Home again, home again...

The trip from Ukraine to Minnesota went really well, once I got on the train I had a panic attack because I realized I hadn’t packed my air ticket. :P Thankfully I knew that I had printed it out and then I remembered that I had picked up this paper with some receipts form my India trip and stuffed them in my suitcase and so I checked it out right away and it was my ticket! Phew. So then I went to sleep right away and slept until we got into Kyiv basically. Once I dropped my stuff off at the kamera (baggage storage) I popped in McD’s for bathroom, drinks and a cheeseburger (which I really wasn’t hungry for, but it was the principle of the thing, and I was really glad for it later). I had checked the time for when the Polit buses leave to the airport and there as one at 7:55 and one at 8:15, so I planned on going on one of those.

It actually only took me about 20 minutes from the train station to the Consolariat, but of course that wasn’t from the train platform. Got the invitation for my visa no problems and went back off to the train station. There was a polit but that was leaving in 15 minutes, so I reserved my spot and to the driver’s dismay (he didn’t think I would make it back in time) ran off to get my stuff. I made it back without any problems and so was off to the airport at 7:20! I was able to check in right away and then I just hung out on my computer for a few hours. J My plane was half an hour late, but we arrived in NY just fine and boy is JFK a mess! I think they’ve changed the layout of it and now you have to go through security another time and it basically just means more lines and more confusion. On the other hand the people are very helpful!

Anyway, I had to change terminals, but I was able to check my baggage right away and then I was able to walk over to the other terminal, which was nice because it was warm and of course it felt good to walk. My second flight was late taking off because of a traffic jam on the airstrip. :P But we ended up arriving on time anyway. I only slept for a couple of hours on my second flight and not at all on my first one, so I wasn’t feeling to good by the time I made it back, but that was ok. My friend Shannon and her husband, Greg, met me at the airport and took me home, where I was met by two of my roommates (I now have three, I just can’t keep up with all these things). It was great to see them again and be back with my stuff. It is absolutely amazing how much a person can live without and barely miss!