Hi, I’m John Schmelig—aka Johnny Ukraine—a Peace Corps community development volunteer who served in, you guessed it, Ukraine.
What brought me here? Well, in 2016 I turned the big 5-0. That milestone age that prompts us to re-evaluate and re-examine our lives. For a couple years leading up to 50, I constantly wondered what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I’d been living in Los Angeles for 23 years, nearly all of them in the same one-bedroom apartment. I worked as an advertising copywriter and internet marketing specialist, and loved to surf, but things had gotten stale. I needed a change of scenery. I wanted to shake things up.
While checking out Facebook during a slow day at a temp job, I came across a former coworker’s post showing his acceptance letter to the Peace Corps. What an adventure, I thought. Mention the Peace Corps to anyone and their response usually is, “Oh, I always thought I’d like to do that!” Well, as a bachelor with no kids and no debt, I thought, what the heck? I could do something out of the ordinary like that. Serving in the Peace Corps could change my life’s course; or at least give me some interesting stories to tell.
In June 2019, I completed my 27-month commitment. It was every bit the adventure I was looking for. Taking that leap, traveling halfway around the world, immersing myself in Ukraine and doing a small part in being of service is something I’m very proud of. This is my first blog—something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Come along for the ride and enjoy.
Thanks for reading,
Johnny Ukraine