It's Almost Time

It's almost time to leave... I've been her for a month. Tomorrow is my last day. My last day at IMOP, my last day in St. Petersburg, my last day in Russia...

It is a sad thought. After having lived in a place for a month, made new friends, and gotten used to dorm life, I suddenly find myself not wanting to leave. A month seemed like such a long time. It seemed like forver a month ago. Now it feels to short.

This doesn't mean I don't miss my family, my friends and my home. I want to come home, to be back in the familiar, and at the same time, I want to stay. It is one of those situations where you are ready to stay, and ready to leave at the same time.

Things I'll miss about the city...
St. Petersburg itself. This city is so full of history and culture, like none other I've ever been to. Plus the people here take their histroy for seirously.

White Nights. This means coming out of a restaurant at 10 or 11 o'clock and it still being almost daylight. It doesn't get really dark till after midnight and the sun starts to come up again about 4:30 5am. This is my favorite thing about St. Petersburg. No fear of staying out late in the dark!

The Hermitage. Where students can always get in for free. Can you believe that? Second largest museum in the world. Free.

The little old Russian ladies in all the Museum's who yell at you in Russian if you get to close to a painting, use a flash if you aren't supposed to, and in general keep an eye on things. And when I say museums, I mean all of them, everywhere, in every room. Especially at the Hermitage and Russian Museum.

The awesome tour guide, Galina. All tour guides must pass a test to be guides. Meaning all tour guides here are certified tour guides! They take this stuff seriously!

Being able to walk so many places easily. Being able to walk to Palace square.

Walking out of the Metro and seeing the Church on Spilled Blood to my right and Kazan to my left and Dom Kinigy in front of me. My two favorite Cathedrals and bookstore.

The Metro. Being able to get anywhere by train. Being able to get downtown by Metro.

Blini. ... Though if things work out, I won't have to miss them for long. ;-)

Dorm life. Staying up late chatting with friends, having movie nights till 1am and not caring about being tired the next day, because every one else will be too.

Mollies, Tres Amigos, The Shamrock, Teremok

Being able to find ice cream any time, any where. For cheap. Ice cream stands are everywhere. Russian's love their ice cream!!! My favorite ice cream is only 14 rubles. Which is less than .50 cents.

The green space. St. Petersburg has some really beautiful parks.

The people I've met and made friends with... (though we've all promised to keep in touch!)


Things I won't miss

The smell. People in Russia do need to learn to take baths more often.

The dirt. Even though there are sweepers everywhere, it is still a very dusty and dirty city.

The lines. Waiting for two hours to get into Catherine's Palace.

The horrible dorm food. The bland cereal, the mystery meat, the lack of fresh fruit and vegtables.

Having to drink only bottled water. Making sure to never drink out of the tap.

Paying $1.50 for a Coke at a restaurant that is small and getting no refills. Ever. You have to pay for glass number 2.

Lack of coffee. I want my Starbucks.

Having to go down the hall to take a shower because the hot water is cut off.

The fact that the hot water got cut off in the first place.


Because of Russia...
I will never think about Saran Wrap the same.

The word "ribit" has a whole knew conotation. So does the Frog Prince.

I appreciate our water system more than ever.

I realize how much history one city can have.

How important good friends and family are.

I discovered that Snickers really are as good as everyone says.

I've eat more ethnic foods in a month than I think I ever have in a year... Okay maybe not a year, but still, a lot.

I have a goal set for at least the next few years. That is finish college at GCSU and get a degree in Mass Comm with a focus in print.

I'm also a part of something potentially big, new, exciting and totally crazy. But I can't talk about that yet. ;-)

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Wow, that was a long few lists. :-D
But then again, this trip really has been an experience for me. Just like Mom and everyone else said it would be. It has been an experince I would never trade for anything.

Sorry I haven't given a real update in awhile. I've been busy! So here is a short one:
Monday: Alexander's Palace - the last home of Nicholas and Alexandra. This was amazing!

Tuesday: Last day of classes...finals! I passed, with an A!
We celebrated with Chinease food. We being Tracey, Rob, Justin, Sonia, Stephanie, April, Faith, Emma, Ben and Ben, George and Winston. It was good food. And cheap!
After dinner, some left. And Justin, Rob, Tracey, George, myself, Faith Stephanie and April went down the road a bit to the Shamrock Pub. It was very nice. We sat outside a bit a people watched.
When we got back several of us (minus Tracey) watched the Last Holiday.

Wed: Sleep in day! Then Rob, Justin, Tracey, April, Faith, Stephanie and I went to the Okay store. This is a lot like Super Walmart. On the way we had Pizza Hut for lunch. It was soooo good! The OK store was really neat. And also very cheap. We all "complained" about Irina not telling us about it sooner. A lot of the stuff we had been buying (ie candy and tea) was a lot cheaper here. Every one bought a tea, chocolate and vodka to bring home.
When we got back, everyone had to pack and get ready to go to Moscow. Except me and Tracey. :-(

Thursday: Very quite because everyone but myself, Tracey, Big Ben, Chico and Michael are gone. Plus two of the teachers, Jeff and Bob.
But it hasn't been bad. Tracey, Bob and I spent all day out on Thursday. We went back to the Hermitage and the Russian Museum. Some one tell Rob C.that he owes me 30 rubles. That painting he loves so much, the one with the sailors, is no longer at the Hermitage. It is at the Russian Museum. So I paid 30 rubles to go and see it. There was no way I was coming all this way, and going to miss it! Ever since talking to him about Russia, I remember him mentioning this painting!! So Bob and I sped through the Russian museum to see it.
It really was worth it! (plus I got to see some other really neat paintings...so I guess he doesn't owe me the 30) ;-)

Friday: Tracey and I went to the Lomonosov factory. The make procelain, and used to make it for the Royal family. I bought a beautiful tea set.
On the way back we stopped at McDonalds and I had a milkshake and a coke. We sat there for probably about two hours because we were both pretty wiped out! But it was nice taking it easy like that.
I ended up getting ready for bed by 8pm and was asleep no later than 1030!!! This was early!

Today I'm packing and sorting through all my stuff to figure out what to do with things.
Tomorrow morning everyone gets back from Moscow, and that evening we have our farewll party. We leave the dorms at 330am the next morning! I don't expect to get much sleep tomorrow....