There are some cultural differences between Ukrainian and Americans. One that is very apparent is the American’s tendency to smile more. Smiling and drinking some beers at a bar in Kyiv, I easily stuck out. But I wasn’t the only one smiling.
Across the bar was a Polish girl named Gosia with a radiant smile. I knew I had to introduce myself. One good thing about being in another country where you don’t speak the local language is when you run into someone who speaks your language fluently it’s an easy conversation starter.
As soon as I approached her and started speaking English her face lit up. She told me how she spoke 5 different languages as part of being a flight attendant and was just staying one night in Kyiv. Our conversations went on and on for hours as we drank and kept our eyes on each other. Her light brown eyes stared at me with excitement as I told her about my life and travels, to the point where the “find some who looks at you the way so and so does” memes popped in my head.