There, not here

About 9 million Ukrainian refugees have left the country because of the full-scale war since February 24, 2022. What are their lives like now? Do they miss home? Can they be happy? All these questions have been raised in my head worrying about refugees. I know I can't understand their feelings as I have never been in their boots but at least I got some perspective on it. I have never left the country as a refugee, but I have the experience of living in another country during the war. And this is tough. I lived in Italy for 1 month studying Visual Storytelling at ICP/CAMERA Masterclass. Even though I was happy to have the opportunity to attend the masterclass and to study there, I struggled with a lot of emotional problems. I was living a double life.I was always listening to the news from Ukraine, worrying about my relatives and friends who are living in the country of war, and reading about people who are dying there while I am here. It’s overwhelming but you can’t do anything with it. You can't focus on you being in a safe place. For 1 month I was photographing a peaceful city but there was war inside of me. Wherever you go, the war follows you. As long as it continues.