Hope

@NormanBehrendt

In autumn 2014, I made a big roadtrip together with four friends of mine from Berlin, through the Balkan countries, Rumania, Turkey to Georgia, Aserbaidschan and Armenia and Ukraine. A few months before we started this roadtrip the situation in Ukraine has changed radically, which made it impossible to follow our initial plan to make a Black Sea roundrip by land. So we took an alternative route - crossing the Black Sea from Batumi in Georgia to Odessa in Ukraine - by a cargo ferry that transported mostly Georgian and Ukrainian trucks their drivers and ca. 50 cargo rail waggon. I remember the strange feeling while watching the water and talking to my friends about the geopolitical situation of this region, knowingly that just few months before the Crimean Peninsula was invaded and annexed by the Russian federation in the aftermaths of the Maidan revolution and by this breaking international laws that safeguarded the territorial integrity of Ukraine. A feeling that settled for many years until now... When we arrived in Odessa we were warmly welcomed into the house of the mom of my friend @apl315_. She hosted us like family members. This is now 8 years ago and since then the situation got worse and worse as we all know from the news from the last days. This picture is taken in the streets of Odessa in 2014. A woman holding 3 balloons in her hand that resemble the Ukrainian flag. She is waiting for someone. For whom we don't know. A hopeful moment. Hope for freedom. Hope for peace. Hope for Ukraine.