After a marvelous visit and an unpleasant joust with a medical problem, Greg Patrick, Class of 1970, returned to America on Saturday, May 21. His Delta plane was at the Pittsburgh airport gate by 4:19 p.m.

Greg reports that he is “home, safe and sound,” adding, “next stop, doctor.”

His health interlude notwithstanding, Greg had the trip of a lifetime with friends in the Ukraine.

Greg’s response: “Ukraine is strong country! Its people are wonderful! And its land amazing! They are strong, determined and very caring people who I am so proud to have visited!!!”

Игорь Фирсов in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine wrote: “Today I have met one more friend from USA. He plays the guitar, likes powerful cars, teaches children. Greg Patrick -- really cool guy.”

Sounds pretty accurate to me.

No wonder Greg is the leader of Jenna Won’t Sing, Monongah’s #1 band. Jim Pulice, Eric Pulice and Ron Yanero, still working on his health recovery, are Greg’s bandmates with Jenna Won’t Sing.

And Greg’s students at Fairmont Catholic School, Miller Junior High and West Fairmont Middle School give a resounding “ditto!” to that, too.

On the way across the Big Pond, after the flight from Pittsburgh and a landing in Paris, Greg took a train from Kiev to Dnipropetrovsk and Dnipropetrovsk to Kiev before a flight from Borispol Airport.

He spent time with folks like Konstaintyn, who was initiated in the Country Club Bakery-style pepperoni roll, a West Virginia landmark staple.

Greg is a Fairmont State graduate with a master’s from WVU. He runs the Monongahfest Car Show every year and is in love with muscle cars.

Ukraine is bordered by Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Now that he’s in America, Greg can seek a permanent solution to his medical problem. Even that couldn’t stop him from having the time of his life in the Ukraine.

Welcome home, Greg. Your Fairmont Catholic students can’t wait to hear about your amazing trip.