We were back in our old neighborhood the other day, visiting the Lavra with some friends. It hit me like a Mac truck how much I miss Pechersk! It wasn’t just that everything was familiar, somehow the entire atmosphere of the neighborhood feels different from where we are living now. I was hesitant to tell Igor that I missed the area, worried he’d be upset or I don’t know what. I finally told him, and he looked as relieved as I felt – we both miss Pechersk soooo much! We decided that as soon as we can, we’ll move back there. I don’t care if it’s farther from my office, it feels like home there. We also decided our next move will most likely be to an apartment that we purchase. Real estate prices are falling, and it just might be possible for us to buy a modest apartment in the coming year.
It’s weird to be more financially secure than we’ve ever been, thinking about things like buying our own apartment, in the middle of a global economic crisis and living in a country that has been hit quite hard. (Well, my retirement funds have tanked, but otherwise…) Although we are personally benefiting from the strong dollar right now, I do sincerely hope that the hrivna stabilizes soon so that so many other people don’t suffer any longer.
Anka in Kyiv 