Stories

When you travel, there is a kind of mind game that happens. The very first experience with a place becomes so deeply rooted in your memory that all the beautiful landscapes you see afterward seem to layer on top of it. You begin to compare everything — the places, the food, the atmosphere — to that first, unforgettable impression.

For me, it often happens with nature. The breathtaking views of the South of France, the hills of California, or any mountain landscape sometimes remind me of Crimea, Ukraine — where I spent parts of my childhood. Even though I understand that each landscape is unique, there is still a quiet nostalgia for that first beautiful connection with raw mountain nature.

And then, there are the people — the native Crimean Tatars families who welcomed us one summer. They treated us with such kindness and warmth, and I still remember the taste of fresh figs from their garden and the homemade fig jam I tried for the first time. Those memories are not just delicious — they are bright, vivid, and unforgettable.

- Karina