Finally feeling a little better

Today is the first day that I have been home that I actually feel better.  I think I owe that to day 3 of taking my super antibiotics!  I am finally getting my laundry done and unpacking my things from the Russia trip.  I sorted through my photos from the trip and will, hopefully, print my favorites and start my Russia Scrapbook this weekend!  I already miss my friends that I made and hope they will continue to email or leave me messages on Facebook!  I didn't think I would miss the food, but I have been craving kiwi yogurt every day since we left!  I enjoyed the ballet we attended at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow last Saturday evening.  The dancers were amazing and the costumes were beautiful, even if the story was difficult to follow!  The market in Moscow was also very interesting.  The vendors sold almost everything you could have wanted to buy while in Russia.  If I had more money while there I would've bought the entire market!  I was a little disappointed that I could not get a 50 ruble St. George coin though, it was the only item anyone actually requested I bring back. :(  I have lived a sheltered life and am happy to say that I had many firsts while in Russia: first cab ride, public bus ride, trolley ride, subway experience, and first time to ever go to a Hard Rock Cafe (in Moscow!).   Oh, not to mention I had my very first experience with staying the night at a complete strangers home!  No worries though, Ksusha was such a friendly and welcoming person! 

Pictures!!!

THE BEST tour guide in the world, Sergei!

Cathedral in Vladimir

Beautiful Elena!

Lenin!

Vladimir at night

Vladimir

My friend Tasha gave bracelets to Dr. V and me and this is our bracelets with Tasha's! She is such a creative and artistic person. I think she is the coolest person I have met in Russia...she has her own band!

My gorgeous friend Svetlana and Dr. Pope!

Oh, how beautiful Vladimir is. 

Amazing time in Murom!!!

We arrived in a small town in Russia, maybe 100,000 people, named Murom.  This town was so beautiful.  We were given a small tour of this town and learned about the town hero, Ilya Muromets!  We also took a tour of their portrait museum, saw their courthouse, visited the university, and met some wonderful people.  I am proud to say that I have met many amazing people while in Russia, but in Murom I stayed with one of the nicest, kindest, most generous people I have every met, Ksusha.  She opened her home and her life to me and was very excited to do so.  She was very hospitable and made sure that my stay in her home was a pleasant one.  I met her boyfriend, Artom, whose name I probably misspelled.  He too was very kind to me.  They took me for dinner at a cafe which was originally a prison that was built in the 1800s.  We also saw a 5D film which was very fun and funny because my cute little Ksusha screamed at the scary creatures that popped out of the screen!  They took me to the town's new bridge and I was able to see the bridge, the town, and the river at night.  This was one of the most beautiful things that I have seen.  They also took me to the train station which was also very nice.  We finished the night by sharing some drinks at Ksusha's apartment and a very nice conversation.  Artom decided he wanted to learn English so that my husband and I could come back and visit them together.  Ksusha even offered to share her home with us again.  I am sad that I did not have more time to spend with this wonderful woman!  Oh, I also ate a cabbage soup called schi.  I actually enjoyed this soup very much, eventhough I do not like cabbage!  AND, mom you will be SOOO proud, I ate salad two days in a row.  I ate a salad with red bell peppers, radish, and cucumber and liked it!  I have REALLY stepped outside of my box and tried many foods here.  I have had and am having such a wonderful time, but I am also ready to come home.  I will require a long hot bath, a lot of time with my husband, and possibly a three day nap!

Photos!

Beautiful Vladimir!

Our "Mama Bear," Nadya. The best tour guide.

Assumption Cathedral

Last day in Vladimir

Today is our last day in Vladimir. :(  We watched a cultural concert at the University and visited the orphanage today.  The trip to the orphanage made me sad.  Of course, I wanted to adopt half of the children and bring them home with me.  The orphanage contained children ages 3-7 and has a relatively high adoption rate.  We also visited a health and well being school which is comparable to our social workers in America.  This organization is the only one of its kind and is located here in Vladimir.  It is a "grassroots" organization and the Government had suggested such a program not knowing that this one exists in Vladimir!  We will have free time later and I think I will go have coffee with one of my new Russian friends!  I have also decided that I will continue to write blog entries about the trip when I return home and have reliable internet.

So...I promised pictures...

Drive from Moscow to Vladimir!

The American Home, our host agency!

Students at our favorite restaurant Oblomov

All of the girls with the Cadets and Svetlana

The American Home!

Our fearless leaders, Dr. Vandiver & Dr. Pope (<3 them)

Borscht (not my favorite)

Assumption Cathedral at night!

Sorry, I only had enough time to post a few pictures!  I will post more when I have more time!

Such a fun day...

I posted my last entry very quickly today as I thought I would not have internet now.  However, I have managed to pick up the hotel's wifi connection while sitting in my bedroom!  I have had an awesome day today, accept for missing my wonderful husband's phone call.  :(  He called today while we were in the Vladimir Court House learning about their court process from a very high ranking judge!  The tour of the court house was nice and learning about their court process was interesting.  They have a panel of 3 judges or a jury that decides the outcome of criminal trials.  Defendants choose between trial by jury or judges.  Here the defendants choose trial by judge more often.  The defendants also sit in a type of jail cell that is built into the court room.  In Vladimir they have modernized these cells to a type of class room rather than the old style of a jail cell with steel bars!  After this tour we had dinner at a popular restaurant in Vladimir called Shesh Besh.  The food was delicious, but the dish that Renna and I ordered took forever to cook.  Everyone else had already received and eaten their food!  When we finally finished eating the other students went back to the hotel and did other things, I guess anyway, and Dr. Vandiver, Kim, and I went shopping!  We stopped at this adorable little shop where I got my mom, grandma, and best friend some really cute swag!  Then we went to the mall (YAY!) where I bought an awesome new pair of purple flats (of course I had to buy a new pair of shoes in Russia!).  I found out that a carton of Marlboro cigarettes is only $18 American here.  I guess it is because it is still very popular here.  I also bought some really cute hair bows, a very popular style of bow that we do not wear in America, for my neice...I hope she likes them!  I also found out that I cannot fit their clothes.  I tried on a shirt that was entirely too big in the shoulders, bust, and stomach but not big enough in the hips! (lol)  Anyway, I had a wonder ful day today.  I will stay awake until my husband gets off of work.  It is currently 11:30pm here and only 2:30pm there :(  Hopefully I will have some wifi here at the hotel tomorrow!  I enjoy writing the blog...hope you guys are enjoying reading it! 

It's Thursday...Right?!?!

WOW...adjusting to the time change has been difficult.  I thought today was Wednesday, but it is, in fact, Thursday!  Yesterday we listened to a great lecture about the Russian legal/court system.  It is different from our legal system, but there are several similarities.  They have a lengthy appeals process also with several courts to appeal your case in.  They have small claims, civil, and criminal courts like us as well.  They will be restructuring their law codes within the next several years.  Today we had a lecture on their police force.  Here they enter into cadet corps for legal training at age 17.  They study for 5 years before they are allowed to enter into their selected professions in the legal system.  They train to be lawyers, police officers, investigators, judges, and corrections officers.  I am having a wonderful time.  Yesterday I made a new friend, her name is Natalia.  She speaks English very well.  We are very much alike.  She reminds me of myself when I was much younger!  She is only 21 years old!  The others are rushing off to lunch.  I must go before they forget me!  I wish I had wifi at my hotel so that I could write about everything everyday!  I will try to write entries every day that I can! Hopefully, I can write another entry later or tonight!  Miss you husband and mom!  <3

In Russia!

We touched down in Russia yesterday!  The plane ride was extremely long and we had another long car ride to Vladimir from Moscow.  On our trip to Vladimir from Moscow we stopped at a pay toilet on the side of the road...unfortunately, the toilet was a hole in the ground that we had to squat over!  What an experience!  The hole in the ground, pay toilet was yesterday's highlight!  We had dinner at the hotel.  The chicken was delicious.  I had a salad alternative with boiled egg, ham, peas, cucumbers, pimentos (I think), and mayonaise.  It was not my favorite but I ate half of it.  Here they do not have drinks with their meals, while they eat.  We were served hot tea at the end of our meal.  Breakfast was similar to breakfast in the States.  Breakfast was served buffet style and included: fried eggs, hard boilded eggs, scrambled eggs, corn flakes, granola, porridge, sliced turkey, sausage (kinda of like smoked, but was sliced thin), salad, cheese, bread, milk, pancakes, coffee, tea, pineapple juice, orange/grapefruit juice, and a few other things.  After breakfast we walked to the American Home (our host agency) which is not far from our hotel.  The walk was scenic.  The American Home has been the first place that I have had wifi access.  I am now listening to an interesting lecture by Dr. Pope about the court process he endured while prosecuting a lady who embezzled money from the American Home.  I will post another entry tomorrow!  I am already having fun and cannot wait to see what is in store in the next couple of weeks! 

All of my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

My two large, purple bags are packed, my carry-on bag is packed, and my music device is synced.  I even loaded the bags into the trunk of the car.  Lester, my husband, will be driving me to the airport in Houston tomorrow.  I am ready to go! 
My seven-year-old niece, Elizabeth, is very excited about my trip, but does not want me to be gone away for so long!  She informed me tonight that I needed to wake her up before I leave so she can give me a "big goodbye hug!"  I promised I would not leave without telling her goodbye. 
I have butterflies in my tummy and am very excited about the trip.  I still am nervous about being so far away from my husband for two weeks.  In the ten years we have been together I have not been away from him more than a weeks length! 

Packing!

I started packing for Russia over a month ago.  My toiletry bag is pretty much packed and I have packed sweaters, hats, and scarves already.  I have not packed anything else though.  I still have so much to pack and we are leaving on Sunday, only six days away!  I purchased a lot of items today to take to Russia as gifts.  I think I will need to take an additional checked bag just for the gifts!  I have my very last class of the semester tomorrow.  So, after tomorrow I will be concentrating on packing!

Countdown to Flight Departure from Houston (Central & Moscow Time!)

My Countdown Countdown

My Countdown Countdown

Dr. Pope's Packing List

Today Dr. Vandiver sent us a list of suggested items to pack that she received from the director of our host agency, Dr. Pope.  I was extremely excited about this list, until I started reading it!  The first word that scared me...MOSQUITOES!  Anyone who knows me knows that bugs, primarily mosquitoes, cockroaches, and ants, bother me tremendously!  I am allergic to mosquitoes and ants and get giant red whelps anytime I am bit by one.  I will definitely be taking bug repellent to Russia!  Next I begin reading the list of suggested clothing to wear and the list discourages t-shirts and any jeans that are tattered, frayed, or drag the ground.  Apparently these items will warrant teasing as being a "sloppy American."  I can get over the t-shirt part, but I do not own a single pair of jeans that: a.) do not drag under my heel; b.) are not tattered and frayed at the bottom as a result of dragging the ground; and c.) I own "distressed" jeans, meaning I bought them with holes in them!  Also, I would like to know who wears nice shirts with tennis shoes?  I will be packing my Ugg boots, my comfortable tennis shoes, flip flops to wear in the hostel shower, and, apparently, now some type of nice, black flat.  I was confident in packing until I saw this list.  Now, I think I need a bigger bag! (lol)  I will not be discouraged!  I will make this work and even the scary packing list cannot quell my excitement!  Для России!

New Swag for the Trip!

 

 New L.L. Bean Rolling Duffel that was under $100.00.  The customer reviews are also excellent and the company will replace it if it is damaged or breaks, no questions asked!

For an additional cost they will embroider your name or initials!

It is top heavy so it doesn't stand on its own very well, but it has wheels and a retractable handle.

As a purse alternative, I purchased this Nike gym sack!  It is very roomy and only costs $15! 

Another steal at $15! I purchased this expandable toiletry bag at Walmart.  It has individual slots for my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and bath sponge in the from zipper! It is also adorable!

Inside has pockets for all of my other travel size goodies!  It is super spacious!

Lastly, I purchased new walking shoes from the Sketchers outlet.  They are Sketchers Toners.  These are the most comfortable shoes I have ever walked in.  I walked a couple of miles in them just to test them out and my feet did not bother me at all!  They aren't even broken in yet either!



Well, these are some of my new goodies for the trip!  Still trying to debate on purchasing a disposable international phone at some point or if I will just skype/email the amazing husband while I am away.  Also, Dr. Vandiver informed us that we will be in Russia during white nights or the phenomenon also known as the midnight sun!  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_sun  It sounds very interesting and is just another great thing we will be privileged to experience on our trip!

News About the Russia Trip!

We had a meeting about our trip to Russia today!  We will be staying at Hotel Vladimir most of the nights we are there.  http://www.hotel-vladimir.ru/ Additionally, we will stay three nights at a hostel in Moscow. http://www.hotelnewarbat.ru/  I am excited that we will be able to visit the Militia Training School, visit a Russian Court, and possibly the Vladimir Central Prison or women's colony!  The many discussions and lectures also sound very interesting!  I am so excited and feel very fortunate that I am able to experience this great opportunity.  I am looking forward to meeting all of the new people and experiencing a different.  One of the other students, Rebecca, was telling me that staying in a hostel is a fun experience.  Since this is my first trip out of the states, I am looking forward to this as well!  In the next couple of days I will post some pictures of my new rolling duffel bag and new walking shoes!  I still have shopping to do.  I am going to try to buy some nice Texas State swag to take with me to share with my host family and still have all of my toiletries to purchase.  I may also purchase a small gym sack, like the Nike or Adidas ones, to carry my belongings around. I am definitely not taking a purse!  Anyway, I still have to make a complete list of everything I want to take!  This is going to be such a fun trip!

First Blog Entry!

I am starting this blog early since we are not actually leaving for Russia until May 15th.  I want to make sure it is set up so I do not encounter any problems with it once we actually get to Russia! The trip is about a month away and I am getting so excited!  I think the only thing I am not looking forward to is having to spend two whole weeks without my husband. :(  I recently purchased a new rolling duffel bag from LL Bean for the trip; it arrived yesterday!  It is definately large enough to pack everything I need without being too large.  Also, it is purple!!!  My shopping adventures will continue as I search for the perfect pair of walking shoes for the trip!  We recently found out that our trip to St. Petersburg will be cancelled.  The cost was a little more than planned for and the trip itself is time consuming.  Dr. Vandiver decided that it would be best to eliminate the stop as it is more of a historical and aesthetic portion of the trip and less related to criminal justice.  Please check out our host agencies website: http://www.serendipity-russia.com/.  They seem like an awesome group of people and they help teach English to Russian students!