Last week was our 6 month mark on moving to Moscow!! However, Chris has actually been here for over a year now. I arrived with C at DME airport on August 20th ready to join Chris and start our new adventure. While I can actually say that we've been living in Moscow for the last 6 months, I can't actually say we've been here for all of the last 6 months. It was just 2 months after I arrived that I took a 10 day trip to London and then somehow managed to make it home for Thanksgiving 2011 and, due to unforeseen sickness with C, wasn't back in Moscow until beginning of February 2012. We have been back for almost a month and have settled right back into Moscow living!!
To embrace my 6 month mark on moving to Moscow, I started to think about things I like about being here, and as well, things I don't exactly like so much. I'll start with the "likes"!!
Please note the following are in no particular order!!
LIKE:
*our apartment and the space
*the 3 of us being here together
*making new friends and building relationships
*having the opportunity to stay home with Cayden
*meeting other mommies and attending playgroups
*having accessibility to traveling to other countries
*Chris not working as many hours
*attending the AWO (American Women's Organization) meetings, events and interest groups
*exploring how to make meals more "from-scratch"
*reliable train system
*the playgrounds and huge park outside our building
*learning a new language
*getting cell phone service on the trains
*American TV channels on our Russian cable
*Chris driving, even though we only drive to the mall and grocery store
*exploring Moscow
*stores/restaurants are open late
*having a washer AND dryer in an actual laundry room
*can often find English menus at restaurants
*Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins, Cinnabon, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Subway, Chili's, TGI Fridays, Hard Rock Cafe-it's definitely Chris that cares more about these food places, but it's nice to know that if you have a craving, there are some "tastes" of home here
DISLIKE:
*being away from family and friends
*location of our apartment
*mayhem of the grocery stores
*the ridiculously cold weather
*the traffic and congestion
*learning how to speak and read Russian-it's not that easy-and the Russian language is the way here
*how expensive everything is
*crazy driving, there are seriously no driving rules or marked driving lanes
*that nothing is convenient or easy to do
*the language barrier, even with those Russians that speak English
*how hard the water is, thus drying out my skin and hair
*rudeness (I could break this down into about 5 more, but I won't)
*if you find an item once you will probably never find it again
*that smoking is still allowed EVERYWHERE
*that visitors need to hassle with getting a visa to visit
*sending and receiving mail through the post office is completely unreliable
*it is definitely not a stroller (or handicap) accessible city
*cars parking (and often driving) on the sidewalks
*that you can't drink the tap water (hesitate to even use when cooking)
*rarely finding a highchair in a restaurant
*in the winter, having to bundle up with heavy coats and boots to stay warm but also sweating
*the government controlled heating (our apartment gets so hot)
*Russian babushkas yelling at you
*small elevators in apartment buildings
*how dirty and grimy everything is
I know the year mark of being in Moscow will be here before we know it, as these next 6 months will be filled with traveling and visitors!! As hard as the transition was to move to Moscow, especially coming from the great life we had made in London, I really feel that I have adjusted pretty well with all things considering and the fact that I really have only been here about 3 or so months!!! I'm beginning to enjoy my weeks and look forward to what I have planned. If I can only get back on track with the Russian lessons, I think I would start feeling even more comfortable getting around (and if spring would get here sooner than later, that would sure help)!!
Happy Leap Year everyone!!!
To embrace my 6 month mark on moving to Moscow, I started to think about things I like about being here, and as well, things I don't exactly like so much. I'll start with the "likes"!!
Please note the following are in no particular order!!
LIKE:
*our apartment and the space
*the 3 of us being here together
*making new friends and building relationships
*having the opportunity to stay home with Cayden
*meeting other mommies and attending playgroups
*having accessibility to traveling to other countries
*Chris not working as many hours
*attending the AWO (American Women's Organization) meetings, events and interest groups
*exploring how to make meals more "from-scratch"
*reliable train system
*the playgrounds and huge park outside our building
*learning a new language
*getting cell phone service on the trains
*American TV channels on our Russian cable
*Chris driving, even though we only drive to the mall and grocery store
*exploring Moscow
*stores/restaurants are open late
*having a washer AND dryer in an actual laundry room
*can often find English menus at restaurants
*Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins, Cinnabon, McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Subway, Chili's, TGI Fridays, Hard Rock Cafe-it's definitely Chris that cares more about these food places, but it's nice to know that if you have a craving, there are some "tastes" of home here
DISLIKE:
*being away from family and friends
*location of our apartment
*mayhem of the grocery stores
*the ridiculously cold weather
*the traffic and congestion
*learning how to speak and read Russian-it's not that easy-and the Russian language is the way here
*how expensive everything is
*crazy driving, there are seriously no driving rules or marked driving lanes
*that nothing is convenient or easy to do
*the language barrier, even with those Russians that speak English
*how hard the water is, thus drying out my skin and hair
*rudeness (I could break this down into about 5 more, but I won't)
*if you find an item once you will probably never find it again
*that smoking is still allowed EVERYWHERE
*that visitors need to hassle with getting a visa to visit
*sending and receiving mail through the post office is completely unreliable
*it is definitely not a stroller (or handicap) accessible city
*cars parking (and often driving) on the sidewalks
*that you can't drink the tap water (hesitate to even use when cooking)
*rarely finding a highchair in a restaurant
*in the winter, having to bundle up with heavy coats and boots to stay warm but also sweating
*the government controlled heating (our apartment gets so hot)
*Russian babushkas yelling at you
*small elevators in apartment buildings
*how dirty and grimy everything is
I know the year mark of being in Moscow will be here before we know it, as these next 6 months will be filled with traveling and visitors!! As hard as the transition was to move to Moscow, especially coming from the great life we had made in London, I really feel that I have adjusted pretty well with all things considering and the fact that I really have only been here about 3 or so months!!! I'm beginning to enjoy my weeks and look forward to what I have planned. If I can only get back on track with the Russian lessons, I think I would start feeling even more comfortable getting around (and if spring would get here sooner than later, that would sure help)!!
Happy Leap Year everyone!!!
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