In 1987, I was the manager at the top travel agency in Santa Barbara, California.

One day I was surprised to receive a call from a woman in the office of the Mayor of Santa Barbara. She was asking about the possibility of having one of our travel agents organize the first Sister City exchange between Santa Barbara and the City of Yalta, in the Soviet Crimea. My Agency agreed to put together a trip to Yalta for the Sister City association of Santa Barbara. I was delighted to be honored by this amazing travel opportunity.

I attracted 32 of Santa Barbara's most distinguished citizens to join us on this remarkable tour to Russia, for a first ever Sister City tour.

This is the story that begins with my second trip, which became a Love Story.