Tetiana Kolosha 15, female from Chernihiv

Hello, my name is Tanya, and I’m fifteen years old. I don’t have any special hobbies, but I like drawing and listening to music. My friends usually say that my drawings are incredible and cute, but sometimes I don’t believe them. My favorite singer is Melanie Martinez; I think her songs are very emotional and soulful. Her music inspires me. I also like listening to Mitski’s music. Her music sounds like heaven to me, and her voice calms me down. Her songs make a lot of sense and talk about different people’s problems.

I want to tell you more about myself. I live in Chernihiv with my grandparents and my cat. I love my cat very much; it’s my closest furry friend. My mother lives in the city, and my father lives in Germany. I love them too. My parents divorced when I was a little child. My father never lived with me, but I love him very much. I remember him as kind and supportive; I can trust him with every secret that I have. My mother is a little bit strict. She loves me and wants to give me the best of everything. My grandparents are smart and kind, and I like living with them more than living with my mother.

I started learning English when I was three years old, but there were periods when I didn’t have the opportunity to continue studying the language. After the start of the war, I only studied English at school, so I want to go to America to improve my English. I’d like to see American landscapes and nature too; I heard about Glass Beach in California. I want to learn more about American culture and traditions; they are very interesting, I think.

The war in my country ruined a lot of beautiful places and killed many civilians. It was terrible to hear shots. I’m still afraid of sleeping alone and loud noises. Part of my friends moved to European countries, and we haven’t seen each other since the start of the war. We chat in messengers though. I miss them.

So, that’s a little part of my life story. I hope I can tell you more about it in real life.