Every new beginning...

So... behind on posts again, forgive any conflicting tenses, lost thoughts and outdated information. I started writing this during a layover, and have been incredibly busy since I landed in Batumi, so I've been trying to write about how I felt at the time.

До свидания Москва! Boarding the plane at Domodedovo airport, heading to Minsk. My 2nd flight of the day.

June 24th: Today was just one of those days... I'm incredibly exhausted and have just been struggling to get through the day without curling into a ball and giving up on the rest of my adventure. At least I finally know what day it is. I woke up in a lovely hotel in Irkutsk on Tuesday, at 5:30 am (12:30 am Moscow time, 4:30 pm Monday est) and started my long, stressful, anxiety filled journey to finally get to Batumi, Georgia.

It's now 4am Wednesday Moscow/Batumi time (9am in Irkutsk, 8pm Tuesday est) and I've finally landed in Batumi! In the past day and a half, I've been on 2 continents, in 3 countries, crossed 6 time zones, and time traveled twice as well. All on only 3ish hours of sleep. It has taken an incredible amount of strength to keep pushing on and not breakdown crying.

I feel like I got jipped out of saying goodbye to Moscow. I only had a few hours between landing back in Moscow and taking off again. No time to be sad or nostalgic over that though, I can do that once the Fall semester starts. Last summer I felt like a loner, because I was the last one to leave Tempe. This trip, I wasted a lot of time once the rest of the group had left, and now wish I had just ventured out on my own and taken the city in a bit. I thought being the 1st to leave for a change would feel better, like I wouldn't have time to be sad over leaving, but I was wrong. If you're ever in one of these group travel situations, the best option would probably be to stick with the group. Leave the same day the majority of them do, if you have the option.

Ah, that's where I was going with the title of this post... Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. Lame? Cheesy? True? Yes. Moscow had to end in order for the unforgettable adventure in Siberia to begin. (I'll post more about it later, promise) Then Siberia had to end to start the adventure in Batumi. It's hard, and it definitely didn't make this hectic day any easier.

After a 4 hour layover and tons of confusion in Minsk, my final plane of the evening - and they bumped me to business class!

Anyhow... the journey to Batumi marks the 1st time I'm really traveling abroad alone. It's scary. Really scary. Pretty sure I've been having an anxiety attack since we got back to the dorms and ran into trouble with my departure. Again, I'm flying a foreign airline, because there really isn't another choice. Belavia, a Belarusian airline. Things I've learned from this experience... the Minsk airport is special and European airlines have different baggage policies, so short haul flights lead to big baggage fees if you're like me and packed way too much. (Not completely my fault- the pre-departure packet told me to pack a bunch of stuff I didn't need)

I FINALLY made it! Now... where's this white boy from CLI that's supposed to pick me up?

After sitting in airports and trying to sleep on my luggage, as well as on planes, which I still can't pull off (though the business class upgrade from Minsk to Batumi helped me almost sleep), all I wanted was to see a friendly face and hear some English. I was greeted in Batumi by 2 men I've never seen, had no clue if they speak any English, but did my best to try to understand what was going on, the whole time thinking "getting into a car with 2 strange men in a foreign country, this is a GREAT idea! What could possibly go wrong?" And just looking forward to those friendly faces with American accents waiting for me at school.

Quite a view for my 1st night.

To make the situation even more sketch, we pulled into an alleyway. I remind you, it was 4:30 am here by then. I had been up for over 24 hours at this point and had only taken a 3 hour nap before then in hopes of falling asleep on the plane and nipping any jet-lag in the bud. At that point I didn't really care about my safety, or that this vaguely resembled the opening of "Taken", or how many Lifetime movie specials they could make from this scene. I placed my trust in the CLI program; that they would not let anything bad happen to a student (unless it was a result of their own stupidity).

Beyond that sketchy alleyway was a sketchy stairwell with a small elevator, then on the 4th floor was the door to my new home for 8 weeks, in front of which I was greeted by a very friendly face, that of my host mother. Just not the friendly face I had expected or longed for. We tried not to wake anyone up as she helped me get settled a bit and got to know each other a little. 

The 3 hour nap I got before waking up for class was the hardest nap I've ever taken. (In a good way) Then my host mom made me breakfast and introduced me to the rest of the family before my host brother walked me to school and made sure I found some of those friendly faces. I almost cried. Out of joy this time, not from anxiety and stress. 11 months had passed since I last saw 4 of my fellow CLI students, 2 of whom I have the joy of considering some of my closest friends.

The rest of that first day is a bit of a blur. I wasn't jet-lagged this time, just suffering from some severe sleep deprivation. At one point there was a big celebration for Seafarers Day, a bunch of new acquaintances made, and some homework struggled through. I only dozed off in class a few times...

Students from the Batumi Marine Academy parade along the port in honor of Seafarer's Day

I think that should be enough for finally putting up a 1st post from Georgia, considering I've been here for 4 weeks now. I'll catch up on my thoughts and posts and awesome things I've experienced later. Like I mentioned in Moscow, the less frequent I post, the more fun I'm having :-)

2 of those dear friends I waited almost a year to see, with one of those new acquaintances in the middle 

Forward motion is harder than it sounds...

So, there have been a lot of thoughts in my head lately, and unfortunately, typing them out on my phone takes too long for me to do them on a whim, so some of them may never make it to y'all. Others may make it, but not in an even remotely cute or witty manner, sorry.

Tonight is the last night our whole group from FSU is here in Moscow (except my roommate, who left at 5am today). I can't believe that 6 weeks have already gone by! Things are pretty bittersweet around here, some are happy to go home, some aren't, and a few others are getting ready to embark on another big adventure- Siberia. My access to phone service and internet will be pretty limited starting Monday afternoon, but I'll try to post updates so y'all know I'm alive. Plus, Siberia- HOW FREAKING COOL IS THAT!? It also entails more long flights and jet-lag, so hopefully I'll be able to wrap up my thoughts on Moscow before landing in Batumi.

 

Anyway, I'm making this post pretty short because there's too much hanging out and partying to do with the amazing friends I've made here.

So, I guess today's lesson is all about forward motion. Yes, the past 6 weeks have been amazing, and I have no regrets. Some things I'd like to tweak a bit, but I'd do everything exactly the same again. And while I'll catch myself missing these people (already got disappointed when someone came into my room this evening and I was totally expecting it to be my roomie), this place, and these experiences, I don't have time to miss them long, or wish I had done something differently, because I'm off to the next great adventure. So, tonight, a song by Relient K will be my anthem. "We all struggle with forward motion. Cause forward motion is harder than it sounds."

What happens when you put a bunch of FSU students on a boat sailing the Moscow River? Shenanigans.

Russian smiles on fleek.

HOLY CRAP! War of 1812!?! Napoleon got all the way over here?! Let me take a selfie.

For the best view of Moscow, check out the 850 Ferris wheel.

Checkout the Starlight Cafe, if you want a 1950's style diner with alcoholic milkshakes!

Marching Chiefs marching on Red Square

Eventually every church looks like all the others, so let's selfie!

When in Petersburg, get dressed up, and go to the Pushkin Cafe - we clean up pretty well, no?

Who could ask for lovelier dinner companions?

Who cares if they guys missed the memo? The girls got to play dress-up for our Midnight White Nights cruise in Petersburg

Friendships blossoming now that we're out of the classroom!

Look at this Motley Crew at the beginning of the trip - I don't think any of us could fit into our clothes after 6 weeks.

Week 1 shenanigans. Bonds quickly forged.

I didn't know the importance of that sign behind us at the time... something about The Master & Margarita...

Going to tour the bunker that was the command center for the Cuban Missile Crisis? Let me take a selfie.

Your hot then your cold...

Obligatory weather post.

Those of you who helped with my packing debacle are probably wondering how I've fared so far, especially considering that the projected high for the day I landed in Moscow was 50°F with rain, and I've turned into a spoiled little Florida girl...

Snow in May! WHAT?!

I can officially say that the finicky, indecisive weather in Florida has NOTHING on Moscow!

Day 1 was indeed cold & rainy. Mad amounts of gratitude go out to the lovely Toni for lending me warm clothes, jackets, and especially a rain coat.

The first 2 weeks were pretty cold. Got good use out of my pea coat and scarf, especially on day 3 when it SNOWED! Yup! Snow in May. The first time I've seen snow since we moved to FL. Woke up disappointed to hear that I missed the morning snowstorm, only to flip a shit in class when it started snowing again. By the end of the day the layers were coming off, though.

Trying to plan for weather in advance here is futile. The forecast says one thing when you go to bed, but when you wake up it'll say the opposite. Oh, and the heat index here is ridiculous. It always feels at least 10°F hotter than what the mercury says. The high for the past few days here was just under 90°F. Did I mention that the dorms and classrooms (and metro) don't have air conditioning? Yup... super fun... the forecast until we leave, high around 70, low around 50 and clouds... I kinda want the heat back...

Up until the past few days, it also seemed like eternal winter here too. Not because of the temperature, but because of the пух (pooh, as in the Bear, not the subject of a previous post). That's what they call the fluffy flying seeds from the massive amount of dandelions that are no longer blooming. When I was a kid, we called them tooth fairies. It was kinda pretty for a while. It constantly looked like there was a snow storm outside my 4th floor window... it got old really quick. Pooh in my hair, my eyes, stuck to my lip gloss, oh and piles of it everywhere. At least I apparently don't have an allergy to it at least. Sucks for all the kids here just learning that they do though.

Anyway... the pooh is settling down, the tulips have been replaced by pansies, marigolds and lavender, and the cityscape has quickly been changed from a beautiful spring view to a hot summer one. If you can ever make it here at the beginning of May, do it. The tulips are so vibrant and beautiful, it's amazing. It's really not what you expect to find in such a big city.

Vibrant tulips bring an aspect of joy to the monolithic monuments of Victory Park honoring the tragedies of WWII

Flowers are a huge aspect of Russian culture though. After a long, cold, winter, people here literally stop and smell the roses. Multiple times I've seen people stop dead in their tracks to smell or photograph a flower. I'm guilty of it too. The scent of jasmine that permeates the air as I walk to the dorm is incredibly comforting. You'll also see people everywhere carrying bouquets of flowers as well. Why? Because Russian women appreciate flowers more than any other gift a man can get her, even more than chocolate or wine. But make sure you only give them in an odd number, even numbers are reserved for the dead. So, if you ever want to suck up to a Russian girl, or in my case, a professor, get her flowers. In general, female teachers here are given flowers on the last day of school, so if you're ever here studying, set aside some money from the beginning so you don't spend your last week of food budget on flowers. You never need to go far to find a flower shop either. We've even got one in the dorm.

Every evening, people congregate on the steps of the Muzeon for socializing, and specific events - like Boogie-Woogie night.

The end of Spring and beginning of Summer here seem to try to make up for how cruel the rest of the year can be. Days are warm and sunny, flowers are blooming, and everyone is outside enjoying the weather in the many parks and green spaces throughout the city. The days are long here too, not just in the northern parts where you get White Nights. While we were in St. Petersburg, we were told that they only average about 60 days of sunshine per year. We were blessed with 2.5 of those days. Even when it rained, the weather was still rather lovely. We even found a rainbow right before heading back to the train station. While the sun up there doesn't go down until about midnight at this time of year, in Moscow the sun sets after 10pm, and rises by 5am, and it seems people are out and taking advantage of every minute of it. Walking through the park by the Muzeon the other day after exploring the Fallen Monument Park, I couldn't help but feel jealous of everyone here, because they have beautiful places like that to go to, and just enjoy their environment.

An elusive rainbow peeks through the clouds in St. Petersburg on Nevsky Prospekt

So, how do Russians enjoy said environment? Well, rollerblading is still a big thing here. So is skateboarding, biking, badminton, dancing in the the park (apparently it was boogie - woogie night- people were swing dancing in front of the museum), napping on the grass or big bean bags, or benches, making out in said locations (seriously though, the pda is intense, but more on that later), and just meandering about. 

So I suppose it's time for a lesson, huh? This one is applicable anywhere you are- go outside. Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. Feel the sun kiss your skin, the breeze blow through your hair, and the rain cleanse the air. But if you ever find yourself over here in May, be prepared for all types of weather, literally. Here's hoping it warms up again before I leave for Siberia next week! With that, I try to cut a long post short and leave you with some photos that try to capture the beauty of the weather and nature I've seen. It's hitting me that I've only got a few more days. Not nearly enough time to do everything I want. I knew the time would fly, but I wish it would have slowed down just a bit...

No clue what this park was named, probably couldn't find it again, but it was beautiful!

Flowers in the gardens at Petergoff - Peter the Great's palace outside of St. Petersburg

Who could resist a stroll through the green fields of Tolstoy's estate?

Probably the most beautiful and picturesque churches of the many in the Suzdal area.

Отдыхай, брат...

I've been holding off on writing about all the visa issues I had in my attempt to participate in both FSU's study abroad program in Moscow, and the Critical Languages Institute's program in Kazan this summer. (At least I got my initial visa quickly enough to begin my 1st program on time, 2 of my classmates weren't so lucky) Long story short - you can't have 2 active visas in your passport at the same time even if they cover different time periods, extensions are hard to get, and all sorts of other messy stuff.

My professor forced me to be patient once I got here in regards to my visa extension, because I would have actually needed 2 extensions. The 1st is so I can legally stay in the country long enough for my trip to Siberia, because someone screwed up the dates on my invitation. The other just isn't possible because of time constraints and registration issues, and my lack of forethought/experience traveling.

I found out the day before leaving for our weekend excursion to Saint Petersburg that the 2nd extension wasn't approved. This was crushing news to me. Some of you know that Kazan has been one of the few things I've really been looking forward to for the past year. Now, Казанский Вокзал is the closest I'll be getting to Kazan this summer. It took a lot not to let that news ruin that weekend in St. Pete. I suppose I should do a separate post on how awesome and different that city is... anyway... I'm still waiting for the 1st extension to be processed. Yep... that means I've been living and traveling in Russia for 2 weeks without a passport.

My hopes of reuniting with dear friends from CLI were shattered with the news that I couldn't get a visa to study in Kazan.

However, thanks to the tensions between the US and Russia over the situation with Ukraine and Crimea, CLI has moved some of the program to Batumi, Georgia- a country which doesn't require me to get a visa to stay there for up to 1 year. So, I am very happy to let y'all know that my adventure will not be coming to an early end, as I had begun to fear due to these visa issues, but will be relocating to Georgia, and I'm incredibly excited!

At least my massive amounts of stress will turn into an unexpected adventure. I'll see part of the world I never would have imagined going to, learn about a culture I don't know much about, continue my intensive Russian studies, and be reunited with some of the people I have missed immensely over the past year.

This leads me to one of my biggest lessons: relax, bro. If you stress out over things like this, you'll detract from the fun that's all around you. I'm somehow both a worrier and entirely too laid back about traveling. I booked a one way ticket here. I'm confident my passport will be returned to me with the extended visa within the next 2 weeks (my professor has assured me that things will be fine from the very beginning of my visa issues, and that I just need to be an adventurer like her, so here I am, adventuring), I'm sure that I'll manage to get to Batumi within 24 hours of my return to Moscow from Siberia, and I'll be updating y'all from Eurasia through the middle of August. (I'm less sure that I'll find a place to live in Tally when I get back, though... oops...)

Anyhow, things are bound to go wrong at some point, it's how you deal with it that can make or break your adventure. And though I have felt perfectly comfortable and safe everywhere we've been, we've constantly been warned about the dangers that surround us. Maybe it's made me subconsciously more vigilant, but seriously, act normal. I've been walking around with a clutch wallet and my cell phone in my hand, just like I would in the states. Don't mark yourself as a tourist, but be aware of your surroundings and get comfortable.

So, the moral of today's story is: chill out, relax, отдыхай. Don't let things out of your control detract from your experience.

And as cheesy as it is to say... I've got my ticket for the long way round - the one with the prettiest of views...

Russian train stations are like works of art.

The canals of Petersburg on a sunny day.

It may take until after midnight to get dark, but when it does, Petersburg is a city of lights.

The exterior of Tsarskoye Selo featuring Vidal for scale. (Totally intentional...)

The grand hall of Catherine the Great's Tsarskoye Selo - How could you NOT feel like Anastasia in this room?

One of the striking monuments to the tragedies of WWII - The siege of Leningrad - aka St. Petersburg

Some of the fountains and gardens at Petergoff

Actors dress as period characters for the grand reception of "Feel yourself Russian" in Petersburg - a fantastic folk show!

Just part of the exterior of the massive Hermitage palace (now art museum) in Petersburg

Wait, you want me to do what?

So, trying to play catch up again. When I last left you, I had given only a glimpse into the weekend trip to Suzdal. We learned about picking wildflowers, which is still a running joke among the group...

No vehicles are allowed through this field, all visitors must walk 3ish km.

Once we got to Suzdal, we had a great lunch at a cute little restaurant, then started our excursions to the many churches in the region. The first was the Church of Boris and Gleb, which was pretty cool to me because of the Medieval Russian Lit course I took last year. It's also pretty freaking cool to see stuff still standing that was built in the 12th century. (You don't find that much in Russia, since most buildings were made of wood and either burned, rotted, or were destroyed in some other fashion.) The scenery was also amazing. The soil is black and everything is bright green. I cannot express to you how poorly photos capture the beauty of the land and scenery.

Anyway, after that church was a bus tour, and... you guessed it- more churches! I unfortunately didn't write down the names of all the churches and monasteries we went to, but they're all really old and really beautiful. Some even have miracles, and important historical figures associated with them. There was also a little sample of what life was like for Russian families in the 19th century, with authentic wooden churches and houses which had been moved into a specific area to try to recreate and preserve the memories of average life back then. It was pretty cool to see an example of how my ancestors may have lived... but I also can't blame them for leaving, the standards of living were so different from those of the same time period in the US. At least I learned some cool cultural stuff though. Again, I won't bore you with details, you can ask me if you really want to know, though. So, if you ever find yourself in Suzdal, I highly recommend the Suzdal Inn. It was lovely and clean, and man they know how to throw a party! Or maybe my teachers, who organized the trip do, either way, a night of good food, local beer, some homemade strawberry moonshine concoction, and dancing was just what I needed.

Recreation of an old Russian bedroom, and by old, I mean early 1900's

Amidst all of that fun, was another fantastic experience- Banya, a weekly ritual among those who can afford it. Oh man, even though the girls and I didn't do it quite right, it was still a great time, and another chance to push myself out of my comfort zone. I didn't take any photos of the Banya, so sorry, you'll just have to experience it for yourself. The building was located in the yard of the hotel, as is Russian tradition to keep it separate from the main house. There are old beliefs and superstitions as to why, but I won't bore you with that now. Anyhow... the building was wooden, very nice, and clean. There was a bit of an anti-chamber for a toilet, supplies and changing... and by changing I mean stripping. That's right, it's not a Banya if you're not naked. Upstairs there was a bit of a lounge with couches, a table prepared for tea with cookies and marmalade, as well as a small cardio room. On the bottom floor was a room with a giant wooden tub of cold water, a shower station, and a bucket of cold water overhead that would fill with cold water for you to pull a string and be quickly doused with cold water. In that room was also a door to the hot room.

It looked just like your average sauna, all wood, and hot as hell. However, here's the difference- there's a bucket of hot water in there with a ladle and a bundle of birch branches in it. The ladle is for pouring water onto the hot stones to steam the place up and heat it even more. The branches add a lovely scent to the water, which fills the air as it evaporates into steam. More importantly, those birch branches are for beating yourself, or others, to improve circulation. I highly recommend getting someone to beat the crap out of you. It feels and smells so refreshing!

So, after sweating out all sorts of toxins and getting flogged, what do you do next?  Step out for a bit and shock your system with a dousing of cold water, of course! Suck it up, do it. It feels fantastic! Then go sit down for a spot of tea, and repeat the process. Apparently the girls didn't quite do the Banya correctly, I guess we were supposed to stay in the heat for shorter spurts with a good dousing in between. Hopefully I'll learn the proper technique before the summer is over.

My matryoshka is lacking...

Moving forward, we went back to the party, everyone stayed safe, everyone had a good time, and again I got to suck up to my professor. The next day was another slew of churches and monasteries, either in Suzdal or Vladimir, with beautiful frescoes and even the hand of Alexander Nevsky- Russian bad ass. The day was capped off with a lovely lunch at a restaurant called Adam and Eve in Vladimir, just by the remains of the old city walls, and a workshop on how to paint traditional Matryoshka dolls. I think I'll stick to music though, I suck way less at that than I do painting.

Once our dolls were almost dry, we set back out for Moscow, and well, you've already read my public restroom survival tips, so you pretty much already know what the rest of the trip was like. Oh, but one more addition to that, in case I forgot- bathrooms are often not separated between men and women, and if there's TP, it may just be communally located, and there may or may not be a toilet seat... so... get used to that.

Moscow was a giant party, yet again, when we got back. I swear there is at least one holiday per week in the month of May. Turns out that Saturday was Museum Day. So not only did everyone celebrate the number of museums in the city by going to them, but also with music, parties, and fireworks. And drag racing/drifting, can't forget about that! Oh wait, that's EVERY FREAKING NIGHT! I'll try to go out there and get photos one day, but if you ever live in the MSU area, get used to the sound of revved up engines lulling you to sleep.

On that note, I'll leave you with my lesson from the trip: embrace traditions of the culture. Take the advice of master painters on how to improve your skills. Go see what the noise is all about down the street. And most importantly, set your pride and insecurities aside. Get naked with people you barely know and flog yourself with birch branches. I tell you, the Russians are on to something with Banya... maybe that's why all the girls here have flawless skin!

The first church we encountered in Suzdal, and the least impressive.

Because we're adults. Well, technically we all actually are.

Another lovely church of the Vladimir/Suzdal area

A 3km trek through a field of dandelions was well worth it to enjoy this sight! Imagine being a regular worshiper here...

MORE CHURCHES!

Other angles of more churches!

Frescoes inside one of the churches... sorry I don't remember which one :-/