9 Things I love about Rivne !

I'm from Rivne. Doesn't tell you anything? It's in the west of Ukraine. Still nothing?

Well, I could tell you about the history of my city, its attractions. But I won't.

You can read all about it in Wikipedia. 

Instead, I made a list of my top 9 things I love about Rivne:

1. Compactness

Rivne is not too big and not too small. I like that it doesn't take a lot of time to get to where you're going.

2. Calmness

Even if you're in the center, you never see someone's in a real hurry or running. It seems like people enjoying their walk. Rivne has its own energy. And I like it! 

3. Running into each other

Rivne is about running into old friends on the streets. The possibility of the accidental meeting with familiar faces is really high. You  have to be prepared for a 5-15 minutes talk about your life.

4. Beautiful Girls

They say, the most beautiful ukrainian girls are from Rivne. I'm not sure if it's true, but we do have lots of beautiful girls in the city ( in the streets, restaurants, clubs ). 

This fact makes our men proud and our girls flattered. 

5. Greenery

I LOVE natural greenery in Rivne. Almost every street, not to mention Shevchenko Park, Naberezhna, Basivkut, Lebedynka are covered with acres and acres of raw beauty. 
Just take a look! It's where I find my greatest joy and creativity.

6. Homeless Dogs

For the last year our city became full of homeless animals, mostly dogs. 

Before I go out, I always try to take some dog food with me. 

Sometimes I have time to stop and watch an animal closely... 

As Eckhard Tolle wrote in his book “Guardians of Being” - “ Just watching an animal closely can take you out of your mind and bring you into the present moment, which is where the animal lives all the time – surrendered to life.”

That's probably one of the reasons we love our dogs as much as we do...

7. Burshtyn ( amber )

Rivne is famous for its amber, which is produced here. Pictures, portraits, necklaces, bracelets, earrings... You can buy all that in Rivne stores. 

8. “Riven” ( beer )

“Riven” Beer Factory in Rivne exists since 1849! Our men know, what they are talking about. It has to be tasted!

9. Pomidory po-rivnensky

The popular cold dish in every single restaurant of Rivne. Tomatoes with cheese, mayonnaise and garlic. 

For the years of my life here, I noticed one thing :

people love Rivne. 

People, who live in Rivne – love Rivne, people, who come to visit Rivne – love Rivne.  

I think, it's all about inspiration and how you choose to see your city. 

It's about taking a moment to find the beauty, that really all around us. 

Just keep your eyes open and you'll find it in the most unexpected places. 

Even here in a not so big ukrainian city, called Rivne. 

Dedicated to my city of  Rivne....

Then, now, forever.