Overnight Train, Odessa to Kiev

~ A bittersweet departure

The train accommodations were great. We had a first class compartment which consisted of 2 little beds and tiny table. That is Victor who helped lug our bags to the train and Roma was helping stow them. Also a shot of the kids in the van on the way to the train.

Although I was excited to finally be on the last leg of my journey home, it was bittersweet leaving Odessa. When we first arrived I couldn’t wait to leave. Now I had grown to know the city ~ and it is a beautiful city. So rich in history. Also I was leaving the people I had come to know and especially hard was to say bye to our facilitator, Roma who had done so much for us. He was our “lifeline” while we were there. He’s the one that I call responsible for making me a “mom”. He told me what to do with the kids and what not to do. What to feed them, and lots of other information. So with tears in my eyes, we waived good bye as we pulled out of the station.

I was in for a real treat after that! You think kids that are normally in bed and asleep by 8 p.m. would be exhausted by 10. Well forget about it! That compartment was like a mini circus for them. They were clearly excited! I was worried we’d be dropped of at the next stop. Well about 1 (or maybe 2) in the morning I couldn’t take it anymore. So out came the Benedryl. Thank goodness, because 45 minutes later they were sound asleep. Now you would think that 2 little bodies won’t take a lot of room on the beds ~ well I was wrong about that as well. Lauren is all over the place so I scooted onto Donnie’s side. I had about a 2 foot section and even at that I was kicked about every 10 minutes.

When we pulled into Kiev at 7:30 a.m. our compartment looked like a tornado had torn through it. Our driver Tola was great; he came right on to the train and helped get me, the kids and all the bags out.

Off he took us to the American Medical Facility for the kids exams/medicals and then to the US Embassy for the remainder of our paperwork, Visa’s, etc. It was a long time at the Embassy. We didn’t get out of there until 3:30 that afternoon. Then it was a quick drop at our apartment in Kiev. The apartment was great; just off Independence square. It was starting to feel like civilization again!