The story of this trip is quite funny to tell, but in the weeks leading up to us actually leaving, it was at times also very frustrating!
During our orientation meetings, we were told that we would have to leave the country briefly to secure our Ukrainian residence visas, and the company we work for would cover those travel expenses. We would be flown to Tbilisi, Georgia, have our hotel paid for, receive a per diem amount for food, be reimbursed for all visa costs, and then flown home. How wonderful! we thought.
Later, we heard a rumor that the school wouldn’t pay for our kids, only us. We quickly clarified that they would pay for our whole family to go.
Then we were told we could actually pick from five different locations: Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Austra; Bucharest, Romania; Krakow, Poland; or Tbilisi, Georgia. Wow! we thought. What if we met the Pauls in Budapest for a week! We started looking at ticket prices, only to find out that Ukraine and Hungary are not on the best of terms and that might cause us trouble at the Ukrainian embassy in Budapest.
We started thinking about Vienna, and how much fun we could have there, especially since the bigger expenses (flights and hotel room) would already be covered by the school. Then we were told that Vienna was off the table because of our large family and the cost of sending us there.
In fact, the best, and only, place for us to go for our visa trip was … Tbilisi, Georgia! Talk about full circle!
We also had a funny conversation with a distraught Theo, who told us how frustrated he was that we had promised to stay in Kyiv for many years before moving again, and now here we are, flying to Georgia! It took me a moment to realize that, in Theo’s experience, airplane = moving. I explained that most flights are only for short trips. He was excited to fly again, knowing that.
The school sent several other families with us and we met every morning in the hotel restaurant for breakfast to share the stories of our adventures.
Our first stop the day after we flew in was the Dry Bridge Market. We spent hours wandering around and looking at all the treasures. It was great fun to pick out something special for each of us to remember Georgia by.
Lovely rugs and a mountainous skyline … we love Tbilisi! 
We also found a painting by a local artist, which I realize now I try to do in each new country we visit.
We spent most of the afternoon in Vake Park, letting the kids play around and climbing up to the top of the WWII Victory Memorial.
We ended the day with chess, khachapuri, wine, and baklava in an underground cafe that Mike found.
