Silent Conversations

Every so often the longing to get back out there and roam around hits me. This is one of those times. I know I've said it before. And I know I'll say it again. I really want to go somewhere. Road trip, airplane trip. Somewhere. Perhaps the longing has hit me because it seems that spring has finally sprung. After enduring the bitterest and most snowiest winter in my life, warmth has once again showed itself. And with the arrival of spring, the desire of going somewhere, anywhere, has come back full force. One day, one day I'll discover the little coffee shop where I'm certain my literary aspirations will come to being. One day I'll meet people with interesting stories, with lives and  backgrounds so different from my own. To sit down and talk and talk and talk about nothing in particular. I had one such moment a few years ago. Accept she didn't speak English. And I didn't speak Hungarian. She was such a sweet little tiny babushka woman. Hand gestures helped us. And our Bibles. I think she understood that we were traveling to Africa from Hungary, on a missions trip. She was the most joyful little thing. Sweetest blue eyes, and happiest smile on her pudgy wrinkled face. Sometimes you don't need to understand each others language to have a conversation. And in that train car bound for Budapest, we had a conversation without words.

I love history, and I love different cultures. I love site seeing. I love wandering museums, roaming cities, all the while sipping wretched little shots of coffee, in instant caffeine jolt. There is one thing for certain about Ukraine and their coffee. If you get straight up coffee, you get a dixie cup half full of brown liquid, that will instantly have the same effect downing 3 energy drinks. I only drink their real coffee if I have to. I always get the shakes, and can't sit still for anything after I drink it. The worst was drinking it right before driving to Slovakia. Cooped up in a car for several hours without being able to let off my excess energy is awful. My foot tapped. When it quit my hands tapped. It always gives me an extreme case of the jitters.

If you ever travel to Ukraine, Slovokia or Hungary, take my advice and always order Cafe Americano. It will not run you the risk of a heart attack.