I Still Can't Believe I Went to St. Petersburg

I should have counted how many times I or one of my friends said, "Guys, we're in RUSSIA!"  over the past 4 days. I know I was thinking it a lot. It was quite remarkable to visit this incredibly beautiful city, something I never thought I would actually get the opportunity to do. The excitement in the air was palpable from my first afternoon there as the sun sparkled on the Neva River and spoken Russian swirled around me. I had a wonderful time, some of which I hope to document on this blog in the coming days.

The group on the first day there--all international students in Finland and Sweden

My time in Russia can be likened to the classic wooden nesting dolls that are often associated with the country. I bought a set of my own, hand-painted in brilliant blue and gold. Now I can look at my matryoshka dolls and think about the layers of my experience just like the layers of the dolls. First you have what you see on the outside, the entire appearance. The shape of the country on the map. Maybe in some past contexts, the elephant in the middle of the proverbial room of the world map. The stereotypes. Next, just beyond that in the next doll you have the artifacts. These are the things that people come to see that aren't visible from the outside but you know are there like the palaces, cathedrals, and monuments. Even the drab Soviet style buildings in the outskirts of the city. Each of these items has a history that comes to life when you see them. Then in the next layer you have the people and what they have to share. This layer is a bit harder to discover as it is hidden within these nesting dolls. The paint on this doll is just as beautiful as all of the others and maybe even a little more intricate because the small figure requires a steady hand. This is where you really get to know the place you're in because the each individual has a unique story that cannot be told by the collective. And finally, there is the last little doll at the very center. The heart of the whole thing, it is the only piece that cannot be pulled apart and distorted by twisting the pieces. This one is that lingering feeling you're left with after having a grand new experience. It takes time for it to develop just as it takes time to open all the dolls and arrange them just so. It’s a sense of understanding of what you’ve experienced and the exhilaration of how that understanding was reached. A quiet but intense feeling that you will be forever stained by this experience just as these dolls are decorated with permanent paint. Now I have these dolls and their layers to remember my short time in this country and what it taught me. What a nice feeling that is.