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@kkondooo3
RYOSUKE KONDO
I began traveling to Ukraine from a vague question: what is war, really?
Since then,
I have been writing articles to capture what Thave felt there in my own words.
It was February 2022,
my fifth year as a working adult,
when news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine came into the newsroom where I worked.
Thad grown somewhat accustomed to my job,
and without really noticing.
Thad settled into the rhythm of everyday life.
Yer each time I followed the news,
I found myself wondering:
what is daily life like for people living in a country at war?
What thoughts and emotions do they carry with them as they go about their lives?
I wanted to experience it myself and share what I felt. It was also the moment when my long-held, vague longing to live abroad found a clear purpose.
Last year,
I visited two cities-Lviv and Kyiv-on two separate trips. For people in Lviv, the war felt distant; for those in Kyiv, it was something much closer, almost next door.
Even within Ukraine, the way people perceived the war differed.
This was something I could only understand by being there.
This month, I plan to visit Kharkiv in the east, close to the Russian border.
I don’t know how long I’ll be able to continue this work.
The next trip might be my last. With that in mind, I wrote this article as a culmination of my working holiday in London.
If those who read it can refleet on their own lives, even for a moment, and find something to think about, that would mean a lot to me.