Have you ever seen them? The photographs of beautiful Ukrainian women? Long hair and long legs, smoky eyes backed by crystal intelligence. They are James Bond starlets in high heeled shoes and sultry looks.
There's a romantic cliche that says, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away". And it is a lovely phrase, great symbolism and poetic intent. But how many of you have really had those moments?
How about even one?
I distinctly remember standing on a corner of Kiev, simply agog. My brain was trying to absorb the overwhelming reality of hundreds of these starlets walking in every direction.
Like it was normal.
Laughing with girlfriends, holding hands with their guys, walking purposefully to some meeting, being photographed in front of the fountain or stopping in front of an ice cream vendor. All in heels, short skirts, or thigh high boots, jeans or suit pants. I was stunned, gaping in an autistic overload of stimulus. Until at some point, my need for oxygen finally won out, and I began to breath again. This was my first moment...there have been several others.
But I get ahead of myself.
You can call me Joe. Or Friday. That's right, Joe Friday, after the fictional crime fighter of the 1950's. And while the name is an obvious mask, the person behind the mask is real. And the adventure is real too. The triumphs and the trials, the hopes and dreams, the hard lessons and the easy ones...this is my exploration of finding love on the other side of the world. The story isn't over yet, but it has a beginning and a middle, and perhaps by the time you catch up to me, it will have an end. And in the meantime we will get to know one another. If just a little.
And maybe along the way, my thoughts and experiences will help you on your own journey. Or perhaps it will simply satisfy your curiousity. Or maybe you will simply find it entertaining. Whatever your reasons, thanks for being here...
JF.
