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"I like to be in America
Okay by me in America..." (West Side Story)

The week in St. Petersburg was great, a good chance to relax and be actual tourists before heading home. We flew back on Saturday. We flew from St P to Moscow through Aeroflot Russian Airline, then switched to Delta and went from Moscow to New York, then to Columbus. Three airplanes in one day--a little much, but I survived. Unfortunately, my luggage moved a little slower and didn't arrive till yesterday, when it was delivered to our house around 6. So now I"m mostly unpacked and starting to reflect. Here's a few things that I'm getting used to again.

--Humidity
--Tap water
--Air conditioning (a little too much)
--A room full of possessions, instead of just a suitcase
--Overly cheerful TV commercials :D
--Being in the same time zone as my sister, even if we're in different places
--American currency

I'm also getting used to the changes--a tree in our yard is gone, my dog's having back problems and moving slower, some of my friends have changed their life plans in ways I don't know yet, and I'm still figuring out what American news I've missed.

I miss the beauty of St Petersburg and the freedom of walking or metro-ing around the city, visiting different places (and having money to explore new eateries!), but it's really good to be back with my family. I had a good weekend in Columbus and got to see a few friends and visit my church there, and now I"m chilling a lot and enjoying Mom's home cooking. Soon I'll need to start preparing to move to an apartment in Columbus. Back to life...

I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of reflecting over the summer, and I would like to continue this blog by sharing some of what I've learned from it. So stay tuned, if you'd like.

Unexpected Turn of Events

I'm in St. Petersburg.

The heat and smog got so bad in Moscow (it was like being by a campfire all the time), that our group leaders decided to move us out of the city and go to St. Petersburg. We took a night train Friday night/Saturday morning, and arrived at 2:30 on Saturday. It took about 12 hours. We're staying at a hostel, and I think we're taking a bus tour of the city today. The train and the hostel are interesting experiences--a lesson in communal living. I'm realizing how much I value personal space, but I'm hoping I can develop the patience to adapt to the situation. St. Petersburg is a lovely city with a lot of history. We will probably visit the Hermitage, which people say is as good as the Louvre, and also other sites and possibly an imperial palace (I hope).