day trip.

Today we spent a marvelous day in the beautiful city of Kiev.

Pastor Peter drove us there and we had an interpreter, Tanya along with us. But it wasn’t Tanya B. from MTU, it was a different but equally as wonderful one.

We arrived and boarded the subway and rode into town. I had never ridden a subway, and it was interesting enough. Also it was funny watching Barry almost fall every time we started or stopped moving. Noob. Kidding, I did it too. Also, we took THE LONGEST escalator rides of our lives. Honestly. So.long. We took a video. If I get faster internet I’ll attempt to post it.

The first thing we did was the WW2 museum. There were lots of boyish tanks and stuff outside but the inside was really neat. Even though it was all in Russian/Ukrainian, it was still really interesting. The end was insane. Describing it won’t do it justice, but you walk through the whole museum in a certain order. The last room is set up as a giant banquet hall, the table legs are shell casings, the table is lined with glasses and canteens and like a hundred of the certificates that families received when their family member had died. And then the walls are lined, just absolutely covered with pictures, from one end to the other. Its really quite intense and moving. The museum was great though, and we got to go up to the base of Mother of the Motherland or something. It was pretty kewl.

Also, we played on the peace tanks. Some of us more than others.

After that we went to the monastery, which was just ridiculously beautiful. Oh, I had to stop and get a Coke and a lil baby mini pizza because I had only eaten a Cliff bar. It was obviously delicious. So we went to the monastery and saw all the beautiful architecture, ect. AND THEN we went on an adventure, Indiana Jones style. We got in line to go down to the caves, got our candles and even had to rent skirts and cover our heads (just the ladeez, we got kicked out the first time and had to get back in line). It’s a really spiritual Orthodox thing, so we had to be respectful. So we go down under in these caves with dead patriarchs that have been sitting in these glass cases for like 700 years. And people are going up to them and kissing them, and all this stuff and holding candles, it was crazzzzzy. Like you can see the dead man, obviously covered (except for their hands, which I didn’t see, but were apparently black and shriveled up – kind of like Dumbledore’s), just in these glass cases. It’s really kind of eerie. But it was neat, and an adventure so it was worth it.

We then beebopped over to St. Andrew’s street and wandered up there looking at all the souvenirs and stands and stuff. It was very enjoyable. And there were many interesting things.

Then we went to the main square of the city and played for a while. We got some ice cream, I took lots of creepy sequence shots of Barry’s face because I changed my camera to rapid fire mode, and we walked in the fountain.

Also, I made a new friend.

He took it a little farther than I intended, I didn’t really like him like that. Plus, everyone was watching and it made me feel weird. Needless to say, he wasn’t who I thought he was. But it’s fine, we ended on good terms.

I don’t know.

Kiev was just a really beautiful city. I’d love to go back. And I decided that I could live there, but Barry tried to convince me that I wouldn’t survive the winters, so maybe only seasonally. Anyways, if you ever get the chance, go. It’s gorgeous.

Well we rode back with the first team of Americans and we have a big couple of days ahead what with day camps starting and the ceremony for the playground tomorrow. So hopefully I’ll post this asap.

Things are still marvelous here, and are only bound to get better I’m convinced.

Did anyone eat a the new chick-fil-a sandwich? I NEED TO KNOW.

Alright, gotta get up early tomorrow. Love you all. For realz.

Also, Koko (I don’t know why I assumed her name was with a ‘k’ instead of a ‘c’ but I’m going with it) loves to hug me. And that is what she was doing, just in case anyone might think otherwise. Don’t. kthanks.

also, I’ll probably do another post of just rando pictures from this trip because I don’t want to give them all away on one post because that would make it stupidly long. So that’s fine, right?

Also, second articles should be out soon! Hooooray!

LOVE.

Lauren