Caminante, no hay camino

Caminante, no hay camino: se hace camino al andar.

Walker, there is no path, you make the path as you go.

Antonio Machado

It has been a week since my first arrival in Lviv and during this time, I have been experiencing a mix of opposing emotions. My flight lasted only two hours, but I felt like I have been thrown into the plot of one of my favorite movies, the lives of others.

The district where I am currently living, CИХІV represents my very first approach to this new city. Very old buses, long railroads, soviet style buildings, empty and sometimes muddy roads. People in here are speaking Ukrainian, and despite my basic knowledge of Russian, I feel I am a kind of a mess especially when I try to express myself at the local market.

Nevertheless, I try to make fun of these uncommon situations and places, because first and foremost, I am here to learn and share my experience with other people. And here we are. I feel I am surrounded by extremely inspiring young people who want to make an impact addressing current social challenges in Ukraine.

I don’t believe I have THE answer to the problem, but yes I can contribute to empower youth in order for them to find their own answer through concrete actions. So stay connected. Very soon this apparent emptiness will turn into real life.