Love in Moscow

I apologize to my 8 devoted readers that it has been over a week. We had our spring break these past few days. My roommate, Allison, and I decided to spend that week frolicking in Moscow. From recounts of students that had been there before, I was prepared for a gray, cold and unfriendly city. What we found was really quite different.

From the first day, I was impressed by the city. It managed to have the big city feel of New York, yet retain the history that captivates thousands of tourists every year. Our first stop, naturally, was Red Square. It truly is a wonderful sight. The square is surrounded by the Kremlin, Saint Basil's, Gum Department Store, and the State History Museum. All 4 buildings I spent quite a bit of time exploring. We headed back to the square at least once a day, just wandering around and falling in love once again.

Another sight on Red Square is Lenin's tomb. This was more bizarre than anything else. To see the man himself, who is preserved in a glass case, you much enter the building and maneuver these dark hallways until you see his face, literally glowing. You are not allowed to stand and look at him, but need to keep moving, shuffling slowly to let the eerie vision finally sink in. It is by far, the oddest thing I have ever seen. However, I can say, that I came face to face with the legend himself.

We stayed in a hostel about 20 minutes from Red Square that ended up being the perfect location. The two of us were however, sleeping in a bunk house with 8 other guys. They ended up being great travel company, even though they smelled pretty awful.

Before leaving for Moscow, many of the students who had already been warned us that we would not be impressed. After being there, they are completely wrong. I am in love with Moscow.

Everything about the city was perfect and without a doubt, I will visit it again. I could even see myself living there for some time, but don't worry mom, not forever. Behind London and Tokyo, Moscow is the 3rd most expensive city in the world. It is hard to imagine that less than 20 years ago, this was the hub of Communism.

As of right now, there are two Starbucks in Russia. They both happen to be in Moscow and both happen to be on the same street. We ventured into one, only to find coffee mugs in the shape of Matrushka dolls. Quite entertaining.

Before getting to Moscow I was worried about how Allison and I would do, venturing around the city on our own. That, and the fact that neither of us is very good at speaking Russian. Not good at all actually. But now, having traveled in Moscow by train, bus and metro, we can say we dominated their public transportation. It almost felt like the city wanted us to like it. Getting around was effortless. And we had the added bonus of gazing at the amazingly beautiful metro stations built by Stalin during the communist area. Just google "Moscow Metro" to see a few pictures.

The only hitch and probably the funniest point on our trip happened on our 8 hour train journey home. We decided to forgo our nice, 2nd class seats for the 3rd class cheap tickets. We walked into our car on the train to find about 50 plus beds lined up. Allison and I were both assigned top bunks which should really not have happened. I stuck out the end about 6 inches. But the real difficulty came when it was time to get into bed. Because of the layout of the beds and my general luck, I fell off my bed when I first attempted to get in. That was pretty embarrassing. The only thing more embarrassing was when I tried it again, the exact same thing happened.I was crying because I was laughing so hard but also because I was going to have nowhere to sleep for the next eight hours if I could not get into bed. Eventually, I managed to contort my body and finagle my way into bed. At this point I decided that for the next eight hours, I was not going to move. I spooned my backpack the entire eight hours on this dirty Russian mattress with no sheets. Needless to say, the shower I took when I got home was needed.

But overall, I am obsessed with Moscow. I enjoyed every moment I spent there and I know that one day, I will be back. It is a city with so much to offer and seeping in history that to this day effects the lives of each individual in Russia.