Byrd migrates to Johnsonville

Natalie Byrd says she finds everything about the United States quite different from her native home in the Ukraine, but she is here for the long term except for visits home now and again.

Natalie is a student at the Vinnitsa National Ayoraniah Univessity in the Ukraine where she plans to graduate when she completes her studies, which she is doing on line. She does go home to take her exams, which will allow her to graduate there, although her courses would transfer to an American college if she chose. She has two semesters left before graduating and her government pays for her education there. She is majoring in accounting, but has no plans to teach. Her mother and her grandmother are retired mathematic teachers and both have advised her she does not want to teach. Her father was also involved in the field of education.

Natalie’s school offers a work/travel programs to students who qualify. She says she was a good student with excellent grades and this allowed her to participate in this program. In 2006 she went to Great Britain where she spent the summer working in the fields picking strawberries and raspberries, which she admits was hard work.

After another year of school at the university, she came to Myrtle Beach in 2007 under the same program and under the sponsorship of Burroughs and Chapin Company. That summer she worked at a mini-golf course where she sold tickets and picked up golf balls in addition to other duties. Not hard work, she said, but boring.

To supplement her income, she was also working the morning shift at a Waffle House. A Hemingway man, Randy Byrd, was working security and came there each morning for breakfast and incidentally, the two met. As they say, the rest is sort of history.

Natalie says it was not love at first sight, as one might seem to suspect. A relationship that felt right just developed. When time for her to go home was approaching, it seemed that Randy didn’t want her to leave and neither did she.

She called her mother and told her she had met this man and the relationship had developed; that she was planning to stay in the States. Her mother wanted her home, but said it was her life. She admits she didn’t talk to her father at the time, leaving that chore for her mother. When the mother told him, she said tears welled up and ran down his cheeks.

Natalie and Randy were married September 2008 with his family and friends to witness the ceremony. They have been to visit her home twice. She said he and her family get along well together, because they cannot understand the language of each other, so they don’t argue! One visit was when a cousin was getting married and Randy had the opportunity to witness some of their customs there.

Natalie, now 23, is mother to Randy’s two children, a nine-year-old son and a ten-year-old daughter. She admits it was a bit difficult to fit into that role in the beginning, but everything is working out fine.

They call her Mama, and she loves them dearly. She said she tries to put herself in their position and treat them like she would want to be treated.

Natalie is a waitress at Shady Rest in Johnsonville while Randy has his own heating and air business, Air Masters. This fall she will enroll in Horry Georgetown TEC to study the trade so she can help him in the business with his accounting and also hands on technology.

In the meantime, she enjoys her customers and employers at Shady Rest so much she might not leave there, and just devote her off time to Randy and the family business.