Almost home

Hey everyone!

I wanted to post that were in Chicago now. (Almost home) BUT - we ARE back in the states. Whew! What a relief. What an adventure. Katie and I have commented a few times that we are different people than we were a week ago... on so many levels. I have hundreds of stories to share. Realistically, it'll be about 8 weeks before we go back to Russia to get Zac. Additionally, there won't be a lot to before that time. (Other than wait) Therefore, I'll have a lot of fun blogging "Stories of the Day".

I have about 15 minutes before we board our the plane, so I'll start with this one.

Our first flight this morning (which was actually, yesterday afternoon for the rest of you) was an interesting one. Let's just say that the Russian FAA is a little different than the United States. First of you you have to remember than we were in the Novokuznetsk region which really is a remote place. Their airport has one runway strip and there is grass and weeds growing through the cracks. (Making for a bumpy take off) When we got on the (extremely) old plane, I noticed that they didn't have a baggage compartment per se. Instead, they just have open shelves. Therefore, if turbulance comes along, you are wise to cover your head and watch out for falling luggage. Fortunately, the flight was smooth, so my worries were not needed. Additionally, the No-Smoking signs are apparently optional in Russia. About 1/2 way through the flight, Katie and I both looked at each other and said, "Do I smell smoke?" Needless to say, this is usually a question that you don't want to have to ask when flying. Shortly thereafter, I went to the back to use the bathroom and quickly realized where the smoke smell was coming from. I guess that tampering with smoke detectors is not a federal offense like it is here.

Oop! Our plane is boarding. Check back later.

(No time to proofread)