today the sunshine broke through several days of overcast skies, and was cheery enough to even stir my hungover self (beer and vodka and backpackers are always a rough mix) out of bed and into the warm, sunny streets of st. petersburg.
i am proud to announce that i did almost nothing of any value whatsoever today, just uploading all of my pictures to flickr (finally caught up on the 100s of photos i hadn't uloaded yet), roaming in and out of churches and historic-looking buildings, and wandering around the streets of st petersburg. all of the energy and "big cityness" of moscow has evaporated here, so the people move slowly through the streets and they actually smile now and then.
this afternoon i was also happy to find the fastest internet access i've come across since i left on my trip, and had some pepperoni pizza at pizza.ru which was so perfectly like the pizza i grew up on in the 80s that i couldn't help but look around for a can of hansen's soda and a cocktail-table game of galaga or crazy climber to complete the scene.
it's summer and life is good.
Comments (5)
I'm following your trip and find it very intriguing. I've backpacked Europe for a month before, but would love to do the round the world version--if only for the great pictures, stories and writing!
Escaping (or should we say defecting) from corporate America is no small task. Thousands dream of it every day :)
Enjoy, for all of us.
Posted by D | August 5, 2006 8:04 PM
Posted on August 5, 2006 20:04
Yet it's the corporate America that often allows trips such as this. (I could go into the whole "what makes America great" spiel, but I will save it for more appropriate places. Suffice it to say that Moscow exemplifies the wild capitalism that is enhancing the lives of the "nu-Russians."
Posted by pomor | August 6, 2006 1:17 AM
Posted on August 6, 2006 01:17
I am enjoying your trip probably as much as you are, Andy. I am happy to see much freer economic expressions in the regions that for decades were in the clutches of stoic totalitarian regimes. It's like being released from jail serving out a sentence for a crime you didn't commit... (I was born and raised in Russia).
Posted by pomor | August 6, 2006 1:32 AM
Posted on August 6, 2006 01:32
thanks for the props! no small task indeed -- it took many months of preparation before leaving my job (not to mention dealing with unplugging from life in the US for a year), but it was definitely the right move for me.
pomor, i agree. it's really exciting to see russia at this point in its history, and it makes me really happy to see people enjoying social AND economic freedoms over here. i don't have the historical perspective that you do, but (for example) the optimistic vibe in st. petersburg has been incredible.
i'll probably be returning to the tech entreprenurial world after the trip is done, but for now i'm just enjoying the freedom and trying to remember how lucky i am to be able to do this!
Posted by andy | August 6, 2006 1:54 PM
Posted on August 6, 2006 13:54
Yes, I'm all for capitalism. It's that stuck in a rut thing I dislike :)
Posted by D | August 7, 2006 3:43 AM
Posted on August 7, 2006 03:43