The Halfway Point: On the Night Before a Journey

I've spent the evening packing, and I think I'm ready to go! I have half a backpack full of only the most necessary things; antibiotics, clean underwear, fancy clothes, slippers, and a mirror to check and make sure my nose looks ok!

Seriously, I feel pretty ready for two and a half weeks of trotting all over Russia. Tonight we had a goodbye party with the family and ate a box of chocolates that a famous Tyvan singer gave me for no reason other than that I am from the USA. The chocolates were specially ordered by the Tyvan Ministry of Culture, and made with berries and tvorog (real cottage cheese) from Tyvan cows. I could definitely taste the tvorog; they tasted like animals, like most milk and meat products in Tyva. I am going to miss Tyvan meat... It was a strangely pleasant experience to eat a box of chocolates that tasted like cows. I have to give the Ministry of Culture a "five" on this one--that's a Russian "A."

I'm going to miss Namdolma, the kids, my wonderful students, my colleagues, acquaintances; even the people who kind of creep me out! I'm going to miss my favorite cashiers in all the shops. I'm going to miss the Black Cloud of Doom and minus 50 Celsius. I'm going to miss the St. Bernard in the yard out my window. I'm going to miss the Yenisei River and maybe even the Center of Asia monument (though I've only been there twice). I'm going to miss buying apples at the 40th store, and always counting out twelve rubles for the Gazelle minibus. I'm going to miss Abakan milk and onions from the village. And especially I will miss drinking tea around the kitchen table and laughing in the evenings...

However, I'm going to see some cool things. Tomorrow about midday I will walk to the hotel Mongulek, where if I stand at a certain spot on the walkway I will be approached by a taxi driver. I'll make arrangements with him, and then he'll come pick me up in his taxi cab in the afternoon and we'll drive to Abakan. I'm most of all nervous about the drive through the mountains, so better to get it over with first. Vacation will be a breeze after that...

I'll get a hotel till the morning; then go to the airport and fly to Moscow, where it will be morning again! Then I'll wander around Moscow for twelve hours until my train leaves for St. Petersburg. I love sleeping on trains, so this will be a welcome event. I've been dreaming of taking the night train to St. Petersburg ever since I left after studying there...

Then I have seven nights in Saint Petersburg to revisit all the haunts from study abroad! I can hardly wait... parks, museums, restaurants, subway stations. Cafes, islands, bridges, alleys. And lots of friends to visit! From Kenyon, from my work on the Black Sea, former students, and old teachers. Not to mention a crop of other Fulbrighters!!! I think it will be crazy and amazing. And all against the backdrop of the world's most wonderful Russian city...

Then we have a conference in Moscow for three days. I also expect that seeing the whole group of ETAs will be fantastic. There are 17 or so of us, and we've each been living and experiencing a different city in Russia and we're all getting together to talk about it; should be swell. I was trying to explain to Namdolma earlier how strange it will be to be back in an American culture bubble; but it will also be like stepping into a hot banya on a cold day...

Then a couple other Siberian ETAs and I will be taking the Trans-Siberian railway back out to Tyva. We are taking the slow road home; three days of close spaces and little Russian towns sliding by the windows. It will be really healthy I think; a good way to mark the first and second parts of this year abroad and to spend some time with people I like. I have been warned, however, to expect a strong odor to emanate from the socks of Russian males (we are traveling third class). We will briefly "have a rest" in the towns of Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk, and perhaps take a bus back to Tyva. I haven't thought that far ahead yet; it seems really distant now!

So that's the plan for the next while. I don't expect I'll get around to writing anything while I'm on the road. I will miss Tyva, but--hey--I get to come back! I have a whole 'nother semester to soak up the place and work with the students. So I'll catch y'all on the flipside of two and a half weeks. Keep it cool, cucumbers :-)

Riley