From Ukraine

It was pouring, and my red jacket was completely wet. I stayed near the bus station and waited for him. His plane should have arrived an hour ago, but he was still out there. Vienna welcomed us with a rainy smile. Its streets shimmered under the heavy rain, making the city even more wonderful.

He came. Our meeting was so unusual and exciting that I hardly remember how he was dressed. Alex was so shy that he even forgot to kiss me. Our date was special. It was the first time we ever met in person. Our relationship started at a big distance. I had lived in Ukraine, and he was in the USA. After six months of chatting, we decided to meet in Vienna. We had a long trip to get to this place, but it was so cute to be together that nothing around us mattered. We caught a taxi and went to the hotel. When we arrived at the hotel, we found out that we couldn't stay there until 3 p.m. because of check-in rules. So, we had to go outside with our big bags and find a place to stay until this time. The weather was awful. We decided to find a restaurant, have a meal, and wait there until the rain stopped.

At that moment, we hadn't yet realized that finding the place would be a problem. Our hotel was located downtown, so we looked for a restaurant around there. We walked around for about an hour and couldn't find a place. Most of the restaurants were closed, and for the rest, you had to make a reservation for another time.

I was upset. I wondered why our first date had been so complicated. We waited for this meeting for almost six months. And now when we finally met, we were wet and tired in downtown Vienna and couldn't find any place to stay. It felt like everything that could possibly go wrong, did. He looked at me with bewildered eyes, trying to put on an expression that everything was under control. I felt he was nervous but he did his best to hide it. Despite the situation, he tried to make me smile. He told me that no matter what the weather was, it was the happiest day because he had met me.

He kissed my hand and said, "Look at me, you are so beautiful when you smile. Make me happy by doing it again."

I looked at him with sad eyes and whispered, "I'm so wet and exhausted, I can't smile right now. Find a way to resolve it. I just hope we can rest today." He hugged me and we kept going.

It took some time before we finally found a small pizzeria. We ate Hawaiian pizza and drank apple juice. I wouldn't say it was delicious, but it was a good snack for us. After a little break, we started our search again.

Eventually, we found a small Arabic restaurant that didn't need a reservation. We ordered grilled salmon and mashed potatoes with vegetable salad. It smelled tasty but the salmon didn't have enough salt. That was surprising because most places served dishes with plenty of spice. We stayed there as long as we needed, then went to the hotel, checked in, and relaxed until evening. In the evening, we walked downtown. On that day, there were a lot of people on the streets. They gathered near the big clock and were waiting for something. We could only guess what would happen when the clock's hands hit 12. We were a bit disappointed when the clock hit and nothing happened.

Then we walked around and found a marvelous restaurant with tasty food and a friendly waiter. I was impressed when the waiter began to speak Russian. It gave me more confidence and I had a funny conversation with him. The dishes were large and beautifully crafted. This restaurant became my favorite place, and for the entire two days, we ate only there.

We promised each other we would return here someday, and I hope that day comes soon. I wish for sunny days, so we can wander through the city, explore its beautiful places, and enjoy the fresh air together. I told him that the next time we might stay here for a couple of weeks. It would be plenty of time to see all the interesting spots and have unforgettable romantic dates. He told me that we would order tickets whenever I wanted, and it didn't matter how much it would cost. I was pleased with this answer and we continued our journey. The next stop was Eau Claire.