Troops were planning to go to Odessa, my Odessa, my home

For personal reasons, the person who shared this story wished to remain anonymous. This request does not diminish the credibility nor the story below.

As first generation Americans, her brother and her grew up dominated by the Ukrainian culture. Her ancestry traced across Eastern Europe; however, her home was in Odessa, Ukraine. Russian was the primary language in Odessa and therefore she grew up with Russian being her primary language at home. The impact of the events in Ukraine impacted the entire Eastern European community. Despite being an entire country, everyone felt some type of heartbreak at the first explosion.

“When I heard about the conflict it was as soon as the first bomb hit and my heart broke into a million pieces hundreds of close friends mostly family friends and some people who played a role in shaping me as a person they were all there,” she said. 

Many aren’t fortunate enough to have close ties with their ancestry, but those who do are slowly shaped by their culture in ways others can’t understand.

“When we visited Odessa and surrounding cities in Ukraine it was one of the greatest experiences I had,” she said. “Going there feels like I’m right at home, like my entire upbringing suddenly made sense because in America I was thought of as a weirdo, but there I was just another kid.”

News coverage was the only insight many had into their home country, and consequently it became the only connection many had to the conflict that was so far away.

“As the days passed I went to protest with my best friend and my mother, and we hoped and prayed that this would all end,” she said. “24/7 the news was on in my house and it just became more and more painful for us to come to our home.”

With few places left to call home after her country was infiltrated and her home in America became a constant reminder, she began to feel as if the war was taking every part of her upbringing away.

“I don’t think it really hit me like a personal connection until I heard troops were planning to go to Odessa, my Odessa, my home,” she said. “I hear from my parents, old friends and even classmates about people including them sleeping in garages underground, and cars and bunkers for safety all nestled together wishing to live to the next day.”

Witnessing the place and people you call home from 5,000 miles with little control is a feeling no one should endure and is unfortunately a daily occurrence for many today.

“Even though I don’t live there anymore it still hurts to watch something that you love a community that you were raised into slowly disintegrate. Slava Ukraina,” she said.