Michelle Kwan blogs for the U.S. Department of State 

Wow, I can't believe my week in Ukraine has already come to an end; time really flew by! I met some of the nicest people, saw some amazing places, shopped (ok, so that's my secret vice), and had some wonderful meals. It will be great to spend some time at home and catch up with my family, but the trip was definitely worth the time and effort.

So, what were the highlights? Well, one of them had to be the lunch we had at the school in Bakhchiseray. When the embassy told me where we would be eating, I had visions of stereotypical horrible cafeteria food. Instead, we were treated to the best of Tatar cuisine, with wonderful fresh vegetables, delicious soup, and fresh bread. As was true everywhere we went, the teachers, students, and administrators were tremendously welcoming - in this case it made the perfect dessert.

I also really enjoyed the chance to meet with the FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange) Alumni. These are kids who have spent a year in the U.S. on a U.S. government sponsored high school exchange program. I met with FLEX alumni in Kyiv at the reception Ambassador Taylor held in my honor, and again in Odesa on my last full day in Ukraine (my super interpreter, Sasha, was also a FLEXer). One of the things that gets stressed while the FLEXers are in the U.S. is the idea of community service, and the alumni that I met in both Kyiv and Odesa were actively bringing this tradition to Ukraine. In fact, in Odesa I was privileged to participate in an activity with the FLEXers, in which young orphans (they ranged in age from five to twelve) were brought to an Odesa ice skating rink for a couple of hours of fun and attention. The FLEXers work regularly with these orphans, playing with them and working with them as much as possible. I was only able to spend an hour with the children, helping them learn to navigate across the ice, but we all had a lot of fun. One little boy in particular captured a piece of my heart! I am firmly convinced that these FLEXers are going to be among Ukraine's future leaders. This is a great program; it advances mutual understanding and respect among people, which I think is so important in making the world a better place.

It wasn't just the FLEX group, however, that impressed me. I got to meet with high school students and university students from around Ukraine, and I was consistently impressed by their curiosity, their positive spirit and energy, and their enthusiastic welcome. One of my goals as an American Public Diplomacy Envoy is to share my personal story and hopefully inspire others through it. In Ukraine I really feel like I connected with young people; not just skaters, but everyone who is trying to attain their dream - whether it be in sports, academics, or in achieving personal goals.

Michelle Kwan ice skates with a young orphan as part of a FLEX Alumni community service program

One of the things I tried to do during my time in Ukraine was to dispel some myths about Americans. But it works both ways. The people that I met the past week also hope that I will be able to dispel some myths about Ukraine to the people of the United States. For the record, I saw no bears running down the streets.

The World Figure Skating Championships are coming up, and I look forward to seeing some of the Ukrainian skaters compete in Los Angeles. Hopefully I'll also meet some of the other people I met in Ukraine as we travel through this world together. Truly, I had a wonderful time and want to thank the State Department in general, and the people at the embassy in Kyiv in particular for all the work they did to make this trip a success. I hope I made a little bit of a difference.

Content was made available to the USOC by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Read more about Michelle's adventures in her role as an American Public Diplomacy Envoy.