I started watching this guy named Dan about a year ago on his YouTube channel after seeing one of his videos shared on Reddit that was a tour of his apartment in Russia.
I was fascinated.
Dan was wanting to make videos about what life is like where he lives in Russia while using the English that he had taught himself and wanted to improve upon so he could one day travel the world.
Eventually, his wife joined in on the videos, and they simply showed what life was like in their neighborhood, countryside, and just everyday life. Shopping at the mall, getting groceries, building his own house, and even starting a family.
Did you know that gas lines run above ground in Russia? Because I do now.
Dan’s stories and insights hit that spot in my heart that drives me to see more and more of the world that is as basic to the notion of driving to the end of a road just to see what’s there.
And then the invasion of Ukraine happened.
Dan’s content was a little hard to take at the beginning of the war from my perspective. It wavered along some perceived indifference to the conflict but still offered some valid insight on how their cost of living was being effected while steering clear of any viewpoints that could get them into trouble.
But one thing that is for certain is that his heart has no room for anyone or anything that goes against the notion of love and peace. On that, we could find some common ground.
And since this war has started, I’ve found other creators who offer similar insights from their various perspectives. Many of them have made their way out of Russia, some before and some after mobilization.
But I keep checking back on Dan and his family as new content appears, especially since his daughter turned one around the same time that Ukraine was invaded.
His recent content has been getting more downtrodden, and the latest (embedded at the bottom of this post) has a real sense of despair that has come over him.
He will be leaving Russia with his family. They will soon buy tickets and see where they can go, if they are not stopped at the airport. He doesn’t know. No one knows. All they can do is try.
At the end of the video, he said something that I wanted to transcribe because it’s something that I hold in my heart as well. It’s something we all need to believe.
The bright side will win.
The dark side is more easier to live in the dark side. In dark side, people can be very rich, very powerful because they have contract with major general and their life can be easier.
But in bright side, you can keep you soul. You can save your soul. And your heart.
The most expensive thing in this world is your soul.
Don’t trade your soul.
