some statistics

Number of days spent in Ukraine: 7

Number of cities visited: ~11

Number of hostile encounters with local police: 2.5

Number of trains missed: 2

Number of times addressed as a boy: 2 (‘How old are you, lad?’  – while boarding a train; ‘You, boy, what do you think you’re doing?’ – for sitting on a windowsill)

Average temperature outside: 5C (41F)

Number of warm(ish) garments packed: 1.5

Cumulative weight of dirt removed from body and clothes upon return: ~725 pounds

Cumulative weight of bread eaten instead of food over the week: ~3 tons

Number of dubious compliments received from close ones: close to infinity

Number of laughs and amount of fun had on the trip: even closer to infinity

Number of photos brought back: ~320 (but, State of Flickr account: expired; Level of comfort with Picasa: zero)

Number of pages to study for one of three classes tomorrow: 30

Things missed most: privacy, sleep, local friends, bath products, razors, nail clippers, warm sweaters, clean jeans, the gym, real coffee, e-mail, J.S.Foer’s Everything is Illuminated, Will & Grace, my language classes

Things missed least: the other classes, the orthodontist, distance from friends, deadlines