packing. once again!

This time for an AMAZING ADVENTURE!!! I hop on a bus tomorrow morning and head to see Budapest, Prague, Vienna, & Dresden. 4 countries. 8 days.

And I AM NOT forgetting my camera card this time. Heck, I am bringing two.

My kindle is charged & ready to go. I adore my kindle. It goes EVERYWHERE with me. I read on the metro and bus everyday on the way to and from school, and it will get a lot of use on account of it's a 20 hour bus ride to Budapest.

Umm did you know that Vienna is where Marie Antoinette was born? And that I get to see the palace that she lived in? Needless to say I am overjoyed.

OFF TO PACK!

why I love my teachers

Because they made me a chain for how many days until my wedding.
And each of the chains says something cute like kiss or love or kayla+elliott ( they spelled his name right even)
: )
Maybe it's so I quit reminding them weekly, I don't know. Either way it was an act of kindness and I love them.

And yes, someone took all my money out of my bank account, but the people at my bank were so helpful and it is all taken care of, I am so thankful. And also to Elliott. Because he handles me calling him in tears telling him my sob story pretty excellently. One of our first conversations he told me that he should be my life coach. He still kind of is.


Love,
Kayla

it's a beautiful day

What do you do when you said you were on a chocolate strike, but you get an adorable package from your soon to be mother in law, which contains her amazing hand dipped chocolates, among other goodies? You take a break obviously, unless you are a crazy person.

THANK YOU BRENDA!!

bye chocolate, i love you

Today we went to the temple & did baptisms. The temple is gorgeous, but I feel like the granite is more cookies and creme looking as opposed to the rest, which seem more french vanilla.. in terms of ice cream... umm.. I'm giving up sweets for 30 days... I have the biggest sweet tooth EVER. And the chocolate here is loco delicious. Serious. I will bring some home. But fellow sugar addicts like myself have come away from this challenge with a feeling of aloofness regarding nobakes and sweets afterwards, and I want that!!

So, I am giving it a go, and saying goodbye tonight with a king size snickers. I've always liked a challenge. Oh and my teachers had to teach school today. On a SATURDAY!! I stuck it out with them, but after lunch I laid my parka down in the sunshine that was coming through the window and took a nap. After sleeping in my bed here I can pretty much sleep anywhere, it's a gift. Or sad. Well happy Saturday!! Luv, Kayla

bugs.

This note was waiting in the kitchen when I got to school this morning regarding the lovelies that reside in our microwave. Yes, little roach face is in that jar.

This is my life.

more lviv

We found this spray painted declaration on our walk home from the cemetery. I dedicate it to my family & fiance & my amigas

here is the pretty church building!!
and the horrors of the train toilet revealed
and all my girls chilling at our favorite restaurant, ПУЗАТА ХАТА, pronounced pizatta hatta.

loobloo,
Kayla

had a skype date

WITH MY BESTIE B-STERD...... Also known as Brittany. I am so happy that I have a buddy that is also engaged to talk about engaged things.
B has been my partner in crime for years.
As you can see from THIS blog post.
You can also see that my pink sweatpants even made an appearance on that one..

So it is only right that we should be partners in ehh getting married to lucky men.. those lucky men being Hargis and Elliott.

L'viv.

Hi friends! I am back and we had tons of fun!! On the way there we all got to experience the joys of riding third class on an 8 hour train ride. Those joys include finding different ways to leap or climb into your bunk, figuring out which car is yours since the old ladies are mean and like to deceive you, and dehydrating yourself so that you wouldn't have to use the train toilet. I got too thirsty. I gave in. I have used a train toilet.

Lviv was an adventure. I would say "trip" but I feel like that implies we knew where we were going. Also... I promised you pictures. So I got really excited when I packed my backpack and my heinously large camera fit in perfectly. So I whipped it out when we got to the famous cemetery, only to discover I hauled the whole thing to Lviv, and in my pack all day only to realize I forgot the memory card. So I am borrowing pictures from others, and I learned a very important lesson for our big trip coming up soon, and that lesson is BRING THE MEMORY CARD!! Also I learned the lesson called "Charge your kindle before you depart on a long train ride", and "Remember where you put your train ticket so you dont put the whole car into a panic looking for it only to discover it was in your pocket the whole time..." Yep that happened.

As a group we learned.. Ukrainian words. Because dears, it turns out eastern Ukraine does not enjoy the Russian language. Everyone here in Kiev is bilingual, so its whatevs that we only know Russian phrases. Good think Macall and Jamies host mother taught them a few things.

Lviv is so beautiful though. It didn't receive a lot of damage during WW2, and so most of the original architecture is still in tact. The streets are all narrow and cobblestone and it was quaint and adorable.

This was a Jewish synagogue. The Nazis put those circles in the window over the star of David and took it over. Lviv was hit really hard by the holocaust and had hundreds of thousands of Jews killed. Lviv used to belong to Poland.
This was our hostel! 12 bunks in this room, but we had our own toilet and shower so we were all happy. Free breakfast, too, and the staff was really nice. The downstairs was like a cave, and the rest was this tower with one winding staircase that lead to the rooms. We were at the very top! Killer stairs.
We hiked up to this place called high castle. We are pretty sure it's where a castle used to overlook Lviv, anyways, you can see the whole city from up there.

This was the famous cemetery. A lot of famous political leaders are buried here. It was HUGE.

Also we went to this palace! It was soo pretty!!
And I pretended to be Juliet.
And Lauren was.. Romiett.
Which reminds me that I am in the mood to pop into the opera house for another ballet sometime here soon.


We had a really fun time! Before we left we made a list of things we wanted to see and got them all checked off, and spent a decent amount of time at our favorite Ukrainian buffet.It was good to see how we all do traveling together for our big trip at the end of this month. Also, for me to see how long I can go without talking to Fiance. It was 2 days. Before I emailed him from a hotel lobby across from the opera house. I went there to use the bathroom, and I saw the computer just chilling there for the people staying there to use... so next thing you know I am on my email saying hello.

On the way back my girls all got to be in the same train car, but I took one for the team and took the ticket that was all alone. It was ok, besides the fact that my things kept falling down through the crack in my bunk onto the man below me ha ha poor man.

GOOD TIMES IN LVIV!!
Next vacation: Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Dresden


Luvs,
Kayla


P.S Jamie thanks for your pictures.

facts of my life

* Today I was on the most packed bus I have ever been on. I didn't have to worry about hanging on, because I couldn't move. Not even when we got to my stop. However, I try to be observant here, and I had heard people say "mo shna" when they are in similar situations. So it was try it or miss my stop so I said it a couple of times as I tried to wiggle my way off the bus, and it worked and everyone was super kind. I asked Christina what it means when I got home. It means "May I." Excellent. In the past I have said in Russian, door please, or sorry. I am happy I discovered the right words.

* Today was BEAUTIFUL. The sun was shining. It smelled like spring. I adore spring- the sun melting and everything coming alive makes me feel alive and full of energy too. So does diet coke.

* This weekend everyone is celebrating Women's Day. I love holidays, especially ones that involve getting showered with flowers and chocolate. We got SO MUCH chocolate today, so at lunch we all sat on the floor trying all the different kinds and organizing a loose itinerary for Lviv this weekend, we leave tomorrow! My first time on a train!

* Lviv looks beautiful from the pictures I have seen. We made a list of places we want to see today and I am so excited!! I will take pictures I promise. Our hostel had some mixed reviews so it should be an adventure.

* So I watch Modern Family occasionally. It's pretty entertaining. I have always thought that the relationship between Jay and Gloria kind of resembles Elliott and I's relationship. I never told him that. And today he told me the same thing. Ha ha.. Elliott different than Jay though. Elliott is hot.

* I had a bunch of apples that I wasn't in the mood to eat this week, so I decided to do something with them before they went gross. I made an apple crisp. And it was lovely. The new oven is interesting though, it doesn't have degrees, it has an outline of a flame, and a filled in flame with dots in between. You pick which dot. I picked the in the middle dot. I guess I picked the right one.

* I was wondering why I haven't seen any cockroaches around. Want to know why I have not? They are in hiding. Apparently in the microwave at our school. They are living there. Do you have any idea how grossed out it makes me, to know that there are cockroaches chilling out in the inner workings of the device in which I heat up my lunch everyday? YUCKKKK!!

I am trying to think of one more fact so I don't leave you with the creepy crawly feeling. Phew ok I have one.

* I got my scholarship app all done! Getting ready to finish up what is hopefully my last year of school!!

THE END! Be watching for pictures and how Lviv went! I will be back Wednesday.

Luvs,
Kayla

hey look pictures!!

at the Lavra
my teachas. my chicks. my amigas. my partners in crime.

I didn't take them.
I am a robber of pictures.

Also I have a pet dog. That isn't mine, that I believe is a stray but has been living on our stoop for the last week. I secretly named him Spot. And Elliott suggested that I feed him. So today I was walking out and I tossed him some of my deliscious buttered rye bread, and he let it fall on the ground, sniffed it, and looked at me like I was insane. That dog does not know good bread, spoiled pants. I told the Director who was in town from the States this week about Spot, and he laughed and was all, as long as you aren't petting it! And I was all " hahahah of course not that .. that would be crazy and stuff"... That's a lie. I pat Spot's little head every time I leave...

And Christina has just informed me that a whole semester of girls got worms for playing with the strays here.

Awesome. Cursed for their compassion. That would happen.
Looks like I will be keeping my distance from Ol' Spot Face now. Poor doggy.

Differences between Ukrainians and Americans

You can hear Americans before you can see them. Ukrainians are pretty stealth.

Ukrainians don't laugh at people when they slip and fall on the ice, they just rush to help you up. But then again I haven't seen them laugh at much.

The men are very gentlemanly- opening doors, always ready to come to your aid when it looks like you might fall over on a packed metro... Even the drunk ones. Last night a guy sat across from me on the bus who just wreaked of alcohol, and he still gave up his seat for a lady and her kiddo. And they ADORE their ladies. Adoration is just like dripping out of their faces and they are very affectionate.

Ukrainian women actually know how to walk in heels, and are very feminine. They should show women in the US how it's done. Even the old ladies never leave their house without lipstick.


Ukrainians ehh think that if you sit on the ground your ovaries will freeze. No, I am not kidding. They seriously believe it like a fact of science. Our regional coordinator who I regard as a highly intelligent woman believes this with all her heart, as do all women here. I have been reminded of this a few times.Also they push around their babies in their strollers when it's freezing to get them used to the cold. I don't know if there is anything to that, but to me cold always feels cold no matter how much time I spend it it, but it's a nice idea.

I can count the number of fat Ukrainians I have seen on 1 hand.

The director is here from Provo and is coming to my schools tomorrow so I can show off how awesome my teachers are. And right now I am looking at wedding cakes and bridesmaid dresses, which is a party.

Also I am aware that there has been a serious lack of me taking pictures. I am working on it.

Luvs,
Kayla

caramel sea salt brownies

I found this recipe. And it sounds like the most holy marriage of ingredients in the entire world. Chocolate. Caramel. And saltiness. I always put more salt into my cookies and whatnot than it says, and so this recipe is perfect. And I will tell you when I make it and how much joy it brings.

photo & recipe courtesy of http://www.olivia-rae.com
I pretty much want to bake everything on her site.

Caramel Sea Salt Brownies

brownie batter
In a sauce pan over medium heat, mix:
-3/4 cup vegetable oil
-1/4 cup water
-2 cups brown sugar
-a heaping 3/4 cup of dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa
-2 cups all purpose flour
-1 heaping teaspoon of coarse sea salt
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
(Add ingredients in that order. Remove from heat after flour.)

caramel
In a saucepan over high heat, mix:
-8 tablespoons butter
-2 tablespoons half & half, heavy cream or whole milk
-1 1/2 to 2 cups of brown sugar
-1 or 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
(Bring to a boil, stir vigorously until it thickens.)

directions
-Layer the brownie batter and caramel in a parchment paper-lined pan (i.e. Pour half the brownie batter, then pour half of the caramel, then the rest of the brownie batter, than the rest of the caramel.) Sprinkle coarse sea salt over the top layer. Bake for about 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven (but make sure you keep an eye on them, all ovens are different).