Welcomed Wanderings

On Tuesday, still at Alla's place visiting, I awaited a call back from Joohee, whom I'd planned to visit in Sovetskiy. I was diligently cooking a meal of spaghetti carbonara and hamburgers for my hosts. They were ecstatic when I offered to cook something different for them. Most people in Ukraine have never had a real hamburger, for what passes as a hamburger here is usually a soggy bun with a disproportionately small piece of meat that is probably not beef with mayonnaise and sometimes some Korean style shredded carrots.

After a satisfying meal, I received a call back from Joohee, who said that it would be okay for me to come by that evening. Now my plans were solidifying. If there is one thing Ukraine has taught me, it is that plans fall through: sometimes the best plan is no plan. Alla and Sergei took me to the bus station where I could catch the bus to Sovetskiy.

A couple hours later I found myself in a small town with a population of about 9000. Joohee and I did some catching up and walked back to her apartment where there was a canning operation going on. I'd done it before but was in no place to be giving pointers on how to can properly. So she called over her sitemate Brad, who had canned some 60+ cans over the summer with his wife Bryn. We chatted, canned, and had some 미역국 (seaweed soup) with rice. I never really liked 미역국 but it was nice to have a small taste of home.

The next day Joohee and I decided to take a day trip to Новый Свет (Noviy Svet). Noviy Svet offers a beautiful hiking trail along the pristine sea among rock formations. They also boast a champagne factory that we didn't have time for.

The next day I'd finally leave for Kharkiv but as my train got in late, I had to run from the train station to the metro, which was probably the last one. Just then my phone died again and i had to rely on my memory (which of late has been pretty bad), to find my friend Zhenya's apartment where I'd be spending the night.
Zhenia is one of my close Ukrainian friends and though our meeting was somewhat haphazard this time around, it was most welcome. We'd catch up on our summers since ABC Camp over some mashed potatoes, chicken, and a little beer. It would be one more day before I make it back to my site.

Dasha biting into her first real American burger 

Dasha, Alla, and Sergei. Alla is my host mom's niece. 

At Noviy Svet. These trees are somehow growing on rocks.