“I love the nightlife”–thank you, Alicia Bridges

The nightlife of Lviv, Ukraine rivals any place in Europe, as far as I’m concerned. I have to admit that I have not been terribly involved in it this trip. I’ve been so occupied during the day, that I’m dead by the time I get home. Too, it doesn’t get dark here until about 10:00 p.m. which makes it hard if I want to take photos.

And take photos I did. Lviv residents impress me with their love of color, flowers, lighting and architecture. They know how to accent a building with colorful flowers spilling out of window boxes. Balconies adorn practically every building and I swear that no two balconies are alike. Makes me wonder if past Lviv residents were all fans of Romeo and Juliet.

Advertisement

“Well, the Ukraine girls really knock me out”–thank you, Beatles

Okay, so the title of this blog posting is a bit misleading. I’m not talking about Ukraine girls. But I am in Ukraine and I needed some sort of segue!

I arrived in Lviv Monday afternoon. The journey was arduous. I had taken the train from Ascoli Piceno, Italy to Bologna. The train was an hour and a half late arriving in Bologna–and I was standing the entire time. I had never been on an oversold train in Italy. I didn’t even know they existed. In Facebook postings to friends, I joked that I was developing Nixon disease–phlebitis.

“This is the end of the innocence”–thank you, Don Henley

I am sitting in the airport in Vienna, Austria. The Italy leg of my trip is over already and it feels weird. Historically, I have always spent a larger proportion of my time in Italy than anywhere else. Not this time.

While in Italy, I made it a point to visit Alba Adriatica, my home of one year in 2014-15. I had romantic memories of the place stored on my mental iCloud. Even though there were times I suffered severe loneliness and raged over the inefficiency of the Italian system, the images of that year are fond ones.

Buon giorno, Italia

I’ve been in Italy for several days and have not written much. Perhaps because I have not done much except relax and visit with my beloved cousin, Sergio with whom I only had two days.

Upon arriving in Turin, I made a quick dash for my hotel, Le Serre. Sergio recommended it as his parents had stayed there the previous week. I was enchanted. Only three hundred yards from his own apartment, the location was a country residence with fields surrounding it–smack dab in the middle of suburbia.

Hello, again

It has been almost six months since I last wrote. As I indicated months ago, I have not felt the need to write. I get requests to keep this blog going, but living an ordinary life in Portland, Oregon is not, to me, particularly interesting. Perhaps if I were featured in an episode of “Portlandia”, I might have something to say. That won’t happen as the show is ending.

I should mention that I lost a family member that I recently met in Europe. My beloved cousin, Zenovyi died on our Christmas day in Lviv, Ukraine. For anyone who followed this blog during my year in Europe, you might remember him.

“Livin’ in America”–thank you, James Brown

For the most part, my blog has dissipated into the wind. After returning from Europe, I felt I had nothing more to say about adoption, genealogy or living as an expat. I thought I had nothing to say at all. But the election has changed that.

“Hello, how are you? Have you been alright”?–thank you, ELO

It’s been six months since my last posting. I’m not sure what possessed me to write tonight.

I have to say that I have kind of missed this blog. It had been a friend for more than three years during perhaps the most exhilarating time of my life. It was my go-to place. Through this blog, I was able to chronicle the writing and and self-publishing my first book. I used it to discuss my decision to quit my job and pursue my book. And when I made the momentous decision to move to Europe to find my biological mother’s family for my next book, my blog was there.

Not a melancholy baby

Said goodbye to my beloved cousins last night. Maurizio and Daniela and their two children, Stefano and Celeste accompanied me to downtown Ascoli Piceno so I could once again revel in the beauty of my favorite place on earth. It was a warm (for me!) evening.

Published again!!

Rather than one of my normal postings, I’ve opted to copy and paste the link to an international adoption website that is running a series of articles written by those of us involved in adoption. Today my offering was published.

I first wrote for Portrait of an Adoption in 2014. The founder, Carrie Goldman, was impressed enough with my story and my writing to bump someone else and publish my essay during Thanksgiving weekend last year. This year she sought me out and requested another article.

I was immensely flattered. So, below is the link to the article. It is a more expansive take on an earlier blog posting I made that pretty much brings to a close, for me, the issue of adoption.

Carrie, thank you for your interest in my story, your faith in me and for your support. I look forward to working with you again.

http://www.chicagonow.com/portrait-of-an-adoption/2015/11/im-an-adoptee-and-im-complete/

All my bags are packed. I’m ready to go…

I bought my bus ticket tonight. <sigh>

It was heart-wrenching. I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional about leaving. I’m trying to remember every little detail, no matter how insignificant. Tonight while lifting weights, an expat from England I befriended, Deborah, asked me if I was sad

“Yes”, I answered.