Happy New Year!

What better way to start the new year than with a blog post? This morning I went on a walk with a dog I'm sitting. I was surprised at how many people were out! It was a beautifully sunny albeit icy day. And it was great watching all of the people and having them watch us. This dog is absolutely beautiful! We get a lot of attention when we're out and about. I kind of like it. He's a Vizslas dog, which is a breed that originated from Hungary. Gorgeous GORGEOUS dog! Here, let me show you:

Is that not a majestically beautiful dog? That's what I thought. So needless to say we get a lot of attention. People commenting on how beautiful...people staring, watching, gawking...and of course wishing they had a dog as beautiful as him. Just kidding. But maybe. I know I wish I had one. So today we were walking and passed some of the great sites in Kiev. St. Sophia's and St. Michael's cathedrals. Like I said there were lots of people around, so it made it especially fun. Well on our way home, just as we were passing St. Sophia's, my walking companion spotted a pigeon. This pigeon was perched ever-so-comfortably on a windowsill, definitely too high to jump to, but just low enough to tease the dog. So like a statue he stood. As streams of people walked by they would glance at me, and then they'd notice the dog, poised to attack. Quickly looking in the direction he was intently staring they'd see our pigeon friend and smile. Some would just smile and walk on, some would stop and watch for a bit, intrigued by the scene, some would snap photos with their fancy cameras(I felt like I was being paparazzi'd), but always ALWAYS they would smile. Even more entertaining was that every few minutes he would ever so slowly tiptoe a inch closer. These were the best moments. Everyone would literally stop in their tracks, inhale, and hold their breath while he moved, anticipating his attack. There were literally walking traffic jams. In the meantime, I'm laughing so hard that I'm crying, because I've been watching this for 20 minutes. The dog, with his patience. The people and their reactions. And the bird, surely laughing inside and saying, "Neener neener, you can't get me!". And me knowing deep down that he won't attack, he'll barely even move. Oh how I love people! I love watching them, I love reading them, I just love them...simply love them! I will not tell you that people here don't smile on the streets, because they do. BUT it's not like it is anywhere else that you're used to (aka America). Smiles are reserved for friends, not strangers. People mind their own business and 95% of the time just keep walking. So this spectacle...so much attention and SO many smiles, was a beautiful sight. I love Ukraine so much. And I'm so grateful for today's experience for reminding me of that, because sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves and in our own stuff that its hard to appreciate how awesome our lives really are. I think it was a perfect way to start the new year. Hope your's was as great as mine. Best of wishes to all of my loved ones(so all of you) this new year. May it bring you the happiness, balance, peace, joy, love, fun, and adventure you desire. Thanks for being a part of my life and for shaping who I am today! <3