It was a rough week prior to this trip, a lot of things happening outside of my control and I was very much looking forward to this trip with my three companions. But, as the universe, which was apparently conspiring relentlessly against me would have it, due to a comedy of errors, my friends never made it to the train. So there I was already shaking my head at what life was doing to me up to that point, and now I’m on the train alone heading to a city in Western Ukraine, that try as I might, I just couldn’t pronounce the name correctly of. Train staff, knowing I couldn’t understand Russian, though try as they may, they never gave up trying to drill it into me with their questions of curiosity, asking me where my other 3 friends are, as I am sitting with 4 tickets. They let me hang out of the train door until the very last minute for departure, in the vain hopes that I would see one of my friends running to the platform. Never happened. And they just shook their heads and continued to speak Russian at me.

Once their curiosity subsided and they realized they had jobs to do on the journey, they left me alone at my berth to lie down and contemplate what the f**k was happening to me…

Not one to complain, I just accepted that what had happened to me that week and that night…was happening for a reason and I needed to pay attention. The universe must have gifted me with the solo journey for me to get my shit together and to accept that things happen out of my control and I should never take anything for granted.

I’m well on my way to learning that lesson.

29mar15. Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine.