Welcome to Russia, the country where the roads are dusty, the women dress up for everyday life as if they’re going to a party, where no one smiles at you, where those you know will feed you endlessly.
I made it, darlings. This year, I made it. I could barely believe it when I got out of the plane. It was already really dark, I had been traveling all day, so when I got out of that thing, I was just smiling weirdly. Isn’t this one of the weirdest thing I’ve ever done? Going to Russia all alone? But I can tell you: I’m doing very well. I managed to slice my feet by wearing new shoes, but next to that it’s going well. People tell me I talk well in Russian, that I barely have any accent, and so far I’m not impressed by their lack of smiling or effort to be nice to strangers.
The amount of strange things here is quite great. Everything is in Russian style, but that makes it so interesting. Also, strange things can be very cool. Since last night I can add drinking apple juice at 3 am while eating a good salad after having danced like crazy in a pub to my list of Weird Stuff That Just Seems To Happen. Now that’s the kind of thing I like – random, absurd, but absolutely good.
In Poland it took me about a month before I seemed to do something, for real. But here I dived into it and now it feels like I’m making the most of it already. I’ve been drinking beer with friends, I’ve gone dancing, I’ve gone to my classes, everything seems to go faster.
And that is good.
No Blog Intended 
The Indecisive Eejit
/ September 12, 2015I’m glad its going well and long may it continue. Make sure though that you wear sensible shoes so that you can walk home for your apple juice π
No Blog Intended
/ September 12, 2015Yeah… Wearing new shoes while walking at least 30 minutes was not the most brilliant thing I could do. That’s what you get when you are used to doing everything by bike π¦
Osyth
/ September 12, 2015AAAAAAGGGGHHH !!!! I am so happy that you made it – that you are there. Where? Precisely where are you in this place that I loved at first touch, sniff, sight? Con-bluddy-gratulations for getting there … love it – I know you will!
By the way – I drove through Belgium 3 weeks ago … I found Flemish a mystery and was eternally relieved to get to Liege and slip into some form of natural French!
No Blog Intended
/ September 13, 2015I live in Voronezh now – do you know it? I must admit that I didn’t fell in love immediately, but maybe I will get to love it when I’ve been here somewhat longer.
You were in Belgium! Where have you been exactly? You know, there are so many different accents in the Flemish part, even for us it’s sometimes a challenge to understand everything π
Osyth
/ September 13, 2015So the nearest I have been to you is Libetsk …. I am hoping to be back in Russia in October (the trip has been put back twice and I may have to concede that my husband goes on his own since it is more important for him on paper than for me …. not in my head though) I think that Russia is quite shocking when you first arrive – I did not prepare myself for the glossyness of the women at all and ended up feeling like a bag woman for days until I embraced my own attitudes afresh. In Belgium we were literally just travelling through – we stopped in Bruges, Ghent Bruxelles and finally in Liege – I will certainly return when I have more time but my I may have to concede that Flemish is beyond me!!
No Blog Intended
/ September 13, 2015That’s pretty close! If you return, please let me know! Yes, I wore a summer dress and sandals of my first day of school here. Woops. I didn’t quite fit in π
No worries about that Flemish, I can translate for you! π
Osyth
/ September 13, 2015I’ll keep you posted – I’m still hoping for October π
NotAPunkRocker
/ September 13, 2015Wow, I had forgotten that time was coming around again. I am so happy for you that you got in this time! β€
No Blog Intended
/ September 13, 2015Time flies, doesn’t it? π
El Guapo
/ September 13, 2015Fantastic!!!
Be safe, and HAVE FUN!
No Blog Intended
/ September 13, 2015I will! π
Michael Cargill
/ September 13, 2015At last! How long are you staying for?
Have you seen Putin yet…?
No Blog Intended
/ September 13, 2015About five months! And no, not yet. But who knows what will happen, right?
editalozovska
/ September 13, 2015OMMGGGGG! Congrats! π π
Edita
http://www.pret-a-reporter.co.uk/
No Blog Intended
/ September 13, 2015Thank yooooouuuuu!
editalozovska
/ September 15, 2015How are you finding it so far?
No Blog Intended
/ September 17, 2015It is very interesting, very different. Poland was not a cultural shock, but this is insane. However, I have met some great people already, so I’m doing well π