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This is not an official Department of State blog. The views and information presented here are my own and do not represent the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State.- adventure
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Tag Archives: Russia
The Final Frontier
Well that’s it. I have officially made it back to the land of the free. So I suppose I’ll fill you in on my last two weeks in Russia. When I last left off, I was preparing to take my … Continue reading
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Tagged Baikal, Culture, Goodbyes, Photography, Russia, Travel
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Siberian Summer
It’s officially summertime in Siberia. It came rather suddenly—vegetation and flowers and kvass stands and bouncy castles and swarms of flies sprang up overnight, it seems. We had a glorious thunderstorm last week, crowds of lazy people descend upon the … Continue reading
Return to St. Petersburg
When I last saw Piter, he was buried under four feet of snow, swallowed by what seemed to be an eternal darkness. Today he stands proud, his 310 years of history and beauty glinting and shining in the late-spring sun … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged adventure, Culture, hipsters, Photography, Russia, St. Petersburg, Travel
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Life’s Absurdities
A sense of humor can get you through just about anything. When living abroad, especially in Russia, the ability to laugh is often what keeps you grounded and optimistic. So I thought I’d share with you a few of the … Continue reading
Far East and Back Again
If St. Petersburg is magnificent and Ulan-Ude is charming and soulful, then Vladivostok can only be described as cool. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but something about the nice houses and the unique naval presence and the … Continue reading
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Tagged Culture, holidays, Nature, Photography, Russia, Siberia, Travel
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Trans-Siberia– Part One: The Crazy Train
10 days. 90 hours travel time. 4,832 miles. Countless precious memories. An adventure this big and this grand requires at least a couple installments to do it justice. So I’ll begin at the beginning: three days on a Russian train. … Continue reading
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Tagged Crazy, Photography, Russia, Siberia, Trans-Siberian, Travel
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My New Secret Identity
I am about to embark on a Trans-Siberian adventure. Unlike the previous 7 months of Siberian adventures, this adventure starting Wednesday will be a lot more trans. Over the course of 10 days, I will travel over 2800 miles and … Continue reading
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Tagged Culture, Identity, Language, русский, Photography, Russia, Trans-Siberian, Travel
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Image of America
Nothing too terribly exciting to report this time around: I’ve been very busy, but not with any mind-blowingly blog-worthy material. Suffice it to say that classes are going well, English Club is going splendidly (lately, lots of non-student guests have … Continue reading
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Tagged America, Culture, politics, Russia, stereotypes, Travel
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Gone Fishing: Байкальская рыбалка
Байкальская рыбалка (Baikalskaya Rybalka) is Russia’s biggest ice fishing competition, bringing hundreds of amateur and professional fishermen from all across Russia and even all over the world to the ice of Lake Baikal each year. By some miracle, I managed … Continue reading
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Tagged Baikal, Banya, Culture, Fishing, Hospitality, Photography, Russia, Travel
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Loaded Questions
People love to ask me, “What are the biggest differences between Russia and America?” Anyone who’s been forced to listen to an earful of my I.S. or one of my Russia-raves knows that this is actually one of my favorite … Continue reading