Chapter 21 – Long overdue update!!

In about three hours time I will be on a midnight train (departing at 9:30pm actually) heading south to the Black Sea. I’ll be going with my school to a summer language camp for students, in my usual role as native English speaking teacher. However I do hope to catch a bit of sun, fun and free time while there. I’ve been given much advice on where to go in the Crimea and what to do… it’s now just a matter or time, will and ability. I’ll be gone for approximately 9 days (give or take depending on the situation with another native speaker taking my place for the final camp in the last week of August). Therefore I won’t be able to check emails/post more deliciously exciting blogs during that time. I’m very Excited to be seeing another part of Ukraine and hope to get to Yalta (and Odessa, which is NOT in the Crimea).

Upon returning from the Black Sea, I’ll have one last week to finish sightseeing around Kharkov, taking all the pictures I didn’t get a chance to take earlier and saying goodbye to all the friends I made here during my short five-month respite from Western Europe. At which point I’ll take a midnight bus from Kharkov, on August 29th, to Kiev. I’ll have the morning to do very, Very last minute shopping in the quaint tourist district in the center of the capital city and then head back to the airport to catch an afternoon flight on August 30th bound for London via Prague. Around 5:30pm, I’ll arrive at London’s Gatwick airport – that is unless the employees there decide to strike, in which case I’ll probably enjoy the lovely airport lounge in Prague for a good few hours or days.

From there I will move to Abingdon, a picturesque and charming little town a few miles south of Oxford. After that… we’ll I’m not sure exactly what I’ll do except that I will enjoy hopefully a bug-free existence and find some work to pay my rapidly accruing bills. As well as preparing to take part, if accepted, in a work exchange program in Moscow next fall. (More on that crazy adventure to come.) For now I have to get to the train station before everyone leaves without me and I have a repeat of the terrible adventure in Ireland when I missed the departure of the tour group. Goodbye for now! See you (virtually at least) in a week!!

N.B. Due to the lack of communication in the coming week, I’ve added several posts to the blog today to give my avid readers plenty of material to hold you over while I sunbathe on the Black Sea. Look forward to next week when tales of the seaside holiday will be posted!