Mr. Na and I will board a train tonight bound for Kiev, leaving Pa and Audri behind.  I’m very sad to leave them but I know they’ll follow in a few short days.  Pa needs to finish out the ten day waiting period and then get Audri’s new birth certificate, passport and visa.

I’ve come down with the flu and so life here in Kramatorsk has been pretty rough.  I’ve spent a few days in the apartment, taking massive doses of Ukrainian cold medicine and feeling sad I’m not able to go to the orphanage to spend some time with Audri.  But I know getting on a train and a plane with a bad cold is far worse than missing a few days, and I’d rather be on the mend before I travel.

You may wonder how it is I’m actually able to buy the right cold medicine, given that Mischa, our translator, is back in Kiev.  The woman who we’re renting the apartment from is a doctor at the orphanage, though she doesn’t speak any English.  So we’ve phoned Mischa to tell her our symptoms and she phoned the doctor who gave us a list of recommended medicine with doses.  Mischa then called me back and told me how to take the five different kinds of pills.  They’ve been helping with my aches and pains, but not necessarily my stuffy head.  Thank goodness Ukraine has Theraflu as well!

Mr. Na is looking forward to coming home.  He misses life back in Seattle–namely, his toys, his friends and his routine.  I don’t blame him.  I miss those things too.  But what I’m not looking forward to is coming home and facing Oatie’s death.   Our house will not be the same without her.

Once we pull in to Kiev tomorrow morning, Mr. Na and I will go to the American Embassy where I can start the visa paperwork for Audri.  After that, we’ll have the rest of the day to sightsee.  Then on Friday morning, we board the plane home.  I’ll write more once I make it to Kiev.