Home Away from Home

I have only traveled outside of the United States a handful of times. And outside of home, the only country I have traveled to more than once, is Ukraine.

My senior summer, I traveled with my church for a few weeks on a trip with my evangelical Baptist church. We created a pantomime skit of The Pilgrim's Progress, learned basic Ukrainian phrases, and children's songs. We bought long skirts to be respectful of the older babushkas, crammed our luggage with jars of fluff - because we were told it was a village favorite. And in that summer, I fell in-love with Ukraine.

The following summer, I went with a much smaller group - only four of us. And this time, we packed medicine and school supplies. Essentially curriers to bring these items. We stayed in a village so small, I can't even remember it's name now. The roads were dirt - and most people walked...unless they had a motorcycle with a sidecar. The hot water for showers came from throwing a live extension cord into a bucket of water on top of an outside shower head. We watched 20 people get baptized in a river within walking distance from the church. We drank compote and ate potato soup. And were were cherished by the families we encountered and in turn, we cherished them right back.

And a third time, I traveled again to Ukraine with Doctors Without Borders. I went with others from my college and we performed musical numbers for schools and churches as thank-yous and to advertise the medical services we could help provide. I checked people's temperatures as they waited in line for our chiropractors to adjust them. And it was my worldview that was adjusted.

These trips transformed my life. I'd never known such hospitality - such kindness. I was enamored by the art, the history, the architecture. I saw women on the street carrying flower bouquets upside down - and I've carried them that way ever since. Most of what I learned and remember is intangible - something I couldn't possibly put into words. And for these past few days, it is these memories that have flooded my mind. And I wish I could do something, anything to change the events of these past few days. Because this place, this country, these people are someone else's home.