Solo Travel Burnout
October 28, 2019
This trip is very much "living like a local". I love that aspect so much! But, not going to lie, it can make trips into Kyiv a little lame. Because I'm the only traveler at the house at the moment, I don't have many opportunities to just 'hang out' with someone. The amazing family here that I have claimed as my own has their own lives going on. That means, frequently, if I want to go into the city and be more touristy, I'm on my own.
I love solo travel. Sometimes having other people involve can be a huge pain! In a big city though, I easily get over-stimulated. I like having a specific place to go or thing to see- Kyiv is too big of a city to just pick a direction and start exploring. Especially because their metro system, while efficient, makes getting a sense of direction even more difficult.
This last "weekend" aka Tuesday for me, I went into Kyiv for a bit of R and R. I went to a small salon that no one had ever heard of. I picked it because they were one of the only ones with an English website! I got my legs waxed and my nails done and it was quite the experience.
I feel a lot of fatigue trying to communicate around here. I'm trying my best to keep up Russian, but it's a hard language, and much harder when you're just in the thick of it trying to get by. Spending three hours in close proximity to some women and not being able to communicate much was more exhausting than I expected. I have so much respect for those that learn a second language as an adult or move to a new country and are forced to assimilate. The toll it takes is no joke!
I really wanted to explore more, but the over-stimulation of the salon was just too much for me.
It's about a 90-120 minute trip on public transportation to get back to the house in Vishenki, so I'm always walking this line, deciding if I want to maximize my time in Kyiv or accept that I need a break; and then make the long journey home without doing much 'city living'. The food here DOESN'T disappoint thought. I obviously started out my dinner with something sweet, and then happened upon this Mexican burger restaurant. It was an interesting bar vibe, to say the least, but the food hit the spot!
They also had a Utah burger on the menu so I had to take a picture to represent!
It's about a 90-120 minute trip on public transportation to get back to the house in Vishenki, so I'm always walking this line, deciding if I want to maximize my time in Kyiv or accept that I need a break; and then make the long journey home without doing much 'city living'. The food here DOESN'T disappoint thought. I obviously started out my dinner with something sweet, and then happened upon this Mexican burger restaurant. It was an interesting bar vibe, to say the least, but the food hit the spot!
They also had a Utah burger on the menu so I had to take a picture to represent!
The most eventful part of my day was that I got 100 % lost trying to find the bust stop heading back to Vishenki. I ended up walking about a km along a forest trying to find the bus route. I managed to get directions I understood out of someone in Russian! A true feat!
And then piled onto the crowded bus for the 40 minute standing ride home. Every experience here is such a treasure and I know I'm going to miss it all. I'm now on the second half of this trip and I don't want it to end!
And then piled onto the crowded bus for the 40 minute standing ride home. Every experience here is such a treasure and I know I'm going to miss it all. I'm now on the second half of this trip and I don't want it to end!