We’ve just landed in Yakutsk and have made it through fourteen of the sixteen time zones that we’ll be crossing. Even with all of the jet lag and time spent waiting in the airport, the trip has already amazed me. I should explain that, in addition to majoring in Biology at Holy Cross, I’ve also spent the last three years studying Russian. A lot of that time’s been spent imagining what it would be like to travel here and this is the first opportunity I’ve had, the first time I’ve even really been outside of the country.

I couldn’t have imagined a better introduction to Russia then the one we received just minutes after flying across the border from Finland. A lucky break in the cloud cover gave my side of the plane an incredible view of St. Petersburg. Even from that altitude it was possible to make out the bridges across the Neva and the sharply angled walls of the Peter and Paul fortress. Just when I thought it couldn’t get much better, the wing dipped and we banked lazily around the city for a final, panoramic view.

The airports have offered great opportunities to practice my conversational skills. Some exchanges have been practical like finding places in the airport while others have just been over the top. While waiting for our flight to Yakutsk we were approached by two unusually outgoing Russians. I explained where we were headed and the purpose of the trip, we stumbled through some Gulag jokes, and when Ivan, our student from Moscow State University arrived, things began to get really interesting. Oleg and Viacheslav then proceeded to claim that they drank ten liters of vodka on their flight and that in spite of this handicap were planning on driving to a restaurant. They insisted we should come with them for food, songs, and, of course, more vodka. Reluctant to take no for an answer from us, we eventually settled on a compromise that the next time we find ourselves in Moscow we’ll take them up on their offer. They shared a few more thoughts such as the importance of living in the moment and how Germans make the best cars but Russians the best tanks and then went on their way, leaving us to explain to the rest of the group just what exactly this boisterous exchange had been about.
I feel incredibly fortunate to finally be here and Russia has already exceeded my expectations. I have a feeling we’ve just scratched the surface though.

До свидания

Andrew