Happiness

by Khrystyna Novostavska (Ukraine)

I didn't expect to find Malta

That what the most beautiful sunset in our life. Not because we were looking at the sea at the highest point of the island and could see African and Europa at the same time. But because we were young, free and full of adventures. We woke at 6 am. It was a big moving day. We didn't want to leave our accommodation, it was very cosy and we have spent one of the best moments of our youth there. We were telling terrifying stories and then all six sleeping on the same couch because we were too scared to sleep alone. We did morning routine looking at the sun rising on Valetta. We were singing karaoke even though none of us could actually sing and laughing as much as we never realised we can. But that was time time to leave. We signed a goodbye note and danced our goodbye dance. Everyone did their own ritual to come back. Someone flushed coin, another forgot socks on a balcony on purpose. And finally, we were out on the way to our new home. Today was our last day on Malta and we had our plane late at night. On our way to the airport, we stopped near Maltese Victoria lines. This is a tiny analogue of Chinese Great wall across Maltese mountains. We changed two buses and walked many kilometres with heavy backpacks to get there. When we saw it we were not impressed at all. But still, it was not a bad spot to have lunch. While eating sandwiches I thought what a spoiled generation we are. It is next to impossible to impress us. We'd seen already so many things that forgot how to enjoy our everyday life, and not to dream about something better every minute. Anyway, after sharing opinions we decided to walk across the wall, hoping that there would be something nice. And what we found had exceeded all the expectation. Going up to the peak we noticed many sheep and goats eating grass. Af course as Millenials we couldn't miss the chance to take photos with them. And when we already made enough content for our followers to be jealous, we saw an old man and 6 small puppies. Puppies were black, one of them didn't have an eye and they were running all over the man. He seemed to appear from nowhere. But at the time there was a feeling that he was sitting here all this time. Tiny, with an ever-lasting smile, green eyes and red cheeks at that moment he embodied all the good things in the world. We tried to talk to him in all the languages we know, even googled some Maltese phrases. He didn't understand us. But you know what. He didn't need to. With his teethless smile and cuddling the dogs, he gave us such a lot of food for thoughts. Look. He doesn't have a phone and he doesn't know about likes and comments, he never heard of celebrities or 10 rules of success. But he showed us, that even in the dirty ugly sweater, all pooped by his dogs, with the bunch of sheep and goats you can feel happier, than, millions of us every day in the perfect conditions. We were astonished and influenced by him more than by anything in our life before! After that, we went to the big rock which we thought is the perfect spot to take a break and thought about what we've just experienced. We spread our peanut butter on bananas and met the most beautiful sunset in our life, Not because we were looking at the see in the highest point of the island and could see Africa and Europa at the same time. But because we were young, free and finally found the secret of happiness. And, by the way, we were late for our plane. And that's where a new adventure started. But this story is for the next time!