Back to Kiev in 2016

The last time I was in Kiev, a revolution was happening; this was in 2014 as I was getting ready to start my first semester abroad in Berlin. This time, the city is a lot more calm, and I am here completing a marketing internship at Dream Hostel before beginning my last semester of undergrad at the Vienna University of Economics and Business as an exchange student (this is the largest university focusing on business and economics in Europe!)

I found my internship by emailing hostels I found through booking websites, asking if they would be interested in having a 4th year marketing student do some pro-bono work for them for several months. Dream Hostel (picture on the left) was the first to respond and I am very excited to spend the next month and a half working with their marketing manager, Elena! She takes English classes every morning, so we alternate speaking English and Russian. So far, I have read over their business and marketing strategy plans, and will be conducting market research for them as they are currently expanding to several new cities!
Dream Hostel has two Kiev locations, but I will be working mainly from the one on Andryivsky Descent, a winding hill with vendors selling homemade souvenirs (including American sport team matryoshki or nesting dolls) . This is in the Podil district of Kiev, one of the oldest ones in the city. It is full of charming old buildings and small restaurants and theaters and even has an incline!




The days I am not working, I go sight seeing with my friend Josh, but we spend the majority of the time in cafes staying warm and using the internet (not breaking any stereotypes here, Kiev winters are brutally cold).

Countless articles have dubbed a post-Maidan Kiev as a "hipster-haven" complete with street art, fancy cocktail bars, and young trendsetters with beards and Nikes--these articles are kind of right. "Hipster bar kiev,""hipster cafe kiev," and other similar Google searches got us exhaustive lists of trendy options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Currently, the USD to UAH is about 25/1, meaning we can get a huge meal including drinks for under $10 a person; typically, we spend from $3-$5 a meal.

A lot of places we find online are already closed down for good, but we've gone to really cool places such as Dogs & Tails, a bar specializing in hot dogs and cocktails and Alchemist Bar, where we were seated in a secret room only accessible through a hidden door in a bookcase with speakeasy style drinks.

Adventure Run

It is officially summer in Berlin. The amazing weather has emptied the classrooms and filled the parks with  sunbathers and musicians; the paths are filled with joggers--including myself and Mia. 

Instead of going to class, we decided to take a run up to Teuflsberg. With a view like this to do some yoga and lay in the grass while listening to music and soaking in the sun, you cant really blame us though, right?

After spending some time relaxing after our run, we  decided to continue our run to the abandoned spy station nearby. After running up yet another mountain, we started circling the premises until we found a hole in the fence to climb through. Unfortunately, what we didnt know, was that this spy station is not entirely abandoned. Currently, it is running as a tourist attraction. A tourist attraction where you have to pay to get in, not the kind that you break in to.

Our prison

Our sad faces were only temporary

Spending less than five minutes near the spy station, we were approached by a woman speaking German. Happily, she brought us to a very unhappy, heavily tattooed security guard, who was not amused that we did not speak German. In near perfect English, he began shouting at us, and asking how we got in. After a few minutes, he told us that we either had to pay for tickets for the attraction, or that the police would get involved.
As we had no money (we were on a jog), he suggested we leave our iPhones as ransom while we went to get money. Instead, we used our iPhones to call someone to come bail us out.

As we waited for our hero (thanks again, Tom) to come save us, we reflected on the situation, and realized that it was actually quite hilarious.



After being afraid for the first 10 minutes, we decided to make the situation better by playing some music and even befriended one of the security guards--he didnt end up letting us free though.

"On Top of the World",  "Let Me Take a Selfie", and "I Spy" were just a few songs that kept us ironically entertained while we waited for an hour and a half for Tom to arrive with our 14 euros bail money. Every time a new tour group would arrive, the guards would notion at us and shake their heads--but it was kind of cool feeling like a celeb! I am pretty sure that the security guards knew we didnt take them seriously because we kept on smiling at them, even though there were 10 large men and a heavy gate keeping us from escaping.

Unfortunately, our adventure didn't end with the detainment. Leaving the spy tower through the "proper" entrance brought us onto a road that we have never seen before. Phones almost dead, we decided to try to find our way home without technology, even though the sun was setting and we were in a forest. Every person, bicyclist, and noise terrified us. After sprinting through a twilight-like forest for about half an hour, we found our way to a road, which led us to the S-Bahn station of Grunewald. Deciding to take the risk of riding without a ticket, we sat down on the first train which would take us to a stop where we could switch to the S5 (the train to take us home). Moments within sitting down, a man approached us.

Instead of asking for our tickets, he sat uncomfortably close to us. We ended up moving to different seats, and getting off at the next stop, where we hid under a staircase until he left.

I say this very frequently, but I dont think  I have ever been happier seeing the "Eiffel Tower."  The 20 minute walk from Westkreuz seemed like an eternity, but it was an eternity full of hope, and a realization that we were almost home (after being gone for nearly 5 hours).

Prague with Easter

 Having looked through countless of my friends’ Facebook albums from their semesters abroad, a weekend trip to Prague seems to be one that most American college students take while spending a semester in Europe. When the opportunity to satisfy a stereotype arose, I naturally took it—not to mention that this trip would mark the 20^th country I would have visited.  I was especially excited for this trip, as I would not be traveling alone! “Prague with Easter” was the Facebook group, and I was so excited to see more and more people joining. 

 I’m not entirely sure how many people in total came to Prague from HWR, but I spent most of my time with 6 other people from 4 different countries—the US, Brazil, Norway, and the Netherlands.  While there were quite a few of us from the same university in Prague, I found it odd that we all ran into each other so frequently throughout our stay despite staying at different hostels throughout the city.  Overall, we had a fantastic time despite obstacles we faced with the hostel, location, and nightlife.  (Berlin truly ruins nightlife in other cities).  

Upon arriving in Prague, I learned that my hostel did not exist. Holding back panic-tears, I found free wifi—something that is quite common in the city—and quickly booked another one. The hostel turned out to be fantastic, and close to the city center! Meeting up with the rest of the group at the Charles Bridge, we decided to go to the largest nightclub in Central Europe—Karlovy Lazne.  While it may be the biggest, it certainly does not compare to anything in Berlin.  The club seemed to be geared towards male tourists, as the club was 90% guys--the creepy kind.  The club also had free wifi—which is actually unheard of. We gladly left a little after 1 am—the time we leave to go out in Berlin. 

The next day, I moved into the hostel where everyone else was staying in. It was cheap, outside of the city, and sort of gross. Even though we were all a bit freaked out by the sights and scents, it matters most who you are with and the city which you are exploring. We had a great lunch in the city center, as we were there for Easter weekend, and the Easter Market was in full swing. We did a free walking tour of the city, and went back to our hostel to get ready for the Party Boat we had booked. Again, this was an example of Berlin ruining nightlife. I ended up spending my night on the boat on the top deck looking at the city from the river at night, away from the “party”. After the boat ride ended, a group of us went to McDonalds where we enjoyed a McBox, and then went up to Prague Castle at night. It turns out that Prague is a city that, in fact, does sleep, as the lights were shut off by 3.

The following day, we returned to the castle, but this time, we could see the magnificent view of the old city and river. After yet another traditional Czech meal, we explored the Hrad, and after our photo shoot, we went back to the old city for dinner.  By now it was Sunday, and we realized that there was no point in trying to go out again, as both “weekend” nights were a bit of a disappointment, so we headed back to the hostel with what was probably the worst beer and wine any of us have ever unknowingly purchased.

On Monday, we gladly checked out of our hostel, and headed for the city.  One of the guys and I stayed behind and got coffee and breakfast, while the others went to see the John Lennon Wall. Over breakfast, I met a woman from New York in the bathroom, who talked to me for probably 15 minutes about hair and traveling.

Overall, I found Prague to be extremely beautiful, romantic, and a great place to visit with a great group of friends. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to come with (aside from the few that stayed in Berlin).   I also learned that nobody checks for tickets on the Trams in the city. We had numerous journeys, and not once were we stopped (or fined) for not having purchased tickets. 

Ich liebe Berlin

  

Although I’m only a short flight away from Dublin, I didn’t have a chance to go there for St. Patrick’s Day because of classes; that did not stop me from enjoying a Guinness and listening to Irish music though.  Instead of going to the museums like we planned, a group of Erasmus (European students studying abroad) students + an American (me) decided to follow directions we got from a Facebook invitation to Berlin’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. This event proved that Berlin is, in fact, a very eclectic and quirky city.  After joining the parade put on by the Irish Embassy, we proceeded into Glashaus where the event was taking place.  Sinead and I tried on stranger’s hats and took selfies that can never be reclaimed on their phones while listening to Irish musicians from around the world. 

That Monday marked the first day of my intensive German course.  Being surrounded by students who learned English in school, I felt humbled, as my education was predominantly in English—the same language this course was being taught in. While I understood everything the professor was saying (the English parts), I had no idea what all of the grammatical terms were--or are. What is an objective case?  Actually have no idea.  I also discovered that I find accents extremely beautiful, as they are a characteristics of a culture--or a person--that is open to change and to globalization. 

We decided it was a good idea to go out on a Wednsday night—it turned out to not be such a good idea. 

 A group of us ended up going to Magdalena, where we danced under intense strobe lights surrounded by a very eclectic group of people. Despite missing class the next day (and getting home at 6 am), the night was definitely memorable. Thursday I spent the day shopping and using the Internet at Starbucks. On Friday, we all went to the Erasmus bar crawl set up by our International Office.  We went to three bars, and ended the night at Matrix.  I lost my iPhone, but realized that much worse things could have happened and enjoyed my night anyways. Surprisingly, I am finding it quite easy to survive without an iPhone.

 On Saturday, I joined some of Mia’s friends from Norway, and with a group of Eichkamp students we went out (making it the fifth night in a row that we wouldn’t be getting any sleep).  We went to a Jamaican bar, which was probably the weirdest experience of my life. We also saw the city at night, and made a point to stop at the Brandenburgator, which was absolutely beautiful.

Begrudgingly, we got up the next morning and went to Mauer Park for their weekly Flohmarket; we explored the makeshift streets lined with tents, vintage clothes, WWII articles, and homemade snacks. Mauer Park is located in what seemed to be the "hipster" part of Berlin--the area that everyone refers to when they call Berlin a "hip" city.  Living in the residential neighborhood of Charlottenburg, it was awesome to venture into Northern Berlin and see how young Berliners live.  Following Mauer Park, I joined Mia and her friends from home to see the East Side Galleries, as well as Checkpoint Charlie; I plan on going back there soon to visit the museum.  

  

Even just spending a few weeks in Berlin, talking to people who have had so many international experiences has made me want to study abroad a second time, or intern abroad.  And while I have always loved traveling, I never actually wanted to live abroad--that is definitely changing, especially since I'm doing it at 19!  I've adapted to not having mega supermarkets like Walmart, where I can literally buy anything I would need; I've learned to navigate a new metro system, and how to ask for directions in German.  I never thought I would be able to do this. These past few weeks have given me the confidence to set out and achieve any goal I may set for myself, and I cant believe that that has happened in less than a month. I'm not even close to getting back to the United States, and I am already planning more trips abroad.

(Brief) Initial Reaction to Berlin

This is going to be a short one, but I am absolutely in love with the city of Berlin. I actually can't believe I am finally here, a place that I have been dreaming about for the past six months. I am developing a bit of a British accent because I spend most of my days with three new friends from Yorkshire/Manchester! Berlin is really a livable (and affordable!) city, and I couldnt be more excited to have picked this city to study abroad in, especially when I had the option of going anywhere in the world. There is so much (recent) history around me, and its fantastic to be able to experience it with so many other international students. There are about fifty international students living in the same student housing complex as me, and a few hundred at HWR--or the Berlin School of Economics and Law where I am studying.  Last night, the Erasmus students threw the first party of the year. It was amazing being in a room full of people from literally all around the world. I was with people from Brazil, the UK, South Korea, Hungary, the Netherlands, Australia, and France, and it was an amazing feeling.

After throwing away my flatmates food the first day I met him,  we have definitely moved past the awkward encounter, and have bonded over YouTube parody videos, learning each others' slang, and stealing a microwave.  My favorite part about Eichkamp is that we don't have televisions, and have a very poor internet connection. Although REALLY inconvenient at times, this forces us to interact with our neighbors, make new friends, and really get to know one another; instead of watching movies or tweeting about our day, we play pool and just hang out. This also forces us to go out and to explore the wonderful city which we are temporarily living in. And isnt that what studying abroad is about in the first place?


I cannot wait to see what this city has in store for me.

Scandinavia

Having a few free weeks before my classes started, I decided to visit Scandinavia. Just last week, I booked my hostels and flights to Stockholm and Copenhagen. After three short and remarkable days in Berlin, I boarded a flight for Sweden.  On the bus going into the city, I met a girl who is also studying economics in Berlin. Not only did we have similar education paths, but both of our parents immigrated from the former USSR and we both speak Russian! It was great getting tips about the city from a local. The hostel I stayed at in Stockholm was a bit sketchy. However, this only encouraged me to explore the city as much as I could! The medieval capital was charming, and paved with cobblestone roads and H&Ms galore! I found Stockholm to be very expensive, and ended up eating bananas, crackers, or Thai take out for most meals. After two full days in Sweden, I boarded an early flight to Denmark. Copenhagen is remarkable. Also having learned about Denmark in a history course this past semester, I was curious to visit the country's capital while in Europe; I was not disappointed. I spent my first day in Copenhagen taking advantage of the free National Museum. While it boasted international exhibits, I focused my attention on learning more about Danish history. For lunch, I found a quaint cafe that offered a filling weekend brunch, as well as draft Carlsberg beer. I was fortunate enough to stay at a great hostel and met quite a few interesting people that evening. I had two roommates from Australia that had been traveling for almost two years! Listening to them talk about their adventures was remarkable. One of them was backpacking from Beijing into Europe! I also met a few girls who were teaching English in France. I ended up spending my last day with one of them before heading back to Berlin. After a three hour long walking tour of the city, Heather and I climbed to the top of Church of Our Savior's spiral, one of Copenhagen's main attractions! The view from the top was phenomenal. We could see all of the city, it's canals and channels, and even Sweden! 

Afterwards, we went to Christianshavn. Christianshavn is basically it's own eclectic, self-sustaining community within Copenhagen. I'll leave it up to you to research it a bit more for yourself.   My second day in Copenhagen was a bit spontaneous, as I went back to Sweden! This time, I explored the city of Malmö, Sweden's third largest city, with two guys from USC who are studying abroad in London. Unlike Stockholm, Malmö is affordable for the traveling college student. It's charming, green, and full of quaint squares and parks. Accidentally, Bryan, Jack, and I, stumbled upon a working windmill; it was the most pleasant of surprises!  I had a great day exploring a city I had no intention of visiting (especially since I had left Sweden 24 hours prior to returning!) 

I went to Barcelona and spoke Russian all day

Barcelona is probably one of the most breathtaking cities I have ever visited. It is such a rich, vibrant, colorful, dark, and ornate city, that you cant help but to stop and stare at all of the beautiful buildings that surround you.

I started my day by taking an early morning train from Salou to Barcelona.  Arriving at 10, I managed to immediately get lost.  However, I quickly found my way to a beautiful square (which was a reoccurring theme throughout the day.) My first stop in Barcelona was Palac Guell. Designed by Antoni Gaudi for the Guell familiy, this was Gaudi's first major building in the city. This building is--and rightly so--most famous for its ornate chimneys. I am quite fond of going on the rooftops of buildings, and Palac Guell was certainly no exception.

 After Palac Guell, I went to La Boqueira, a market off of Las Ramblas. There, you could purchase any food you wanted (ranging from fresh seafood, to pastries, to fake or real fruit!) I walked around enjoying fresh mango, passionfruit, and strawberry juice. Afterwards, I kept up my tradition of finding postcards, stamps, and a mailbox. So far, Barcelona has given me the most trouble with my tradition. After--once again--getting lost looking for stamps, I found a beautiful square to enjoy lunch. I paid 10 euro (or roughly 15 dollars) for a delicious meal. The menu del dia offered a traditional spanish carpaccio, seafood, and dessert. It was here that I stopped and realized that each city has its own sound. Oakland, for instance, can be recognized by ambulances, helicopters, and the sound of students walking (from ten 'til to the top of every hour).  The unmistakable Adhan can be heard in Istanbul and Dubai. Barcelona, however, is full of many different noises. Musicians, gypsies, tourists and locals all crowd the streets of Barcelona, singing, talking, and laughing.; mixed in with pigeons, are green parrots.

After lunch, I made my way up Las Ramblas, to a post office, and up to Park Guell. 

As soon as I set foot into this magical park, I couldn't stop smiling. Every care I had in the world was left at the enchanting entrance gates. This is also when my camera died, but at that point it didnt matter; I had a perfect view of Barcelona, the work of a world famous artist and smiling faces surrounding me.  I decided to spend some time just relaxing on the beautiful mosaic benches and offering to take photographs of families where one parent seemed to be struggling to take a photograph of their kids and spouse. 

Accidentally, I met Lena. Lena is from Moscow, and was visiting Barcelona for a second time on her way to Vienna. After chatting in Russian for about an hour, she offered to show me around the city. Being alone, I wasnt in any position to turn down the offer. She even offered to take pictures for me and to send them to me when she had access to a computer! We enjoyed coffee con leches in a park adjacent to Sagrada Familia, rode the subway together, and looked over the city from the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. In a few short hours, I had made a friend.   It was actually really cool having to speak in Russian all day, and I was proud of myself for doing do. It was refreshing to hang out with someone closer to my own age than my family, and to discuss topics such as travel, politics, real estate, and even boys! 

That's what I always heard happens abroad: you go to a country and meet and befriend people from all over the world. Truthfully, I never realized it was that easy! And while I did enjoy the first half of my day before I met Lena, it was so exciting to have a new friend to experience a beautiful city with, especially when forced to speak in Russian.