One If By Land. Two If By Sea. Three If By Delta Airlines.

 

 

 

We knew it had to come to an end. All good things do. Right? We just wished it wouldn’t. 

 

Friday came and it was time for Kim and I to get on that big ole jet airliner and start heading back to Augusta.

 

It was a sad goodbye. Tears were suppressed. Hugs were exchanged. But they say, “What goes around comes around.”

 

After all, in two weeks, the Ukrainians were coming!

 

It was a long two weeks. For Kim and I, it was worse than being kids waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, combined with the last week of school before summer break. And you might as well throw in those days leading up to the family vacation to Disney World.

 

We were excited kids and the day of their arrival couldn’t have gotten here fast enough.

 

Soon, the day we had been waiting for, had finally come.

 

Kim and I waited at the airport for their plane to arrive. We watched anxiously as the plane made its way to the gate and the passengers started deplaning. People filtered out as we waited for our friends to appear. And we waited. And we waited. Just when we began wondering if they had missed the flight, we caught a glimpse of Anna. The rest weren't too far behind.

 

They were finally here.

 

The area between the terminal and baggage claim is no man's land. It may as well be the area that separates North Korea from South Korea. While Kim and I could see everyone, we couldn't run to greet them. We had to wait some more. 

 

And to make the wait even more agonizing, there was one more stop to be made before they officially crossed the border into Augusta. 

 

Anatoliy, being Anatoliy, gathered the group for a picture. He chose the statue in the middle of the terminal of golf great Ray Floyd as the backdrop for his picture. Kim and I chuckled. After 24 hours of traveling, they, or should I say Anatoliy, were in no rush to get out of the airport.

 

But they were here. And another good thing was about to begin again.