In 2010 I made my first trip to Ukraine through STM's Spring Session in Ukraine program. Prior to this I had limited knowledge of the country and through I had taken four university Ukrainian language classes, could barely manage to ask where the washroom was.

The trip was a phenomenal experience! Living with a home-stay family meant that I was immersed right into the day-to-day life and forced me to fit in and learn the language.

My favourite part of the trip (other than sightseeing and cheap beer), was meeting family. They are some of the nicest, most welcoming human beings I have ever met and were excited to see a long lost relative.

Skip ahead three years later to 2013 and I am heading back to Ukraine. This time with my choir, Lastiwka and a local dance group, PFE. It will be a different experience seeing the country in a "tour" format, but I sure it will be amazing nonetheless.

Having kept in contact with my relatives, I am ecstatic to see them yet again, and spend time with me (even though it will only be two days).

While on my journey, I will be writing and taking as many photos as possible. If you are interested in seeing what I'm up to, check out my tour blog here. Since I likely won't have a lot of time to go through pictures during my trip, it will also be worthwhile coming back for a read at a later date!

-Михайло