Hello, this is Eva May, and I'm speaking to you from the Women's Radio Station and for another in my series called Healing Image High. So in this series, I was going to talk about sort of trauma and the impacts of trauma, and in particular for me, one of the things I wanted to focus on first of all was image. Well, that was about 5 years ago now, and now that I am presenting for the women's radio station, I'm actually covering a lot more things that I'm finding interesting, meeting and speaking with guests who I hope that you will find interesting as well and learn from, and certainly give us things to, to think and talk about. Um, today I'm, I'm really, really happy to have, um, on the— well, through the, the wonders of the internet, uh, an absolutely super, super guy called, um, Billy, who I met about 7 years ago. And, um, Billy is, um, at the moment he has just finished having a barbecue in, in Ukraine, and he's, um, been with, um, some soldiers who've been on the front lines. So, um, I'm, I'm so happy to hear from Billy. We did— I have spoken with him before on a previous broadcast, but this is such a great experience to have this opportunity to speak with Billy and to hear what's going on, the work that he's been doing, the work of others, the situation And, you know, he's an extremely inspirational guy. He's 30 years old. I don't think he'll mind me saying that. And he's come all the way from California to Ukraine independently and began working in a refugee camp that was set up to take 1,300 refugees coming into Poland across the border. And he's now gone on and done some other, other really great brave work. And so let's say hello to Billy. Hi, how are you? I'm doing well, thank you. Oh, so much good. It's so lovely to talk to you. Now I've got this sort of picture in my head right now because we were messaging earlier and You were saying, like, "We're just having a barbecue." Well, that's the sort of message I'd expect from you if you were in California where you live, but you're not. You're pretty close to the Ukraine-Russian border, and you're having a barbecue. So, can you sort of explain a little bit about how you— Well, where you are, why you're there, how you got there and how you've managed to have some nice food in a war that's going on. So yeah, love to hear from you. Absolutely. Sure. So when I was in Lviv a couple of weeks ago, I spent a few days there doing a truck run to an orphanage with food. But during that time, one of my mutual friends on Facebook connected me with this with this guy, Sergey, who is from the Ukraine, and for the past couple weeks he's been trying to raise donations to get a car so that we could deliver the car to his mother in Kharkiv, where his father has been fighting on the front line for the past few months. And a few days ago, Kharkiv has been recaptured by the Ukrainian military. Before, it was under Russian bombardment and almost pretty much occupation, for the first 2 months of the war. And like I said, just as of a few days ago, the Ukrainians pretty much freed the city. And so we started, me and Sergiy, the day after that our mutual friend connected us, we actually met up for the first time and we spent the day together and discussed our plans. And I went back to Poland for a few days to, you know, work with the humanitarian center. And then I think 3 days later I came back to Lviv where Sergiy picked me up. And then over the course of the next, I think it's been like a week, we were searching for a car using the donation money that we have raised. And we finally found a car after, I think, 3 days of searching through several cars. And because his dad had told us that that's what they really needed on the front line was a car because they had to move positions every few days. I mean, probably even more frequent than every few days because of the constant bombardment by the Russians. So once we purchased the car, we realized that we had an extra— we had extra money from the budget, so we used the rest to get t-shirts and socks and a bunch of tools for the— for his father and for his team of, I think, 10 or 11 other people, um, in the unit. And, uh, no, I'm, I'm not sleeping right now. Yes, I will in one second. Sorry, I'm just talking to a friend right now. Oh, good. I didn't realize that— so you actually driven the car to your friend Sergiy's father, who is fighting on the front line and has been since the war begun, because they need a car. And so you've got it all fixed up with money that you've had from donations, and you bought the guys like t-shirts, tools, socks, so things that they obviously can't just pop out and get. And it's taken you, I think you said to me, 15 hours of driving, and you're not able to drive this car because it's manual, and you've done this amazing road trip with your new friend Sergi, and you've met his father, and I guess the people, you've met his fellow soldiers as well. Yes. Before we came to Kharkiv, I stayed with Sergiy at his family's place with his mom, his brother, his brother's girlfriend, and Sergiy's wife. And where they lived was very, like, for lack of a better term, very rural Ukraine. It was in the forest where we didn't even have any cell coverage, where it was just Wi-Fi. So It was completely off the grid. And so once we left there, it was like a 15-hour journey to Kharkiv where, like I said, we were delivering the car to his dad and I just met his father probably maybe 2 hours ago. Oh, his father showed up. Yeah, his father showed up for the barbecue. And right now, like tonight, we're going to stay at Sergiy's friend's house. His name is Dima. And so I'm here right now. At his friend's house where we're staying, and then Dima's cousin, I'm not sure what his name is, but he's also a police officer for the Ukraine. And so we just, all of us just finished dinner where we barbecued some meat and had some Ukrainian cheese garlic cupcake dish that was actually pretty good. And then Sergiy's father just left right now, and then we're going to see him tomorrow. Again before we— before Sergiy and I take the long train back to Lviv. So that's incredible. And can you explain, so the journey that you took in this car, so it's not a brand new car, is it? It's— No, it's actually 22 years old. Right, right. Okay, so you've got this car that is really, really going to help. And, you know, how safe were the roads for you and Sergiy driving, considering that, you know, we've heard of, you know, landmines and other sort of obstacles and attacks going on? How did you plan your way? Well, Sergiy is from Kharkiv, so for starters, he's pretty familiar with the area. And so when we decided when we— before we came here, there was multiple roads that we could have taken to come to Kharkiv. And Sergiy kind of, based on the information that we had at the time and based on his friend's knowledge of— he has friends in Kharkiv and friends in Kyiv, and talking to them, we were able to decide that the best route to take, the best road to take that was cleared of landmines. And coming here, we probably passed through maybe probably 10, at least 10 checkpoints, which is the Ukrainian military. We had to show our passports every time, and they would ask us where we're going and why we're going there. And so it's a kind of, I mean, it's an understandable thing what they're doing with the checkpoints, but it's also a little bit intimidating because here we come up and stop and there's, you know, 4 or 5 armed with AK-47s Ukrainian military people just going through the car and kind of not interrogating, but kind of like asking what's going on in depth, because I'm sure they want to make sure there's no Russians or Russian spies or pro-Russian people that are crossing through the cities. So, um, yeah, um, the roads were clear, thank goodness, but you can tell what I mean going through the roads, we passed by many, um, destroyed buildings, many, many tanks that were blown up on the side of the road. Yeah, well, and including sort of buildings that, you know, civilians would have been living in. Oh yeah, absolutely. We definitely saw buildings that definitely would have been, um, when it— when they were bombed, they definitely killed a lot of people, which was very sad to see. That is, it's the whole situation, Billy, is just, um, you know, it is heartbreaking. I mean, like, I'm going away tomorrow with two friends and I've had a bit of a busy day, like, doing sort of jobs really that need doing before I go. And then I was like, I haven't even packed yet, I don't know what to take. And it seems really trivial to be worried about what I'm going to take to go away for, you know, a week's holiday when, you know, you're in a situation and the Ukrainians and all the volunteers and people are, you know, like, they basically need t-shirts and socks and some tools to get by and a 22-year-old car. I mean, I feel a little bit sort of you know, that I'm not really doing my bit. Um, it's sort of almost not in a— well, in a guilty way, but it's very frustrating. I mean, we've given money to what we hope is a, you know, a charity that's going to get some aid to where it is needed. Um, but I mean, like, hearing what you're saying is— it is absolutely, you know, heartbreaking and just, you know, without people like you and Sergi. I mean, you must have been making such a difference by this day. I think it's pretty dangerous what you've done, the drive. I mean, I would find, um, you know, I find passport control just at a normal airport quite intimidating, but to be blocked by, you know, soldiers, like, heavy armed, like you said, I mean, you're, you're not weapons trained or anything, are you? You're just, you know, going through with a car full of things to help. So yeah, so how— and how is, um, Sergiy and his family, um, how are they about, uh, you know, well, him now seeing his father? That must have been quite emotional. He hasn't seen his father for, I think, since the start of the war, which was almost 3 months ago. So I know it was very emotional for him to see his dad. And, um, just maybe 10 minutes ago, you know, I saw them, you know, in a, in a long embrace, like a hug. Yeah. And it— yeah, it was just very like— I was, I was very happy to see that, but it's very sad to know why, like, why they spent so much time apart. And when I spent time at his place, at Sergey's house, with his mother, and she would FaceTime, you know, his dad at night. And then when they would hang up, she would obviously be very devastated and very worried because she didn't know if she was going to see her husband again. So that's just, you know, just— it's heartbreaking to see that. It is. I mean, I don't understand the language, but I, I could see the human expression, and that's something that I can see and understand. I mean, sometimes I think, you know, actions speak louder than words, don't they? You can you know, really just feel something that doesn't need words. Absolutely. So what— that's pretty much my whole experience in Ukraine, because I don't understand anything, but I could see it in the people's eyes and see it in how they walk around and how they go about their days. You know, people try to live their lives like as they would in normal day-to-day life, but you can tell there's like the— like a deep like there's, there's fear inside of them for sure, and there's sadness. And I could, I could definitely tell. And they don't need to tell me in whatever language, or I don't need to have somebody translate it to me for me to see that. Yeah, no, I mean, yeah, well, it's, it's, it's heartbreaking. And, you know, I think there are so, so many people certainly, you know, who I know, and we are all extremely anxious for this to end, and for people who've been displaced or lost their homes, for the world to come together and put this right for them and to let them know that we do care. They do. Sergey was explaining that everybody's very grateful for the aid from other countries and that they do receive all the money and the gear that they're getting. And he was saying that because of the aid from other countries that they're winning the war. He was saying that when the war first started that there wasn't much aid because I think a lot of the countries were worried that the weapons and the aid would turn— would be captured by the Russians and that the Russians would have everybody's weapons. But that's not the case. And Sergey was saying that and his father was agreeing that, um, the aid from every country that has helped has been substantial and pretty much the changing thing that has turned the favor towards the Ukrainian army in this war. Well, I mean, I think that's— I hope that they can see that as, you know, as the, the thing that we can— that, that— I mean, certainly in the UK, it's the thing that we can do. We can provide military hardware and weapons and equipment for soldiers to wear in combat, but there is this very, you know, obviously Ukraine's not in NATO, the whole, you know, it's, you know, the diplomacy around it, you know, people are talking, they are having meetings, you know, heads of the— of all different countries in the world. But these things take time. And so— but I know in the UK we've sent, I think, several billion— billions of pounds worth of equipment because, you know, we are 100% behind. But with them not being in NATO, then obviously we can't trigger that agreement, which it must seem in some ways to ordinary Ukrainians like a crazy bit of bureaucracy that, you know, 30 NATO countries could actually come in and stop this and stop any more horror war. But the sad reality is that we can't right now. We can't. I don't know, did you— have you heard there that Finland and Sweden, who've always been joining They want to join. Yeah, and I think they're starting papers and stuff now. Um, all, all the member state heads of states had to agree. I think there's an issue with Turkey, but, um, and China maybe. Or is China part of NATO? I'm not sure. No, no, I'm pretty sure that they, they're not. Um, but you know, in having Finland and Sweden into NATO it actually swells the military by a lot, and it's very frightening for Russia. So, you know, I think like NATO's— we're doing all we can and we're sending weapons. I know the US, I know there's, you know, a lot of European countries. That's what we're doing, and we're trying to get aid to children, and we're trying to get families to places of safety. I know of 3 families now who have got Ukrainians living with them, and you know, you know what, Billy, they like, you know, they're really grateful, they're tired, they're, you know, they look so sort of wrung out and deeply sad, and, and, and then they arrive and they're sort of overwhelmed with the kindness that's being shown to them, although obviously they don't want to be there, they'd rather be at home. And some of these families have— or the couples have just found the whole, you know, everything that's happened so harrowing that now they've got to safety in the UK and they've got somewhere to stay, they've actually stayed in, you know, for about 2 or 3 days. They've not wanted to open the door and come out, do anything. They've just needed to be still, be in a place where we gather up some thoughts, and, you know, it's probably the only time they've had to actually think about the events that have happened to them. Um, yeah, so we're hearing a lot of that. Um, quite a lot of them are still working from the UK remotely to the jobs that they do in Ukraine, so they're trying to keep their businesses going. So that's quite, you know, I mean, that's pretty good that that's able to happen. But yeah, it's a terrible situation. So what is it like then where you are now? Are you actually— is it a a big town that you're in, or— The city that I'm in is the second largest city in Ukraine, Kharkiv or Kharkov. It's pronounced both ways. I think Kharkov is what— or actually, Sergiy pronounces it Kharkiv, but a lot of other people pronounce it Kharkov. But this is, like I said, the second to Kyiv, which is the capital. Of Ukraine. And Kyiv, I think, has a few million people, if not more, if not like maybe 9 million people. And I think, yeah, Kharkiv comes second to Kyiv with the most amount of people in it. And, um, so yeah, it's a fairly large city. I mean, it would take us maybe 30 to 45 minutes for— to get from one side of the city to the other. And is it— I mean, are there many people about, or have people generally left? I think maybe— Sergiy was saying, I think maybe 30 to 40% of the people of the city are still here, and the rest have relocated. And are they needing to go into sort of shelters quite frequently? I'm sorry, the people here or the people outside of Kyiv? The people in Kharkiv. Are they needing to go into— I mean, they must have spent an awful lot of time underground in some place. For sure. Yeah. Um, yeah, as of just a few days ago, I think most people weren't even able to really spend time in their homes because the city was literally being bombed the most besides like Mariupol. Um, I think the most bombed city was Kharkiv, and I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we're only 30 minutes away from Russia right now. So, you know, it's easy for the Russian— or it was easy for the Russian army to kind of get placed up here. But thankfully, the Ukrainian army has been amazing and has pushed them back, almost, almost back across their border now. Wow, that— I mean, that is just— that's such good news, and I hope that really boosts morale for— I think it has. Yeah, sure. Even the people here, like Sergiy's friends that I'm with, the Dima and the police officer, we were talking over dinner and kind of like we were cheersing to like victory for Ukraine because it really was a victory. Yes. Going from the most heavily bombed city to a place where people are, I think, starting to come back or starting to come out of their places. It's just a beautiful thing. When we planned to come to Kharkiv a couple of weeks ago, we planned to come when it was still under heavy fire. So it was only by the fortunate efforts of the Ukrainian army and whichever else aid that was helping that we were able to come at a relatively calm time. Otherwise, we would have still came. But thankfully, we came days after um, the Russians were aggressing a lot here. And so it was a calm entry into the city. Good, for sure. That's good. So hopefully now then, if you've made that journey and you've got that car over there for them and what they need, then other people can maybe do the same now in safety and get— I hope so— move equipment around that, that's going to be needed. And, um, I mean, obviously the logistics of where things are is important. So, you know, if you've got the— if you've got the supplies and you're now able to move things around, then, you know, that's just really what we all want to hear. Um, and hopefully get these people back home as soon as possible and have some sort of life. I mean, do they still have, um, you know, how's the water supply and electricity and your food supply? Because that must be, you know, quite hard to keep basic, um, you know, your needs that you're going to need, you know, clean water to drink and food. And, um, is that all okay? Or I think the electricity, the power, um, is a little bit kind of iffy in the city from what I've seen so far.. But as far as the water and food, we're actually, I think that they're doing actually decent, but I, don't quote me on that because I'm not sure. Just from what I've seen so far, we've had access to water, access to food, and that could be just because of who I'm with and what we're doing, like what, you know, where we are and who he knows. But for the most part, I believe most people have access to that. Electricity, maybe not so much because a lot of the buildings are destroyed. And when we went to Sergiy's house, which is actually only a 5-minute walk from Dima's place, which is where I'm at right now, he's just— Sergiy's actual house is just around the corner. When we went there earlier, there was no electricity and there's actually like kind of cracks in the concrete of the walls from the bombs. Like the, from the, um, how do you say, the, um, the— well, like the missile impact, like, like the aftershock of the bombs. Yeah, to have a significant crack in it and like some broken glass, stuff like that. Um, so yeah, I could definitely see the effects with the electricity for sure. But, um, as far as water and food, um, so far from what I've seen, this could change obviously, but I think it's pretty okay here for now. That's good to know. Do— and are you seeing sort of signs of, you know, bits of missiles or unexploded bombs? I mean, are they sort of apparent? Um, oh yeah, definitely. The aftermath of the missiles are extremely apparent here for sure, and this is after they've cleaned up a lot. Really, for, for me to see, for us to still see the effects of— I mean, earlier today when we were driving, we saw, I think it was like a marketplace that was completely obliterated. And, you know, it was just, just like that. That's how it was. There's no— they hadn't gotten around to cleaning that up yet. But there's been numerous occasions of seeing that, for sure, of houses and buildings that are just completely destroyed. Into pretty much dust. And has Sergiy been back to Kharkiv since the beginning of the war, or for him is this his first trip? This is his first trip. Um, he was telling me that when the war started, he was in Kharkiv, and they, you know, I think it, it was like early in the morning when the bombs were going off, like 3 or 4 in the morning, and him and his mom, um, I think he was with his mom It was just him and his mom and their dogs, and so they— Sergey took his car and his mom, who hadn't driven in 9 years prior to that, had to drive 15 hours across the country just so they can get to safety, and he said it was like chaos trying to get out of the city, like there's extreme lines on the roads of cars trying to get out and everybody was evacuating, and he just said it was just extreme chaos and a lot of nerves and panic. And because there's— it was being heavily bombed at the start of the war, like extreme, like bombs every minute pretty much. And that must have been terrifying. Absolutely, absolutely terrifying. Did— and, and how was he when you two arrived in Kharkiv since, since, um, you know, these weeks that he's not been to the place where he lives? I mean, how is he affected by, you know, seeing this city that's been under so much attack? You can tell that he's very, I think, sad, for sure sad, and I think very, pretty angry at the Russians, at least at the Russian military. For the atrocities that they've caused. And it's just with the Russian media brainwashing the Russian citizens that they— that the Russians had nothing to do with all the destruction and that it was Ukraine's own military doing all this. He's just explaining how absurd that is. And, you know, I— it's absurd to me too. I'm sure many other people in the world can see that, that a lot of like the propaganda that's going on. Yeah, definitely. They're literally— yeah, the Russian citizen— a lot of the Russian citizens literally believe that the— that Russians hasn't caused any destruction here. No, all— all that the, um, Ukrainians are wanting to be liberated. Um, I mean, which is crazy. I mean, you know, you're with people who live there it was— it's not the case at all, is it? This— they probably were living very nice, happy, peaceful lives in what seems to be until now a very beautiful country. Yeah, yeah, this is a very— yeah, it is a very beautiful country. Um, Sergey's dad was asking me earlier after dinner how I liked Ukraine, or how I felt about the Ukraine, and I could honestly tell them I haven't been— I haven't traveled outside the United States for, I think, well over 10 years now. And so this— Poland and Ukraine are the first countries that I came to, and I could, I could honestly tell them that I definitely fell in love with the country, despite, and despite the circumstances. Like, I, I could definitely— I loved it because of the people and the solidarity that is shown here, about, you know, the kindness and the love that Ukrainians show each other. And it's just— and even the gratitude that people have shown me. And it's just like, you know, I'm not here to seek the gratitude or anything, obviously, but just it's cool when people do come up to me and tell me that they're thankful that I'm here and that I am making a difference. And it just, it makes everything— it just, I don't know, it just makes everything so beautiful here. Yeah, well, I mean, Billy, you, you know, you've been, you've been now what, away from the United States and in Poland and now in Ukraine for how many weeks? About 3 and a half. Well, it's funny because my original flight back to the United States is today. All right, I think you missed that. Yeah, yeah, I think I missed that for sure. And but I think that this would be about literally 3 and a half weeks that I've been here, and I plan to be here. Um, Ukraine, I don't need a visa, but Poland, I need a visa after 3 months. So I would like to be here for the entire 3 months at least, and then I may apply for an extended visa, um, just because I I would like to be here after the war too, to help rebuild this country. Wow, well, that's incredible. I mean, I think, you know, if I was in a position to do it, I would absolutely love to come out and help. I mean, for me— Oh, I know you would. I know you would. Yeah, so, but, you know, I think my circumstances are different to yours and— Different to yours, yeah. Oh, sorry about that. Um, sorry about that. Um, oh, we've got, we've got a bit of an echo. Oh well, that's fun. Are you still there, Billy? Yeah, sorry, I just lost the last sentence that you said. Oh no, I was just saying, I just think, you know, you, you're, you're in this, um, you know, the position that you're in and the decision that you made to go is, you know, extremely, um, commendable and And I'm sure that you're one of many people, and I know that you've met so many people from all over the world who have just up sticks and to go and help. And you didn't— when you were going there, you weren't with an organization or anything, so you didn't actually sort of know what it was exactly that you would be doing, and you just turned your hand to every single thing. That can help. You've helped so many people. I know you were saying before about the refugee, the processing centre, you know, with providing food. And one thing I hadn't thought of is that you're making sure that people have got, you know, appropriate luggage and things like that. I mean, It seems that the international community has come together so well and organised and thought through to meet these people's needs and just make it a little nicer. And I hope your two French friends are still selling their tea and co— Serving off their tea and coffee for those people. Oh, I know they are. Yeah? For sure. I bet everybody loves them. Oh, they're great. Yeah, they're funny. They're very funny. Yeah, I can imagine it. I have a vision. But, um, and the children, you said they're playing football, um, and football and handball and whatever. Yes, throwing balls around. And I was, um, I was so touched. You shared some photographs that you'd taken at the refugee, uh, center of drawings that the children had done, and they showed— I think what stuck out in my mind the most was repeated in, you know, different children's drawings were a heart, and half of the heart was in the Ukrainian flag colours, and the other half was in the Russian colours. To try and— they wanted in that heart Russia and Ukraine. And I mean, that really— well, well, it's just like, well, maybe we should let the children run the world because they seem to have a bit of a better idea about it than we do. But seriously, yes, did you Yeah, for sure. I just, yeah, I thought just if everybody could have the same values and morals as the children have, I think it would be a much more peaceful place. And so how are the children and their mothers? How are they? Do they all support each other and sort of get along? And, um, oh, of course. Yeah. Um, Yeah, absolutely they do. I can't think of anything that would suggest otherwise. They absolutely support each other and are there for each other, and you can tell that they're all, you know, the solidarity of being in the same situation, the same devastating situation without their husbands, without their fathers. It's— yeah, they're definitely there for each other. And then they, um, how many now are in the actual, uh, camp in Poland? Because your capacity— are you up to capacity yet? Right, so from what I've heard, just from talking to my friends who are still there, they're relocating these— the Tesco Center that I was at, um, because the mayor of Chemnitz, which is where I was at, was— I don't know, it's some like political thing where there's, I guess, too many— from what I heard, that he was trying to I don't know, relocate the amount of refugees that were coming through because there are so many. So there's going to be another center in Chemnitz, but it's just not going to be at the exact location that it was before. But I imagine that the capacity will still be the same. So right now, actually, for the next week and a half or 2 weeks, the volunteers are cleaning out the warehouse because it's so big and there's so much stuff in there. And actually a lot of my luggage is still there because I left all of it there and just brought a backpack here to Ukraine. But, um, yeah, they're relocating, and my friends who are over there, if, if they need to bring my luggage or whatever, they're going to let me know where the new location is. And because obviously they're not just going to say like, okay, well, refugees can't be here anymore, they're just gonna move them, I think, just with within a few kilometers to another location that's better suitable for their needs and our needs as well. So not only have you missed your flight, but you've lost your luggage as well. Pretty much, yeah. Well, I think we will— I think we'll let you have that one. That's fine. Um, anyway, what did you— what did you actually bring from California to— to— with you? I mean, what, what did you pack? Um, like, before, before, before my flight, my dad, um, my dad was with me before we flew out, before I flew out. He took me to like an Army surplus store, Walmart, like just a bunch of places to make sure that I had all the, all the clothing that I needed, like the portable chargers or the portable charger, regular charger adapter. Like world adapter for the outlets. Um, but I mean, I kept— we kept it simple. It wasn't anything crazy. It was just like warm clothes, a week's worth of warm clothes, and then, you know, something to keep my phone charged, and then a portable battery, and then some first aid stuff, you know. And my dad just wanted to make sure that I was prepared to be here. Yeah, for sure. I must have been— yeah, I'm sure he was really pleased to do that with you as well. And and yeah, share, share some of this. So, and how are you able to keeping good regular contact with your family and your friends? Yes, mostly through WhatsApp because, because of the international rate of calling or texting and the fact that a lot of Ukraine is out of, or out of cell coverage. So I'm in Wi-Fi a lot of the time and WhatsApp is definitely the best way to communicate with them because I'm able to call them with no issues and text or message them over that, over WhatsApp. And the good thing about WhatsApp is that it's encrypted, and you know, just in case the Russians are tracking any messages or calls, WhatsApp is relatively more secure than like a regular SMS text. Yeah, definitely. And how are your family? They were actually very, very, very, very worried about me coming here because when they heard that I was coming here, Kharkiv was still the most— one of the most heavily bombed, bombarded places in the Ukraine. So when they first heard I was coming here, they were begging me not to go. And I think after— and they're still very worried, of course. And but I think after A few days ago, when they realized that the Russians had like essentially retreated from the city, they were a lot more at ease. But my mom and dad still message me on a regular basis to make sure that I'm okay and that I'm safe. And my mom, of course, will— you know my mom, you've communicated. I do know your mom, and I'm a mom too, and, and my son is, um, it's just 2 years older than you. And oh my goodness, you You know, your kids are always going to be your kids. It's— and the love and the worry. I mean, you know, things like if my son comes to stay, because he doesn't— he lives in Ireland, so when he comes here, if he's actually going out with some friends, I don't go to sleep until he's come home, you know, at 2 or 3 in the morning because That's what mums do. That's exactly what mums do. Yeah, it is, it is. For sure. Yeah, so they— but I think really they should be so proud of you too, because I mean, this is an incredible life experience for you. And do you think it will sort of change what you might want to do in the future? For sure. I mean, I, but like, honestly, before the war, I didn't know much about Ukraine, and that's just me being honest. And, um, but I've, since being here, I've searched on the web how to become a Ukrainian citizen because just like, and just because of how badly I want to be here and, and stay here and try and make a difference to the best of my ability. Um, I don't have a job in the United States right now. I don't have— I mean, I have my family, of course, and that's, of course, that's enough reason to be there. But other than the, you know, like living in California, I don't even think I'm going back there. There's nothing tying me down there anymore. And I've thought— I've given a lot of thought to the being here for the long term. Obviously, that's just early ideas, and I'm not sure how that will pan out, but it's been something that I've been looking into. And I want to learn the language here too. Brilliant. Yeah, you know, I've actually thought about— I should maybe— that I think I should learn some. Um, I'm, um, by profession I'm a teacher, like, of young children, so sort of from age 3 up to 10. And I was thinking, you know, maybe one thing I can do is once children are over here and needing support in schools is that, you know, I could go and volunteer and do that here, um, and I would get an awful lot out of that because, you know, humans helping humans has got to be one of the, the best thing in, you know, that one can do with your life. Um, I'm not actually all that surprised to hear that you're considering staying there and looking up how to become a Ukrainian citizen. Um, I think, yeah, it, it, it sounds like you, Billy, it really, you know, the sort of thing. And, and I know your family are, are away in America still. I mean, in America is a huge place, and probably the flight, I mean, to fly across America is probably It can take many hours, can't it? You're such a— oh yeah, massive, for sure. I mean, just from the west to the east coast, 5 to 6 hours on a flight. Yeah. So how far, how far was your flight then from, um, the US to Poland? How long was that? Um, it took 10 and a half hours to get to Switzerland for my layover, and then another hour and a half. So I imagine it would take it about If it was a direct flight, it would probably take him 12 to 13 hours. I mean, that's not too bad, is it? So, you know, you could not— not compared to the flights that I've taken in the past when I lived in Singapore. That was like a 20-hour flight. Yeah, no, that is a long way. No, I mean, it's still, still quite a bit though, especially when I was in a middle seat. That kind of sucked. But— oh really? Yeah. So what, you had people either side of you? Oh, yeah, that was a bit inconsiderate. Yeah. And I was booked for an aisle seat, but when I boarded my flight in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security stopped me because they were wanting to ask me why I was going to Poland or to this side of the world because of the war. So I was actually the last person on my flight going to Switzerland from LAX because of the fact that The Department of Homeland Security was interrogating me for probably like 45 minutes. Oh, were they? Yeah. I mean, does that feel— was that quite intimidating, or were they, um— it was because I didn't know if they were going to let me on my flight. Sure. And the guy kept telling me to— telling me, don't worry, you're going to make your flight. But in the back of my head, I was like, did these guys think I'm like trying to do something bad or something? I wasn't sure, but they just really wanted to make sure like they, that I knew what I was doing and they want, they were pretty much saying like they wanted to know where their U.S. citizen was going to be just in case I, you know, something that, that I needed them or they said that if something happened to me they needed my parents' contact information like in case I died or I went missing they could let them know. So pretty much they wanted to know where I was, what I was doing and So it was in a caring capacity. It wasn't like a— I mean, they're not really people, are they, in any country that you can joke with. They don't do jokes. So that's really nice to hear that they were, you know, caring about their own citizen and in this world situation. And so what do you have to do if you want to become a Ukrainian citizen? So apparently from what I've seen from Googling it, I have to, I think, live here for 5 years as a resident. And then if I want to become a citizen, I have to renounce my other citizenship because I can only have one passport as a Ukrainian citizen. I have to become fluent in the— or relatively fluent in the language and also contribute $100,000 towards their economy. $100,000? God, what? No, but that's over a period of time, right? I mean, like, uh, I'm not— yeah, probably over a period of time. I think from what I researched, I would have to set up some sort of like LLC company, um, and just like, I don't know, deposit the equivalent of $100,000 and then, um, make it like put it towards Ukraine's economy somehow is what I've researched so far. But, um, from what I've heard, people that are volunteering here in Ukraine or in Poland have an easier— will have an easier time of becoming a Ukrainian citizen because of the gratitude that they have for the volunteers. This is what I've heard. I mean, this— you're talking about the requirements in peacetime. And right, pre-war. Yeah. And now it's not, it's changed. So, um, you know, you know, people like you, you know, you're strong and fit, you're, you know, you're caring, you're gonna, you know, you're, you're, you know, you're a doer, you know, you've done, um, well, I think you'll, you know, when you sit back one day and look at what you've done with your life and you're only 30 at the moment, I think you're going to think, "Wow, you know, I did a really incredible, you know, great thing," and be proud of it. And I'm sure you'll have lots of stories to tell from— well, from now. So, you know, you've still got— you've only been there 3 and a half weeks, so you've got another 2 months and a week to go, and and all this amazing stuff that you've done that's made a huge difference. So, tomorrow you're— because you're 2 hours ahead now, so you kind of like— you ought to be heading off to bed, I think. And then tomorrow you're going to leave Kharkiv and head back. You've now got to get— you're leaving the car with Sergiy's father so the soldiers can use that. Um, and that's, that's, that's just great, like, that they've got that. They must be thrilled. And then— oh, he's really happy. Yeah. Oh, that's just so good. And then you've got to get the train, so what, back to Poland, or back to Lviv? Um, I'm not sure if there's a direct train from Kharkiv to Poland, but I know there's one Kiev to Lviv. So, and it's right next to the Polish border. So yeah, I know. You having to like fund your, your tickets and stuff, or is it pretty much like, you know, free transport just to help everybody to get where they need to be at the moment? Um, I think with the trains it costs, but the cost is pretty low. I mean, um, it's maybe like in US dollars or pounds, it's maybe just $10 to $20 to take the train to pretty much any location in the Ukraine, from my experience so far. So it's really not that expensive. And then what, what will you do once you get back to Lviv? Uh, go back to Poland? Um, either— I mean, the luggage that I left in Poland isn't extremely important. It's just a bunch of clothes and dirty clothes and stuff. The important stuff I have with me. But there is a— near the train station in Lviv, there's a huge volunteer community and center that's outside of the train station. They have a bunch of tents set up, blah, blah, blah. And so I was thinking about even registering to volunteer there in Lviv or I do have a lot of friends back in Chemnitz as well that I told that I was going to be home in a few days. So I don't know. It's, it's, I mean, I probably could do both, honestly. Maybe go back to Chemnitz for a couple of weeks, volunteer there, and then come back to Lviv because of course I want to, I want to be in Ukraine as much as possible. It's just, it's amazing here. I love it here. I mean, and I say that when I say that I love it despite the war, you know what I mean? Yeah, like, I, I can— I love the people. I bet the people are absolutely lovely, and I certainly, um, you know, hope to visit, as I think many people, certainly my friends, we've all said, you know, we really must go to Ukraine and, you know, support their economy and, um, you know, let them know that, you know, we've, we've been behind them through this, and photographs that I've seen, some of your photographs, you've taken like beautiful old streets with such lovely character and parks. It's amazing architecture, huh? I bet the architecture will be beautiful. And you know, I've been to parts of Europe where obviously we have that type of architecture, and it is— it's stunning, it's beautiful. And It's a— well, to have this destroyed, and I mean, for you coming from America, it must be history that you, you know, you don't really see in the States. I know Americans always like to see, don't they, our old buildings and things. So yeah, but because the photographs that you took were like, wow, you know, it's almost like you've just taken a holiday snap And then there's a war going on and, um, yeah, just, um, surreal. It must be very surreal. So are the tents near the station in Lviv, are they more of permanent sort of homes for people whose homes have been destroyed, or is that another processing center? Is there still a focus? You're not sure? Totally sure. I'm not sure yet, but, um, it's a— it's at least a temporary place, um, but I'm not totally sure. I'll find out more when I get there. Yeah, and I'll let you know. You must let me know because I, I— yeah, I, I think, think about you every day. And my, my two— my children ask me about you. My husband asked me. My husband asked me. Oh, you. So, you have to let me know because I've got everybody asking me, Billy. So, yeah, we're with you, and if there's anything you can think of that we can do here to help you get stuff to where you need it, you need to let me know and I would see what I can do. Thank you. You're very welcome. And have you got— so you've got a nice bed for the night? Yes. Yeah, no, I am— the Demon's Bush is great. It's very comfortable. Oh, well, you enjoy spending time, you know, with all these amazing people that you've met that you can now add to your list, and they can add you to theirs. And I Oh, Billy, it's just so— I'm so proud of you. I just— thank you. You're somebody that, you know, you've had a special place in my heart since, since I met you. And, uh, you know, we did spend— oh gosh, well, you become a Ukrainian citizen or whatever, I'm telling you, you've got to either come over here and see us in the UK because we got some, uh, things, you know, and, or, but, um, or I'll come to see you, and, um, oh yeah, be just amazing. And thank you, just thank you so much. I know you're tired, you've done a 15-hour car journey, you've been on trains, planes, automobiles. I think it's a film there, isn't it? Yeah, you've lost your luggage, you missed your flight, you got cramped in the middle seat. Yeah, you've been through 10 checkpoints with AK-47s. Yeah, and I managed to put— There's something going off nearby. Yeah, exactly, some bombs going off and— I'm not joking. No, thank goodness they've got the landmines off the road. And yeah, it makes my walk with the dog and putting some plants in the garden seem rather dull today, but yeah. Well, you're amazing, Ava, and thank you. Oh, you're welcome, my friend, and talking to me and checking up on me. I'm going to keep checking up on you for sure, that's for sure. And, uh, just thank you so much, and please thank everybody there for everything they're doing, um, you know, their bravery, and, and anything— if you can think of any single thing that, you know, we can do. I have friends who want to help and whatever. We— let me know, we can get some things to you because this is vital. And let's get this finished, um, and everybody back. I, I for sure will let you know, um, the best. I'll talk to Sergey and talk to his father. Yeah, we used to— I think in, in America you call it a care package, don't you? Yes. Yeah, that's it. I can definitely get you a care package because we're not that far away, to be honest. So yeah, not really compared to when I was in California. I know, so there's no excuse that I'm going to see you pretty soon. Oh, for sure. Yeah, definitely. Without a doubt. Yeah. Um, we've got about 3 minutes left. Is there anything that you could think of that you would like to say? I mean, Is this something that you're finding— it must be quite physically tiring, but mentally and emotionally, are you finding, you know, that it's giving you sort of like— it's good and it's giving you sort of strength? Um, for sure. Lately, being with Sergey and being with his family, I think beforehand when I was, um, kind of in between, like, waiting for this, this, this specific mission to happen I was, I don't, I think I, I think from some of the things that I've seen here, I've struggled a little bit with PTSD and not being able to sleep because of the images that I have in my head. But I think the last week or so being with, being with friends has definitely helped a lot. So mentally, I've been strong. Physically, I've been exhausted, but I know when to sleep and and how to take care of myself for the most part. You know, I try to eat and drink enough water and get enough sleep. And yeah, so I think that I've, that most, for the most part, taking care of myself because I want to be alert and focused and strong and as strong as I can. Yeah. So I, it means a lot to me to take care of myself. And another thing that I want to say is, um, I actually, I don't know Sergi's dad's name. Um, because it's in Ukrainian. But, um, he's definitely— for all those who will be listening to this, he's definitely a hero and was definitely part of the, um, efforts of recapturing Kharkiv and pushing the Russians back. And he was on the front lines risking his life. So I just want to say how grateful I am to Sergei's dad for doing that. Yeah, well, would you please, um, pass that on on from, from me too, because it's incredible. They've liberated a city that's undergone intense bombardment, and they must be absolutely— I mean, exhausted. And to, to achieve that— and did you know they won the Eurovision Song Contest? I did, I did, actually. I just, I just saw that this this morning. Yes, I told Serge too, and he was really happy about that. They won by a lot. They won by a lot, by like 200 or something, right? Absolutely. And it was the, uh, public vote, so it's the world population that— that's amazing— put them there. And yeah, we're, we're behind them in all we can. And even if it's just a song, then, you know, it's, it speaks a lot. Absolutely. Well, we've only got a few seconds to say goodbye to you. I love you. I love you too so, so much. And yeah, I'm sure your family are absolutely so proud of you. I know I am. And thank you. I look forward to— you must just promise to let me know how you are. Say hello to Sergi. Absolutely. He sounds like a really great friend for you. Start learning that Ukrainian, and I'll maybe give it a go as well, and we might be able to do a broadcast one day in, uh, yeah, in Ukrainian. So yeah, that would be, that would be really, really cool, wouldn't it? Um, yeah, really, really cool. It would, it would. I think we should do it. We should, for sure.