakness, especially one you don't like, I challenge you to do something about it. Make a change. Be better than you thought you could be. I did. And by doing so I discovered how much potential I have.

I am a good person. I like good things. I love surrounding myself with good people. Ones who inspire, uplift, edify, and encourage. I have a lot of those in my life. I call them my eagles. (If you want to know why, let me know, perhaps it'll be the topic of an upcoming blog post). To all of my eagles, thank you from the depths of my heart. I am who I am today because of you.

To anyone who feels like there is something they want to change. Perhaps I could share a tip or two. Take it for what its worth. Start with faith. If you don't stand for anything you'll fall for everything. Decide what you believe and believe it. Live what you believe. In every aspect of your life live what you believe. When you're with friends, when you're at work, when you're home alone...live what you believe. Hopefully whatever you believe is good and that good can spread to those in your life. If so, maybe, just maybe we can make the world a better place.

The theme of my 2011:
While I was busy doing things I never thought I could do, I found out who I am.

Sometimes We Have To Walk In The Rain

Let me tell you some things I've learned recently...

1) American shoes do not like Europe.

My poor shoes were not made for being my primary mode of transportation. I'm proud of them, they've held up really well considering the circumstances, but their kryptonite is rain. Last weekend I wore my black flats on my border run. I was trying to pack light and was planning on going to church so I chose them for their versatility. Both comfy and dressy casual. Little did I know it was going to be raining all weekend. As soon as they got wet they lost it, they're all sorts of distorted and discolored now. I chose them to go back to Kiev this last weekend as well, for the same reasons. And what happened? You guessed it. Rain. Torrential downpours all weekend long. Come to think of it...maybe my shoes are cursed with an evil voodoo rain curse. I should invest in some galoshes. Maybe then it'll stop raining. I'm starting to know how Noah felt...

2) Sometimes scenes from movies happen in real life.

One thing I've realized as I've grown up is that what they show in movies and what happens in real life aren't always the same. But sometimes they are. This morning I had to get up at the crack of dawn (okay not really because the crack of dawn here is 3:30 a.m.) to head back out to Kanev for work. I had my big backpacking backpack, my purse (filled with bricks of course), and my laptop (carefully wrapped in plastic bags so as to not get wet). So my hands were already full and then add an umbrella. Getting the picture? The rain is pouring down, the wind is blowing with a vengeance, and the combination is lethal. I'm sloshing through the rivers that seem to be everywhere. Trying to balance everything plus hold my umbrella. I'm still getting soaked (even my hair that was directly under the umbrella) The wind is blowing so hard I have to lean into it in order to even move. And my umbrella flips inside out. I correct it. 5 seconds later, it flips again. This was my morning. Soaked to the bone with a 3 hour bus ride in my future.

I was upset. As I was wallowing in misery, I said a little prayer. "please let the winds and rain stop so that I can get to where I need to go." This was not a good start to my week! I realized that I don't want to start my week off with a bad attitude. My prayer changed. "please help me to not have a bad attitude even though it feels like the universe is out to get me." As soon as I said that, I realized what I must look like, just like a dreary scene from a movie. The one where you think to yourself..."that's a bit extreme...it's never that bad in real life". But it really was that bad. It was then that instead of being grumpy, and grumbling under my breath, I laughed. So I'm glad that Heavenly Father let me walk in the rain. He could've stopped it if he really wanted to. He could've made it easier. But I wouldn't have learned to laugh at myself and my misfortune. Or how its my choice what my attitude is going to be and how I react to situations in life. I don't have to settle because "that's just who I am", I can change, I can be better. And I am, every time I learn a lesson and then change my habits accordingly.


Lesson: You can choose to do things cheerfully, even when you hate sludging through the pouring rain.

"Therefore, dearly beloved..., let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." Doctrine and Covenants 123:17

Its a Giddy Day

AHHH!!! I'm having an amazing day! I love it!

Reasons why I'm giddy today:

My scale says I've lost weight though I haven't been running at all this week and have eaten chocolate pretty much every day!

I'm in Kyiv Ukraine!

I get to see my Uncle Bohdan and Aunt Rosemary today...in Ukraine!!!

I have AMAZING friends!

I had a gloriously restful 8 1/2 hours of sleep last night!

Inspiring music

Great leads for great jobs

Time to clean my apartment and go grocery shopping.

Waking up early enough to get everything done :)

There may be a million other reasons why I'm giddy today as well. All in all its a perfect day :D

The Little Things In Life

You know...its the little things in life that make it so darn great!
For example,
I was having a completely terrible day today. I "woke up on the wrong side of the bed". Things seemed to go from bad to worse as the day continued, but I kept pressing on.
This evening I went and helped the activities committee make laurels for the upcoming greek themed disco we will be having at the YSA conference in Crimea next weekend. There things started looking up. I love my Ukrainian friends! A special thanks to Lena, Katya, Nata, Vika, Ira, Yulia, Dima, and Vitalik for a great time. And for dinner.

The little things that made my day:
-Incredible music!
-The McDonald's manager helping me with my Russian. <3
-Ice in my coke
-Oreo McFlurry(just arrived in Ukraine last week and happens to be my favorite!)
-Barbecue sauce with my french fries
(Yes McDonalds made me very happy tonight)
-Walking home after a rainstorm(it smelled amazing!)
-Being gawked at by a group of Ukrainians for speaking English.
-Hearing English from a group of picnickers this morning on my run.
-Birds singing all day.
-Buying 18 eggs for 80 cents USD
-Watching a huge pack of wild dogs crossing busy streets together.
-The trolleybus arriving the exact same time I did to the bus stop :D
-Getting to talk to my sister and realizing that she misses me as much as I've always missed her!

It's the little things in life!!!

A Happy Morning!

This morning I went running in the park by my kvartira. A couple things made me smile from ear to ear.

#1 The birds singing and sun shining
#2 The elderly man who walked passed me humming to himself :D
#3 The adorable stray puppy who ran along side me for a few minutes
#4 The little girl who was fussing at her babushka, who I smiled at and the girl started giggling, her babushka was so confused. It was great!
#5 Its FRIDAY! And its Easter weekend. And we don't have work on Monday!

Speaking of Easter...
Below in bold is a quote a friend shared with me this week that I've been thinking about a lot in preparation for the Easter holiday along with some background to help it make sense. Its an amazing talk and if you have time, I highly recommend reading it this Easter weekend.

"I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross. On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth.

Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse. On that day those men stood triumphant.

On that day the veil of the temple was rent in twain.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were both overcome with grief and despair. The superb man they had loved and honored hung lifeless upon the cross.

On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.

On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled. It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.

I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.

But the doom of that day did not endure.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.

"Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."

Joseph B Wirthlin. October 2006 General Conference "Sunday Will Come"



I have so much to be grateful for. Most of all the atonement of Jesus Christ. I've had a lot of "Friday" moments this week. But Sundays are amazing and are always just around the corner. Its been an amazing week.
I hope everyone has an incredible Easter weekend!

Setting My Course

Wow! Where has the last month gone?! I can't believe its already almost April!

This last week we had vacation. I went with a smaller group to Krakow Poland for about a week. We stormed castles, ate gelato, tamed fire breathing dragons and flying rats, bartered with local merchants, and survived Auschwitz-Birkenau. It was a pretty intense week!

The main reason we chose Krakow was because we wanted to see the Auschwitz concentration camp. This trip was one of the most eye opening and life changing experiences of my life. Going to camp and learning so much about it. The things people went through. The process of how things worked there. It overwhelmed me. I didn't cry while at the camp like I thought I would, although I was close a couple of times. These are the reasons I came close:

1-Auschwitz was a work camp. There you would be worked to death, literally. If you weren't strong enough to work you were killed immediately. If you weren't able to work you were killed. If you worked too slowly you were hung by your wrist in a way that would dislocate your shoulders, rendering you unable to work, therefore you would be killed.
I have days, more often then I'd like to admit, where I have a hard time getting going. I usually get stuff done, but for whatever reason I never seem to accomplish what I need to accomplish, and the things I do get done happen at a painful slow pace. And usually not with any semblance of good attitude.
Do you ever have days when you just want to stay home? Relax, take it easy, recuperate? And on said days have you still had to go to work, or go to school, or do your best to get everything done that you need to get done that day? Those are the days I'm talking about. I still am productive but my heart isn't in it.
I can't imagine anyone in those camps being able to put their hearts into the work they were doing. My natural reaction to that would be dragging my feet as I did it. The consequence being that I would be hung, shoulders dislocated, and killed. I probably wouldn't have lasted very long there unless I was able to overcome my natural reaction to being "tired". And that is a very sobering thought. So I've been thinking a lot about what I need to do to change the way I think when I'm feeling that way. I believe that whatever it was that helped those prisoners to find the strength to carry on amidst their trials and afflictions, whatever characteristic they possessed that helped them to persevere, whatever it is it exists in me as well. Its like finding out you've had a dormant superpower your entire life and now you need to figure out how to use it correctly. That is how I felt when I thought of the victims of Auschwitz-Birkenau. And that is one of the many life changing things I learned there.

2-At Auschwitz-Birkenau there were several gas chambers. As part of the selection process and registration they would have those they couldn't put to work or experiment on sent to the "showers" to disinfect from diseases. 2,000 people would be required to strip down and squeeze into a room together. Then gas would be dropped in through vents in the roof and within 20 minutes everyone would be dead.(About 10,000 people a day were killed this way.) The 2 main gas chambers are still there, in piles of rubble left by the soldiers who destroyed them just before liberation to try to cover any evidence. Standing at the top of the steps got to me. Hundreds of thousands of people...women, children, the sick, the elderly and handicapped...who had no idea was about to happen to them, descended those stairs believing they were about to see a brighter future.
With everything I've learned recently its made me take a step back to evaluate myself. What do I believe? What am I capable of? How would I have reacted? What would I have done? Who am I? And would I be strong enough to stand up for that regardless of the consequences?

I am grateful that I didn't have to live through that, and now more than ever I have an inexpressible respect for anyone who lived through the holocaust and WWII. And to my Omi and Opi, who lived in Germany during WWII, who have shown me the strength and perseverance that is in me. Because of their examples I know what I am capable of. And that is a self liberation that brings an entirely new level of hope and promise!

See what I mean? LIFE CHANGING!

Discovering New Talents

Yesterday I was given the opportunity to try something new. Give someone a haircut.
I've helped cut hair here and there, trimmed my own bangs, helped buzz a brother's head, etc. But never a real haircut. Here's what happened...

One of the teachers in my group REALLY wanted to get her hair cut. Her host mom had told her she would make an appointment, but forgot. Frustrated the teacher took things into her own hands. She went out on the city and bought herself a handy dandy pair of hair cutting scissors. I told her I had a little experience, very little experience cutting hair, but that I could try.

This is Christina and her long hair before I got to it.



She wanted to be able to donate it and it needed to be at least 10 inches long, so we ponied it up and chopped. The longest strands ended up being about 11 1/2 inches long.



I think it turned out pretty well.



Who knew I had some hair cutting skills. Add that to the list of talents I've discovered. Maybe I can fine tune that skill and perhaps someday I could have a career in cosmetology. That would go nicely with my massage therapy training. I could have an uber salon. It's a thought.

Ukrainian Style Remedies

It's been a couple of weeks since I've blogged last. But I am finally writing another blog post. We've been here a month now. Work is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Isn't that usually the case? A few weeks ago I got really sick. It was a bad flu, possibly bronchitis. Luckily for me some previous headteachers had left a bunch of cold and flu medicine. I survived on sudafed and nyquil. Most of my group's teachers also got sick. One of them when she started feeling sick got sent to the school nurse. The nurse recommended some Ukrainian remedies. Warm milk with honey, mustard compress on chest and back, and soaking your feet in hot water. Miraculously she was better in just a couple of days. And didn't suffer the horrible coughing up lungs that the rest of us seemed to have encountered.

I started feeling a lot better, everything seemed to clear up except my stuffy nose. Then 2 nights ago I had trouble sleeping. I had an incredibly sore throat and lots of congestion. Sure enough the next morning it felt like the beginnings of what I had had before. It felt like I had swallowed sandpaper. Like my head was in a C-clamp and about to explode. This time I decided to try the Ukrainian remedies. The warm milk and honey tastes great and definitely makes my throat feel better. I tried the compress. It was supposed to get really hot, but never did when I tried it last night. I must've done something wrong so I typed up the directions in Ukrainian on my computer and used google translate to translate it. So hopefully I can get it to work today.

This is what it said:

"спосіб застосування. гірчичники застосовують шляхом аплікацій на шкіру. перед аплікацією гірчичник змочують терлою водою і накладають на шкіру, прикриваючи зверху сухим рушником. час експозиції складає 5-15 хвилин (до появи вираженого почервоніння шкіри, сильного печіння). кількість аплікацій і їх частота залежать від форми і вираженості захворювання, ефективності гірчичників самих по собі або при застосуванні останніх у комплексній терапії.
показання до застосування. гірчичники призначають як протизапальний (відтяжний) засіб при багатьох захворюваннях (моізити, невралгії, бронхіти, ларинготрахеїт, пневмонії, головний біль і т.і.). іноді можна призначати при стенокардії (залежно від вираженності останньої)."

Translated:

mode of application. mustard plasters used by applications to the skin. front applique sinapism wet scrubbed with water and lay on the skin covering the top with dry towel. exposure time is 5-15 minutes(until the appearance of pronounced redness, severe burning sensations). number of applications and their frequency depend on the form and manifestation of the disease, the effectiveness of mustard plasters on its own or with using the latest in the complex therapy.
Indications for use. mustard plasters designated as anti-inflammatory (drawing) tool in many diseases (moizyty, neuralgia,bronchitis, laryngotracheitis, pneumonia, headache, etc.).sometimes can be assigned to the angina (depending vyrazhennosti last).

I hope it works. I don't want to be sick anymore. It doesn't help that its so cold outside. Its been in the single digits (F) here with wind that pierces like a knife. American winter wear was not cut out for Ukrainian winters. (Note to self: Next time bring money to buy a nice warm coat here). I can't wait for spring to come. Or for it to be at least in the 30's (F). I might be running around in shorts and a t-shirt when that day finally comes ;) Just kidding! The babushkas would yell at me a lot.

So far we've spent quite a bit of time walking around the center of the city. Exploring some shopping venues. We've eaten at McDonald's and Dominoes. Ate a lot of parapichka(Hot dogs inside of scones). We've seen the Chernobyl museum. The love/lock bridge. The LDS temple here in Kyiv. And we've had a number of gatherings just to have fun, play games, and hang out with other American friends from church.

In the future we have plans to go see St Sophia and St Michaels cathedrals, Lavra, Big Mama and the WWII museum. Trips to L'viv, Krakow and Auschwitz in Poland, Odessa, Komnyets Podilsky, and I'm incredibly excited to go see my family's village in Western Ukraine sometime! I think it would be incredible to get to help with everyday things in the village. Preparing meals, working with the animals, helping out in the fields. What an amazing experience that would be! I'm itching to do something family history related, but I don't know where to start. Or what I can do from Kyiv. That and I've been really busy with work. Perhaps I'll have to set aside some time to work on that in the near future.

I'm already doing way better at blogging than the last time I was here. But I promise to be better, I will try to blog more often, and I will do my best to make it interesting. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! And thanks mom for calling me out on not having written in awhile.

Back in Ukraine!

I can't believe I'm back in Ukraine. It still feels like a dream even though I've been here a little over 2 weeks. I have days where I am giddy beyond belief and days that I hate it and want to go home. Its all part of the adjusting process. Overall though I'm super stoked to be back. It feels like I'm home. Although its changed quite a bit. The kids I taught 2 years ago have grown up a lot. My school I taught at moved to a new location. They now sell oreos and my favorite shampoo and conditioner here. Change is good.

I've been pretty sick this last week. My body is adjusting to the new strains of influenza that Ukraine has and America doesn't. I can't wait for it to pass. I will be superwoman after I get healthy again. Haha.

Speaking of healthy...I've definitely lost a few pounds since being here. I've pretty much been walking miles everyday. I'm looking forward to my cough going away so I can start working out.

What else? We've been crazy busy with training. I love my group. And the other groups too. I can't wait until we have more time to hang out and enjoy Ukraine! I love our new friends here from America. There are quite a few people here with Nuskin. Very cool. I do also miss my American friends who were here 2 years ago too.

I love how cheap Ukrainian food is! I eat verenyky a lot. I can get a good sized bag that can last at least 2 meals for about 75 cents USD. I'm in heaven!

I posted some pictures on facebook. I'll try to be better about taking and posting pictures. We don't spend a lot of time out on the city. Most of us in our group have been sick and the only daylight hours are when we're in school. So whenever we get done its super dark and cold. So we just go to FHE, Institute, or straight home. I can't wait to see more of the sun. And get to spend more time around the city. I guarantee more pictures then!

I need your input friends! What do you want to hear about? Make this blogging thing easier for me! I'm definitely not very good at it, so I need your help. I am determined to blog this time round!
Miss you all and am looking forward to hearing from all of you!