So, I've been reading a ton of ESL-teacher blogs in the past year, trying to get insights on how to be more successful with living abroad. Thank you to everyone who has posted about their experiences living in Russia and Ukraine! It's really nice to read the opinions and stories of others. In fact, I want to list the blogs but I'm a little shy. It is good or is it creepy if somebody else writes about your blog?
I feel like I fall outside the normal parameters of the Russia / Ukraine blogger just a little bit. (Haha, I bet everyone thinks this!) But I have my reasons:
1. Being a girl traveling to this part of the world. (not that rare, true, but wait...)
2. Not traveling by means of a church or the Peace Corps. (that narrows the field some more)
3. Moving abroad as a couple. (yes, it's true!)
A possible reason number 4?: I work in refugee resettlement right now. It's been my career ever since getting out of university and it's highly addicting (uh, because of the rewards or because of the frustrating moments, I don't know!)....and Ukraine actually has a number of refugees and asylees, mainly from Afghanistan, parts of the former USSR, Africa, and the Middle East. I don't know what I could do, or how to do it, but the idea to do something is there. Refugees are really cool people with amazing stories of heartbreak and triumph. And they're way more fun to work with than your average colleague, customer, or student! I don't know how much of the refugee work in Ukraine would be actual resettlement work, and how much is just...other stuff, legal stuff maybe, but I'm going to keep my eyes open for a way to get involved.
I feel like I fall outside the normal parameters of the Russia / Ukraine blogger just a little bit. (Haha, I bet everyone thinks this!) But I have my reasons:
1. Being a girl traveling to this part of the world. (not that rare, true, but wait...)
2. Not traveling by means of a church or the Peace Corps. (that narrows the field some more)
3. Moving abroad as a couple. (yes, it's true!)
A possible reason number 4?: I work in refugee resettlement right now. It's been my career ever since getting out of university and it's highly addicting (uh, because of the rewards or because of the frustrating moments, I don't know!)....and Ukraine actually has a number of refugees and asylees, mainly from Afghanistan, parts of the former USSR, Africa, and the Middle East. I don't know what I could do, or how to do it, but the idea to do something is there. Refugees are really cool people with amazing stories of heartbreak and triumph. And they're way more fun to work with than your average colleague, customer, or student! I don't know how much of the refugee work in Ukraine would be actual resettlement work, and how much is just...other stuff, legal stuff maybe, but I'm going to keep my eyes open for a way to get involved.
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