Finn Everyday

*part rant/part pictures. enjoy.*

two years worth of clothing?

I'm slightly obsessed with this style blog called Kendi Everyday. A personal recurring fav idea of her's (that can't be grammatically correct...english teacher over here..) is her 30 for 30 challenge. In a nutshell, she chooses 30 pieces from her wardrobe and she can only wear those 30 pieces for the next 30 days. It forces creativity and frugality. When I tried to imagine paring my wardrobe down for Ukraine I imagined the 30 for 820 challenge (take that, Kendi). I knew the perfect pack was going to be an impossibility, but I would give my 5 inch patent leather shoes to go back and pack all over again, having an official ukrainian month under my (7) belts. For the record, belts were a great idea. Easy way to change up an outfit with something that takes up the space of a...small snake? Couldn't think of a good analogy. Anyway.

WHY OH WHY did I think I would only need one pair of jeans?? I remember going through my jeans and somehow convincing myself that more than one pair of jeans was ludicrous. Here's what one pair of jeans is: house arrest. What are you supposed to do when you come home from teaching and your host mom is working out in the garden lugging stumps of trees around for no discernible reason? You're supposed to go throw on a pair of jeans and head outside to help said mother train for a weightlifting contest. But when you only have one pair of jeans you have to consider the mud that will inevitably get all over your jeans, and once that mud's on your jeans, you can't wear them out until they're washed, and since you only do laundry once every 2 weeks, you'll have to don business casual slacks for 10 straight days (if you give a mouse a cookie). So instead of being a good ukrainian daughter, I sulked in my room protecting my cursed single pair of jeans.

my street

4 pairs of sandals (3 of them flip flops). What country/season did I think I would be walking into (pun intended)? Let me tell you, Ukraine in general is not sandal friendly. Ukraine is boots up to your knees and coats down to your ankles friendly. (What are my brown leather boots DOING IN MY DAD'S CLOSET?!?!) On the other hand, leopard print high heels were a great idea. This country loves their animal prints (esp when it comes to linoleum flooring). Girls here wear high heels like it's nobody's business. Cobblestone-esque sidewalks and crater size puddles of sludge and you all look at me crazy when I bust out my bright yellow rain boots? Girl, YOU cray. Yet..you brave.

high heel death traps lurk everywhere, disguising themselves as passable sidewalks

my once formidable shoe collection reduced to this (not pictured:bright yellow rain boots, 5 inch patent leather shoes, hiking shoes, teva flats. aka too lazy to go downstairs to gather all my shoes for a proper picture)

And finally, I have to admit defeat. I thought that with enough tea intake, fruits/veggies, and my stellar immune system, I would be able to stave off sicknesses that plague weaker specimens. But today I woke up with a sore throat & runny nose, so I've been curled up in nana's blanket all day bemoaning my condition. mow mow.

kryptonite for the common cold

This national treasure has gone everywhere with me and I'm so glad I lugged it 6000 miles. Home is wherever I'm with you, blanket.