Seeing things

I'd like to tell a bit more about myself. 

I was born and raised in Ukraine, and since childhood I've got myself in fond of Geography and exploring, since one day on the loft of my grandparents' house I found the old maps of continents and seas, printed back in old soviet times. I started to explore it by maps, remembering by heart the names of 200 seas. Later on, I learnt all countries and their capitals by heart. Pretty sure, it was my calling. I've got my education in my country and obtained the qualification as a Geographer and Teacher of Geography. So far at that time, my dreams of world exploring had been remained just as dream, because of financial matter, I suppose. So I taught at school in Kiev  as a teacher of geography for some time. It was my biggest pleasure to see the excitement in children's eyes when you tell them interesting stories about countries, nations, cultures, folk and traditions. As it's so important to make a lesson interesting, so it won't be ever boring .  I started my first solo trip when I was 20, to the far and beautiful land of Alaska. There, in order to travel more, I partially worked at the salmon factory, meanwhile exploring coasts of Bristol bay, and then small cities as Juneau, St Petersburgh, Sitka, Ketchikan... It was an amazing time, which gave me a kick-start to travel and discover more..  Living a good life in that time for me meant seeing places, help people and learn about the world, as it seemed for me a bit different than was described in my geography books. Few summers I spent in Finland; during my stay I helped around the farms for some local farmers, by picking strawberries in fields, raspberries and blueberries in forests. It gave me farther more than a chance to travel over there. I had met gorgeous people with an interesting life stories behind their shoulders. Staying in southwest Suomi (local name of Finland) spread my borders to Sweden, Estonia and Karelia in Russia, as for my help in farming, we were given a give-back gist by our farmer - a boat trip...  My solo trips were planned and made to Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt and far to Singapore... Beautiful European countries with nice cities are making you feel cosy, comfortable and safe, seeing only nice things. In Egypt I've seen different pictures. During my stay over there, I joined the hotel to work partially at its kid-club, for guests kids. Beside games and activities, I wanted to bring them some interesting facts and share the knowledge that I have. I think, it worked out for me. Together with guests kids we were making some toys and hand-made gifts for local children playing nearby, as they were not allowed to come and play at the territory of resorts.  After some time I started to work as a fight attendant, that gave me a chance to see the places, cities and explore it in shorter, limited term of time. It gave me a possibility to count now more than 55 countries visited worldwide. In free of flying time, I go to any chosen country where I can see something new. Current job allows me to meet many travellers around the world - backpackers, honeymooners, people conquering Himalayas and Tibet, hikers, bloggers etc... It is precious to hear heir stories and get more motivation from them to go further, to explore, discover, create and live a good life. Of course, in many countries you may see lots of poor people, which makes a big contrast to nicely developed countries. Sadly, however reality. When I was in Kolkatta, West Bengal of India, in a street I've seen a small boy;  poorly looking, he was drinking water from the watering hose, directly at the roadside. I stared and couldn't just realise it, that much my heart was contracting. There are thousands kids like him, in many countries. I wish to have a power, to help all of them. However, I could offer only sweets that I had in my backpack. The small cutie politely waved his head that he refuses, perhaps from being shy. I insisted that that was a sweet and it was good. His small dirty hands accepted the chocolate, and I felt something really heavy in my chest.  Being in Djibouti, East African cost of Aden Gulf, I had made a road trip to the lake Assal, the deepest point of African continent. I had seen local nomads waking miles from their villages to that lake. Some of them where sitting by the salt lake and selling hand-made souvenirs an  salt crystals to some few passing by tourists. There were 2 kids with them. One little girl  - I will remember her. She was about 6 years old maybe, but with a very brave look. They didn't beg for money or whatsoever, they just asked (gesturing with hand showed us) that they simply wanted to drink water. In that area, in dessert, there no sources of fresh drinking water, and the Lake of Assal has the salinity equivalent to the Dead Sea. Many people are living in desert, are without water for many days, unless perhaps in some way the water is delivered from its capital Djibouti city (I believe so). I was desperate, as my friend and me took only two small bottles of water, we didn't count that would be enough for 2 hours of drive. Till the time we reached the lake, it has been over. And when she asked us for water, we had nothing to offer to drink. I had only chocolates in my back, as usual I take it in case I will meet some kids. Chocolate was a great surprise for her, what I could have seen in her eyes. I wanted to gift her, so I gave my glossy lipstick. Poor cutie, was thinking it was a cookie, so she started eating it.... I put it nicely on her lips, she was so beautiful.  I felt very bad, those people in those places seemed like forgotten by the whole world. And our world is so developed and high-invented nowadays, they search for water on Mars!  But they close eyes on real picture, they forgot about people living in the arid areas without a single drop of dew.....  While being in Tbilisi, Georgia, I've noticed many begging kids in its old town streets. Truly, that after USSR crashed, life is not easy now in post-soviet countries, that caused a gap in social life. Kids are begging, and old women are selling some products, whatever they could have - honey, pastries, fruits , milk. I saw when the small boy walking shakily, perhaps  because of some muscle sickness, asked her for a bun, but she refused as he had not enough coins. Each of them are "fighting" fro each coin. I got for him some pastry and kvas (local chilling brewed drink, sort of ginger ale), However, the glass was spilling out in his shaking hands, he counldn't drink it......  We can write a lot about poor and sick kids, but not many can hear us about it. I wonder, if ever the problem of poverty will be resolved. I believe, if all of us could contribute at least a bit in it, the world would become kinder; maybe it would be less poverty... 

My plan is huge, after I complete flying. I'm planning to head to South East Asian countries and start teaching, I'm eager to contribute something good in the socium. Meanwhile, since I fly, I'm dong my best to help in any way. I am doing a charity by cloth in my small native village in Ukraine, as well as organising a fundraising for a little sick baby with a diagnose of Girschprung disease in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan. 

While travelling by work and leisure, I decided to start writing, to give it on the paper - what I had seen and felt. It is just a beginning, my first notes and impressions. I found it interesting. As well as the stories in your website is very inspirational. It gives us a feeling to create goodness, it it worthwhile. My researches on motivational stories, travel blogs and magazines have inspired me to create a blog as well, to try myself in writing, sharing life stories and my experiences all over the countries. I'm just a beginner in it.  So far, I post my photos experience in instagram and facebook, as well as writing my stories to newspapers and magazines. Now excitedly waiting for my first publishing. Currently I am as well creating my fresh-new blog in live-journal website. https://annellevalenti.livejournal.com/profile where I could share my stories along with pictures. 

Seeing world with your own eyes, and seeing things differently. Travelling is a great pleasure, it's a

necessity.....