The family entered the Airbnb and smiles broke across their faces. Two days had passed since they left their city, and they were exhausted from traveling aimlessly with kids and bags, tired and sore from the night on the station benches. The Airbnb was more than they were expecting— having a shower, beds, and a kitchen to cook for their kids overwhelmed them with joy. That first night the family showered and went straight to bed, sheltered and grateful.
Vitaliy says it is difficult to adjust to being in Poland. “Every bus that’s driving by sounds like a missile, every firework like an explosion. War is scary. We saw movies and heard news about wars in other places, we felt bad for them, but we could not understand it. We didn’t think it would happen to us in the 21st century, in a civilized time—” The doorbell rings, interrupting Vitaliy’s thought. He motions to the door, “Ukrainian children,” he says as his eldest daughters rush to greet their friends. He watches them with fondness and explains that there are other Ukrainian families in the building through the Alight-Airbnb program. The girls return and whisper into their father’s ear, they’d like to put out coffee and biscuits. Vitaliy gives a slight smile at this uncomplicated request for sweets, a normal moment.
“After two weeks of being here I can only imagine what is happening in Ukraine and what people are feeling. Here, there are no curfews, no air raids, no missiles, no planes, it feels safer. We are more at ease.”
