When we travel we often stop to buy local produce. This roadside fruit vendor offered the most luscious berries including wild strawberries the smallest tastiest ones. We negotiated a price and went on our way. It was hard not to snack before we got back to town to wash them!

The Kyiv Metro is the first rapid transit system in Ukraine. Riding the metro itself is a joy and its interior is amazing: decorated elaborately, it shows the postwar Stalinist architecture blended with traditional Ukrainian motifs. It has one of the deepest stations in the world, Arsenalna at 105.5 metres below ground. The best part is, a single ride costs only 2.00 hryvnia which is less than a quarter in the United States.

Last summer I took a trip to Kiev, Ukraine. We went to help run summer camps for children just outside of Chernobyl that have nothing. They live in villages that are declared safe to live in yet the government doesn't allow them to sell any of the food they grow. This is the same food they find themselves eating on a daily basis. The highlight of my trip was just to see how much fun and joy these children could have despite their circumstances. When you witness something like that it changes something inside you. You begin to wonder if all that you have is really worth it.

Andriyivskyy Descent is one of the best known historic streets and a major tourist attraction in Kiev. Saint Andrew's Church is in the background. Dark green dome with decorative spires decorated with ornamental details made this Church a landmark in this historic Podil neighborhood.

The wooden spiral staircase which leads to the hostel I stayed in Brasov. It was pretty creepy as I walked up to get to the hostel; squeaky sounds crept out as if the staircase was telling me how much pain it was in.