Impressions and Cogitations: Semester's over; leaving the Kultural Kapital for the summer

All my school work for this semester is finally over. This semester hasn't been difficult because of the schoolwork per se. It's just been a period of many transitions -- new city, surviving a never-ending winter, etc. It's good it's done and it's good that I can finally be free of this city for a few months. But coming to Petersburg, particularly in the depths of midwinter, has made me realize and appreciate ...

1) how up-to-date, functional, modern, etc. Moscow is by comparison.
2) the fact that getting through a tough adjustment period is worth it and is *not* forever.
3) that my future lies beyond Petersburg and that I might as well value my time here, even if I'm not where I want to be. How many people outside Russia get to see this city anyway??

I know I won't see the White Nights here and I'm sure from at least a tourist's perspective, that sounds like I'm missing out. But I, uh, actually appreciate some darkness at night and I don't want to deal with all the crazy party-going that will be happening here once there FINALLY is decently acceptable weather. The sunsets here are getting increasingly later which is throwing me off -- when it's 7PM it seems like 4PM! Plus, with the carefree attitude here, that is oddly civilly uncouth, I would have a harder time enjoying myself. I want to retain my good feelings of accomplishment in order to remember this first portion of my time here positively; that means leaving this city for a bit and coming back with a sense of renewal in the next few months.

For the next few days, however, I'll be day-tripping and traveling around, so stay tuned! On May Day, which was FREEZING (well, the wind chill made it feel so), I went to the surprisingly nice town of Gatchina south of the city and home of Tsar Alexander III. Although a tourist spot, it's far less visited than the city itself or Tsarskoye Selo and Peterhof. It was a good choice to avoid this city during the May holidays -- a time when everyone and their babushka comes up to revel in the Red Army's Victory in World War II. Or just get drunk and hope they don't barf into the canal on a tour boat passing through.

Some pictures from Gatchina