This afternoon, we cleaned and packed the car while Matias and Mia and prepared the family for a wedding. Once everyone was in their Sunday best, we bid them farewell. Yet again, we've made some great new friends, and once more, we are leaving them. It is our not-so-secret hope that all of our international friends will come visit us in America someday.

We couldn't let them leave without the obligatory timer-group-shot:

Tintin showed up to say goodbye too:

Once they had gone, we got back to work, finally leaving at the late hour of 5PM.

We have to cover 500km to reach the eastern border of Finland; it is going to be a long night. It's hard to believe we are finally going to Russia! It feels like we've been dancing around this country for ages and now we're only a day away. Fingers crossed getting through the border will be a non-event!