party in the USA

the fact that the title of this blog post is a miley cyrus song probably ruined it already haaa.
I AM BACK IN THE STATES!!

It is INSANE. Being with fiance. Dryers? Cars? Real beds? What the luxuriousness? I can barely handle it.

I have been painting and organizing the little house that Elliott and I will live in. I did the office first. Mainly for practice. And it did not turn out terrible! And now I have a strategy rather than... "get the roller ok go!!".... it goes much smoother now. Even though I end the day with paint in my hair. And pretty much all over me. I had to get a second gallon and I told the woman it was because most of it ended up on me rather than that walls. Chelsi came and helped me yesterday and I appreciated it so much!

Our house has tons of cute potential. Elliott and I have plenty of wonderful potential... and current wonderfulness. I adore him. And our baby ducks that waddle around in the green grass. It is pretty picturesque out here you know.


luvs,
Kayla

doing my happy dance

Sometimes when people who are allergic to nature go and run in the woods the come back with red eyes.. and a running nose... and a hard care sneezing attack... Which was the case this morning. So I showered and went back to bed until my eyes were a normal color and the danger of me sneezing out my lungs had subsided. I wanted to say goodbye to my forest run today though. BECAUSE, it's my last day. Am I excited? No. Because I am in denial. I haven't seen my fiance in almost 5 months. I am coming home to the land I love. I am getting married in less than 3 weeks. I get to see my family. If I got excited now it would overwhelm my entire sense of being and when the taxi comes to pick us up I would still be in this same spot doing my happy dance* that I started 10 hours ago, and I have to do things today and go places and see people and I have to be a functional human being. It would just be too much. So I am trying not to think about it. When I get on the plane though, that will be a different story. You won't be able to wipe the ridiculous grin off my face. Or stop me from doing the happy dance* in the isles of the plane.

I am mainly all packed! My last clothes are hanging out on the line. I hate packing things that aren't clean so after my run I did my last load. Teary goodbyes have been said and clothes have all been vacuum packed to a shriveled perfection.

I WILL BE SEEING YOU ALL SOON!!
XOXOXOXOX
(well the kisses are elliott... hugs for you : ))

*happy dance is the same as waiting for stop light dance, waiting for bus dance, going to Yalta dance, and the dance I do when Fiance is trying to talk to me about something serious dance.

: (

How can little kids hugging you and saying, "Byee Teacher Kayla!!" not make you tear up just a little


alsooo I finished The Picture of Dorian Gray.... you should read it.

lovely lovely

the temple.
ПУЗАТА ХАТА.
which is pronounced pizata hatta. our favorite Ukrainian buffet.
andrivsky street.
beauuutiful weather.
end of semester performances
fhe goodbye party

Right now Kiev days are happening, where people celebrate the awesomeness of Kiev, and flock to the streets and play folk music and give you better deals on souvenirs.
it has been a lovely week.

mixing it up

Once upon a time I wanted to mix my workout up. I had heard from many sources that power walking works different muscle groups and can burn more calories than running. I can't attest to the truth of it burning more calories, but I can attest to the fact that you will feel like a dork power walking when you have your entire life labeled yourself as a runner. But let me tell you something, if you want to work your booty, DO IT. Maybe someday I should start a workout blog. Workout blog/ Chocolate Goodnesses I Bake blog. Called "how to get off to a healthy start and then demolish it with a fudgey brownie"

I feel like I have been demonstrating my butt workouts for people quite a bit though. Maybe I will post them. Or maybe you should just buy the Windsor Pilates video that I got them from.


8 days. Untill I am on a plane heading to the states. I still have so much to do and places to go one last time it will fly by I am sure.

I feel like I should write something about Ukraine.. on account of I live here...

Dear Ukrainian Men,

It's never ok to leave the house in just a mesh top. Mesh is for fishing nets. Please put on a real shirt.

Sincerely,
my gag reflex


alsooo... I read The Painted Veil last week. READ IT. It has landed itself a spot among my favorites. It's takes place in China during the 1920's. I would try to summarize it but it wouldn't do it justice, and everyone takes different things away from books anyway. And I am almost done with a new book called Secret Daughter, about a girl who was adopted from India and her family.

In conclusion, I am loving Kiev and this weather, and all the bbq's, and chilling with our well traveled international branch members, and my teachers and how awesome they are, and making chili and making plans for lasts in Ukraine.


luvs,
kayla

the pros and cons of public transportation

pros:
I don't have to do things like look at the road and pay attention to speed limits and pedestrians.
I get to read.
You don't have to look for your car keys. Because you don't have any.
You just walk to the stop and wait for it to pick you up. It being the trolley bus. It looks like a giant bug.

cons:
waiting for it to pick you up.
sometimes you don't get to read, because you are jam packed like sardines with people who smell less than attractive, and you don't get a seat the whole ride. Unless you want to deprive some 100 year old babushka of a seat. Please don't.
sometimes your bus doesn't show up. whilst a car just you know, is in your driveway.
I have probably forgotten how to drive.


There are 16 days until I am back in the states. Eastern Europe is awesome. I have seen beautiful things and amazing places and have grown up so much since I left in January. I have been so privileged to have this opportunity. But I am ready to come home. And sometimes it takes mucho effort to not just want to hibernate and count down days. I try to keep busy to make time go by. I have a list of things I need to do and see before it's time to go and I am plodding along checking them off. And the weather has been lovely. Kiev has been lovely. But I need hugs. From Elliott. And dryers. And an bed. And actual food. And my actual home country.

You could be laying on the coast in Bali sipping a pina colada getting a killer back massage, but after 4 months of the most amazing vacation in the most beautiful place in the world, you would be totally ok with saying, alright, peace out, I want to go weed my garden with my fiance in the middle of nowhere, Washington.

I think it takes bravery to go abroad for extended periods of time, and immerse yourself in a new culture and be far away from your family and friends. I think it takes bravery to leave everything you know behind. I think sometimes it takes more courage to stay.. and bloom where you're planted, and be the best you can be where ever you are and whoever you are with and whatever you are supposed to be doing.

And in my future travels I hope that my luv will want to tag a long and explore with me : ) Because there is still so much to see, it just means more with those you care about.

Luv,
Kayla

This is a metro. I ride it every day of my life.