Arriving

 Boise-->Chicago-->Toronto-->Frankfurt-->Kiev

Boeing 777! I sat next to the cutest old couple ever. They were from BC and it was their 50th anniversary going to take a tour a Germany. It was a long 8 hour flight which consisted of their cute stories, me doing lunges up and down the isles and going into the stewardesses kitchen cabins to stretch like every 30 mins. Thank goodness for an isle seat!

Frankfurt to Ukraine! Last flight...

A roll, potato wedges, eggs, chiken, and orange juice for breakfast?

In Kiev, through visa, passport control, customs, and greenlighted through! Off I go :)

Departure

I left September 1st way too early in the morning. My bags miraculously weighed EXACTLY 50lbs each and I was able to get through security just fine--having to go through the TSA body scanner, of course. 

Oh, and my parents watched the whole way until I disappeared :)

Ready to Go!

My crazy best friends. One of my last days in Boise!

Today is my last day in the states until Christmas and I am so excited I am about to jump out of my skin! Tomorrow needs to come quicker! I leave bright and early in the morning and I can guarantee I will be tired enough to sleep on the long flight due to my lack of sleep this week--a big thanks to my anxiety. But, my bags are all packed, pretty positive I haven't forgotten anything, and I just want to be there now! :)

Goodbye USA & привіт Україна!

Air Time!

TICKETS!

FLIGHT PLAN!

ONE WEEK LEFT!

I'm happy! The wait is almost over!

Holy Cow, I cannot believe it! Today, ILP sent me my flight plan and my tickets! I am so crazy excited that it is keeping me up at night. The only thing that is not so great is the fact that the total air time is 16.5 hours (and yes, I did factor in the time changes). Not the best part but hey, I do have a 3 hour layover in Frankfurt...maybe I'll take a taxi out for a little bit with Laria :)

Patty on the other hand, not too happy.

To pack or not to pack?

I hate packing. Especially now! I can only have a certain number of suitcases with a certain width and weight requirements.

Keep in mind I have to pack not only my stuff but all of the supplies I will need while teaching in Ukraine! Not to mention the fact that I have to pack for about 3 seasons. My plan of attack is to pack, forget about it, come back to it the night before I am going to leave, and then repack it. I can bet you I will take out half of the stuff I have packed anyways.

Goodness, this crap is more stressful than I imagined.

Countdown!

And so it begins! I am officially counting down the days until Laria and I set off for Ukraine...

12 DAYS!

I am so excited, nervous, scared, and happy all at the same time. I cannot wait to set off on this adventure, get lost in a city where I don't know much of the language, teach kids who don't understand me well, live with a new family, and all in all, learn to go with the flow and live life as it comes flying at me. This experience is one that will change my life and I am ready..

Well, almost. Mentally, yes I am very ready. Physically not so much. I have not started thinking about what I will pack for clothes and supplies for the kids I will be teaching. I am extremely unprepared for the 14+ hour flight that it will take to get there. I still have a massive to do list and a week left of work which doesn't give me much time to work out the last few kinks I have in my packing and gathering stuff to use there. But, I will always find a way to make it happen one way or another and I am ecstatic :)


But, I am trying to prepare myself for 4+ months without seeing my little girls! Good thing I am incredibly lucky and have some great parents to take care of them while I'm gone!

Patty, who is 8 years old now!

Sierra, 8 months!

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many hours a week do you teach? Teachers teach three to four hours each day, 5 days a week.
• How do you teach English when you don’t speak Ukrainian? ILP teachers teach English IN English through organized play. It is an effective method for children everywhere to acquire a second language.
• What kind of things do you teach? In Kindergarten, there are six different teaching areas (ex. kitchen, arts/crafts, games, etc). \What you do is create an atmosphere where the children acquire English, through natural, organized play.
• How does the method work?  The method works by creating an environment that children ACQUIRE the language without it being taught.  
• Is it a traditional classroom setting? The setting is very much NON-traditional. Instead of desks or textbooks, there are games, gym, kitchen, and other fun activities. 
• How do you communicate with your family? I know that in my school in Kiev, I have wireless internet which makes it easy to be able to skype.If you would like to skype me, my username is jill.rudd30
•  Also, all of the teachers get cell phones while in Ukraine to communicate with each other and stay safe. These can also be used in emergencies if parents need to get quick contact.
• Do you get paid? This is completely on a volunteer basis. I wanted to volunteer my time to this program and I paid my own tuition fee. However, if I would ever like to go back with the program in any of the countries, I can go back as a head teacher (in charge of the new teachers) and the program pays my way.

If you have any additional questions I would be happy to answer them :)