Katya and Her (Not Yet) First Kiss

*THIS POST IS FROM A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. I FOUND IT IN MY UNPUBLISHED BLOG SCRAPS FROM MY STUDY ABROAD TRIP AND THOUGHT I'D MAKE A FEW EDITS AND SHARE FOR A LAUGH. ENJOY! Feel free to read my old posts (they are pretty brief) for context.*

I was originally going to entitle this "Katya and Her First Kiss," but then I took into account that my parents read this blog to keep up to date on my study abroad experiences, and that I value my father not having a heart attack more than the shock factor and possibility of an increase in viewership.  That being said, a implacable need for truth and strong regard for my father's health compel me to disclose at this point that I have NOT had my first kiss. It has, however, now come-up as a topic of conversation* in two situations while abroad here in Spain.

The first occasion was at drinks after dinner with my flatmates and a couple new acquaintances. I cannot recall what precipitated my revealing this little fact about myself**, nor can I quite explain the measure of gratification one feels when the topic of conversation swerves suddenly from people "casually" (read: competitively) comparing how experienced they are in romantic relationships to immediate collective incredulity with one's flagrant admonition of rare innocence at 21 years of age (among one's peers, nonetheless).

Looks of concern, surprise, and dubious curiosity preceded exclamations of amazement, pity, and confusion. The odd mixture of reactions, from "...uhh," "I respect that," "What?! Really?," to "I can change that..."  were priceless. I followed this with reassurances of my desire to remain unkissed until I was actually in a deep and meaningful relationship and that my lips had been preserved thus quite intentionally, although to the occasional chagrin of my own sentimental and romantic nature.

The second situation where I shared my lack of snogging experience was more contrived. We were playing a game of "I have never..." and, having just witnessed the delicious social confusion caused by such an admission the night before, I took it upon myself to use the game as a trolling rematch. Once again, reactions were various and entertaining. I have since been told by my flatmates that I need to avoid such speeches, lest I find myself seized by the nearest male and smooched after my next declaration. I think I will take their advice, as such threats were made upon both occasions.***

Footnotes for the Gainfully Employed
*To those of you who bother with my footnotes, I feel must own to the fact that making these revelations is mostly due to my own mischievous desire to shock my friends and acquaintances by my utter lack of debauchery on a trip where so many enjoy bragging about how "adventurous" they have been in amorous matters. I tended to take advantage of the topic of romance and incorporate my revelation when it was not precisely called for. Nonetheless, I think that it's only fair that if I have nothing shocking of a salacious nature to share, I have earned the right to enjoy the satisfaction of shocking people with my innocence.
**I think it may have started with the two guys who were with us commenting that I should kiss the bartender, since I had supposedly annoyed him earlier with my delay in choosing a beverage.
***While these offers/threats never cease to be both flattering and entertaining, the idea of wasting my first kiss on an unfamiliar, if well-meaning, guy is not satisfactory for my idealistic, romantic self. Always appreciate the offer, though.