Tomorrow I have to take my visa application to Fed ex and send off. Russians allow visitors for one month. Just a way for them to get money from us. We have to pay $180 to get them to allow us into their country. It's going to be an adventure. One of the first things we were told is to bring toilet paper with us at all times. He also showed us some men's restrooms. It's going to be different. I'm so happy to know that tomorrow is the first day of my summer. It takes a lot of planning to get everything I'll need in a small suitcase.

I always make my kids give me a hug on the last day of school as they are leaving. It's a real push for some of those 8th grade boys to do. Yesterday last period I was hugging a boy, Dustin, who has MD and is in a wheelchair. He ask me if I would bring him an autograph from Russia. I told him I sure would. That made me remember why I'm going. To see and experience things that I can share with my students that they may never get to see for themselves. I will sure remember as I travel around Russia that Dustin is depending on me to bring him apart of Russia back with me for him to experience.

Today is the last day of school and I'm going to my first meeting tomorrow at UCA about the trip.