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Thank you for your detailed responses.
Appreciate your advice. I do have some contacts here, I met an English teacher on my way into Ukraine and she invited me to her city to be a guest at a few classes. It’s been nice.
I should state that none of my contacts are military associated at all and are simply regular people.
Big thing about the Ukrainian language that is difficult is the speed that everyone speaks it. It’s fast, and trying to translate it in your head that quickly is a huge challenge.
Been here since May 15 Ukraine is currently going through a manpower issue, so I have no doubt they’re taking new recruits. My Ukrainian has come along very little, but keep in mind that I’m not at the frontline, so I don’t have an urgency to learn it. Ukrainian is a hard language to learn and you want to make sure you are learning it and not Russian. Saying Russian in public as a foreigner can get you weird looks. Learning strategy is reading some guide books, but the best is Google Translate. You can practice along speaking with it. Learn the most common phrases and go from there.
I’m currently in Ukraine and despite me being 28, I’m in a similar spot as you.
I have no military experience, can’t do anything front line related, and don’t know a word of Ukrainian. Yet, I’m here. There are pictures of me on my profile if you don’t believe me.
Take it from someone that is here, that you can’t really do anything to help if you can’t speak the language. I’ve run into quite a bit of people who speak moderate English, but that’s just to fulfill basic necessities for myself like eating, grocery shopping, and so forth. Now, imagine that barrier if you’re actually trying to get a job done. Be pretty difficult, right?
At this point for me, I’m just enjoying my stay here and happy I actually get to be in country during this pivotal time.
Want to come to Ukraine still? Very well. Stick to the west of Ukraine, as it’s the safest. No active fighting is taking place. Occasionally an air raid alarm, but I haven’t seen a single person panic.
Go to Lviv. Walk around and explore for a bit. Make your decision if you want to actively learn the language and then come back around to the question of you wanting to help and pressing forward. If not, well you got a nice trip to Lviv out of it and you can say you went.
I am, stick to the west of Ukraine and you’ll be fine.
In a different city in Ukraine at the moment, but Lviv was great.
In Ukraine at the moment and can confirm. Any time I’m walking around and I see these starting to pop out on the street, I know that a scheduled blackout is about to start.
In Ukraine Currently, Can You Tour The Zone Now?Discussion
I’m currently in Ukraine and I was discussing with a group that I wanted to at least go visit the Chernobyl Museum in Kyiv since tours of the zone are closed due to the war, but the Ukrainians I was with surprised me and said that you can go tour again now. Like they ‘reopened’ as you say. Is this true?
Felt the exact same way you felt, and now I’m Solo traveling in Ukraine.
It’s one of those things that you just have to do. Any advice that people give you won’t come useful until you actually start doing it. You have to take a chance on yourself when it comes to solo traveling.
In Ukraine at the moment, and I feel the same way. I have met some of the nicest people I’ve ever encountered in my life and the thought of going back home, straight up makes me depressed.
I am by no means whatsoever, taking advantage of anyone. I came here entirely on my own accord and didn’t expect absolutely anything from anyone here. Especially during this sensitive time in this country’s history.
No one here had to be nice to me. I’m not special, I’m not famous, I am literally the most random guy who was curious to see what life was like in Ukraine during its struggle for freedom.
I’m sorry that you interpreted it that way. I hope this provides some clarity.
My parents freaked out and are presently nervous. I’m not married, no kids, nothing to lose.
I’m currently far from the front line, but I’ll be moving closer as time goes on.
As of right now, I don’t feel in danger. There are air raid sirens daily, but I ignore them and it’s white noise at this point.
Day to day, I walk around town. I don’t speak Ukrainian so that sucks, but I’ve run into a couple cool people who speak English that are incredibly nice.
As stated, I’m trying to mend a broken heart too. I guess when you’re trying to do that, the idea of going into a war zone doesn’t ring off any alarms in your head. That’s probably bad, but I don’t care, especially since I’m already here.
No family. Came entirely out of pure interest with the war taking place. Just flew to Poland, and took a bus across the border into Ukraine.
In Ukraine at the moment, and even in a country at war, I don’t want to go back to the mundane 9-5 life in the US.
I took this trip to mend a broken heart myself, don’t feel like there is anything waiting for me back home, but a life that I hated living and loneliness.
Hey man, I’m in Lviv. Crossing was easy.
Omg lol. Multiple people have said this, and I wouldn’t even know how to go about finding that.
Wanted to go to Ukraine. Immediately knew that no one would want to come with me due to the war going on. So for me, I didn’t have a choice, but I’m incredibly happy here in Ukraine and very glad I’m here.
What's the main reason you solo travel, and how does your introversion/extraversion affect this?
solotravel