Land on the Edge

That's the literal translation of the word "Ukraine." And that's literally where I'm headed. To the edge!

That's right!!! My invitation was patiently waiting on my doorstep when I arrived home from work this afternoon. Rejoice! Ukraine, baby! I'm going to learn to say "Ukraine, baby" in Ukrainian, and that's all anyone's going to hear from me for the next three months. Україна, дитинко! It's going to get so annoying for everyone, they'll be begging me to leave.

Speaking of which, lots to do! Lots of forms to fill out, lots of things to buy, lots of research to search. I can't believe I know where I'm headed. It's the best feeling. A lot of the application process can feel directionless. For a long time, you're working towards some abstract, untouchable speck on the horizon. You know the idea of it. The prospect of what it all could be. But you don't really know. You never know! And then suddenly you do and you can point it out on a map! It's like putting a face to a name. It's like putting a feeling to a place.

And quite a glorious place, at that! 


I'm excited. I shouldn't get too ahead of myself with my annoyingly unflinching optimism. I know Ukraine will certainly have its pros and cons. But it's all about brightsiding, am I right?!

I'm right.

If You're Down

There is a place so lovely, and so full of life. Some lucky few are born into this place living and breathing. See, they could have been born into a rock. Or a tree. Or they could have been one of the tiny floating specks in a river full of specks. But no, not these lucky few. They were given life. Sometimes, it got messy and dangerous and scary. There were times when those lucky few didn’t feel so very lucky at all. But they were living and breathing and thinking and even sometimes smiled and laughed and felt wonderful. Sometimes these lucky few cried and thought how nice it would be to just be a rock or a tree or a speck. But someone came along and reminded them that they were lucky. They were special. They had been given rare gifts like hands and eyes and mouths and feet and thoughts and the great and terrifying gift of a heart. And with those hands, they poked at their surroundings, touching everything around them, though sometimes they didn’t believe so. And with those eyes they saw sunlight and art and read words off of pages filled with stories just as sad and wonderful as theirs. And with those mouths they spoke words that no one else had uttered ever before, because they were theirs. With feet, they traveled. With thoughts, they dreamed. And with their hearts, they loved. These lucky few were free to love deeper and with more power than any other thing in this rare place. Sometimes, they forgot how use their hearts, or they broke. But other times, these lucky few got to hold love in their beating, living hearts. And it was in those moments that they truly appreciated how lucky and few they actually were.

There is a place like this, with these lucky few.

If you look hard enough, I think you’ll see it's right where you are.