MoscowWOW!

We made it to Moscow! We have only been here for four full days but it feels like ten. I truly do not know how to describe this city other than odd. Everything is just a little "off" here. There are all these European effects that make you feel like you are in Europe but then little details that make you think maybe isn't really Europe...little flairs of Asia if you will.

 
Traveling with a big group is a completely different experience than traveling alone. I love it because it's easier to let my guard down, but sometimes a little hectic. But what else could I possible expect? Our days have been jam packed full of everything from class time to exploring to eating and writing papers and sleeping (when we have time). We've been staying in a very nice hostel, with about 6 people to a room. Hot showers which I am enjoying before we don't have them anymore. Class is usually from 9-11 in a business building next door. We have been able to do some INCREDIBLE things in Moscow, like seeing Lenin's preserved body in the Red Square. I have to say, it was possibly one of the wildest experiences in my life. In the line in front of us was a family from India who were very clearly supporters of communism. Below are some photos of them posing in front of Stalin's grave, right before the entrance to Lenin's tomb. First of all, I have never in my life encountered some die hard, old school fans of communism like these people. The emotion on their faces when we walked around Lenin's body was an emotion I have never seen before, a kind of admiration that was unfamiliar to me. And all I could really think was 1) what do these people think about how many people died during Lenin and Stalin's time and 2) what must have happened to these people in their lives to make them believe that Stalin and Lenin were true heroes? The other photo below is of a casual communism parade strolling by, NBD.

 I'm just gonna real honest and say Russian cuisine is not my favorite. Everything just tastes a little off. Which actually makes sense, considering it was under soviet rule for nearly 70 years. Tradition and Russian culture was completely erased during communist rule, agriculture was ruined with the collectivization of it,  and I'm assuming the majority of traditional food was lost as well. Fruits and vegetables are pricey to this day and not exactly easy to come across.  So no wonder Russian traditional food was lost. Which is of course a very sad thing for a country. On a lighter note, I cannot wait for Asian food!!! 

Russia's architecture is incredible, a mix of breathtaking dome style churches contrasted with old soviet style buildings that were used for communal housing but are now private apartments

or offices. The global world has not completely hit Russia yet. By this I mean Russia is a place that was incredibly difficult for tourists to get to, until 25 years ago. Its exposure to the rest of the world is minimal. And its bizarre, because it is a huge country and Moscow is a bustling, urban, and modern city. But no one speaks English. Like seriously, it is unique if you even get a "hello". This means people are fascinated by us, being a group of 30 Americans. We never really go places in less than groups of 5 or 4. If people don't like Russia, they love talking to us. If they don't like Americans, we don't get much more than a scowl. But Russian's who are open minded love to share their story and thoughts on the regime. In one discussion a woman emphasized the "energy of freedom" she felt moving to America 23 years ago, a freedom that pushed her to be successful even though she began with truly nothing. But she hated the regime in Russia so much that she knew she could not stay. Another man talked to us about the inability to hate your leader but love your country. To him, and potentially many other if not most Russians, the two contradict each other. If you love your country, you love your leader. He accepted the fact that we all openly hate Trump but still love the United States, but he did not agree with the concept. There is a lot to be learned from the people here and their stories. Russian's may appear stereotypically cold and stern on the outside, but community is more often than not at their core and their hearts are warm.

We have been riding the metro every day during our free time and to group activities where we meet up in a given location. It is an unbelievably huge system with some of the most beautiful and impressive stations in the world. The metro is what some call the backbone of Moscow. The stations are literally always full, and you're never waiting for a train for longer than like three minutes. It's so efficient and being someone who comes from a place with no public transportation, it's honestly mind-blowing how convenient it is- it truly transforms urban life.

Tomorrow night around 11 pm we board the Trans-Mongolian train for 6 nights to Mongolia. I loved seeing Moscow and learned more about the city and Russia than I ever would in an ordinary classroom, I have to say I'm getting more and more excited that this is my whole academic year. It sure beats the 4 walled classroom and library back on campus. How did I get so lucky?! Who gets to travel with 24 friends and a professor to learn about the world around them WHILE experiencing it?! This trip has already changed my life and it has barely begun.  I am excited to explore places and lifestyles that are completely different from my own, different from urban and modern life. Moscow was amazing, but it has a familiarity that has prevented me from being fully out of my comfort zone. Oddly enough I crave the feeling of discomfort,  even when it means difficulty, it also means internal change is happening and therefore growth. 

There will be no service or internet on the train to Mongolia, but I will be sure to write regardless for a blog post in a couple weeks. Thank you for reading!