Ukraine is a country with a long history of wars and occupation.  Within my grandparent’s lifetime, Stalin nearly wiped the country out by starvation and the Communist regime instilled fear and suspicion into the Ukraine's once-vibrant culture.  On top of that, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster still hangs over them like a shroud, haunting their every living moment.  Having been fascinated with post-Soviet Europe since my freshman year in high school, I jumped on an opportunity to see it for myself in the year 2000.  Three of my dental school classmates and I joined with our leaders from Washington State to give dental care to the under-served children in Ukrainian orphanages.  As students, we naively entered the country and experienced a huge culture shock, government red-tape, and an older generation suspicious of what we smiling Americans were up to. Read More...

Tags: Ukraine