Day 255

Day 255.

And today is the day the homeward journey begins.

Waiting in the Pulkovo airport as the blizzard outside rages along.

I am leaving Russia. I am leaving Europe. I am leaving this adventure.

I am going home.

11 days.

As our train crosses the border I am struck with the feeling that we have crossed much more than a political barrier between two countries. We have left behind crumbling roads, archaic transportation and Soviet block housing. Every village, factory and road we pass seems to be the most beautiful and modern piece of design I have ever seen. It is just a matter of miles, but it is this short distance that makes all the difference. I am no longer in discontented, corrupt, and collapsing Russia. Oh no, I have just stepped foot into one of the most modern, progressive and happy places on earth. I have just entered Finland.

Now before you read this and assume that I detest Russia and its many (and I mean many) flaws, let me just refute that. My three months in Russia have given me a deeper love of Eastern Europe and a sense of home in this strangely cold and unfriendly culture. While I may not adore the fact that people are rude and self-focused as all get out, or that I cannot take a sip of tap water without fear of parasitic infection, it is the flaws of Russia that make it so endearing. This place feels like home because once you master its “unique” and strange system, and once you begin to understand its people, you finally feel like you belong. It is as though you have solved a riddle and discovered your place within that riddle.

So, it wasn’t leaving Russia that induced such excitement, instead; it was the knowledge that this Scandinavian country with its world-renowned gender equality, its unparalleled education system, and its fascinating history would be a reminder of something Western European. And that reminder is exactly what I got.

From delicious coffee, Thai food, people who spoke impeccable English (really, Finnish people have better English than me), H&M, modern and efficient transportation, women who don’t wear gaudy fur coats and heels all day-everyday, SUNSHINE, and the feel of fresh, clean air, Helsinki was like a dream come true. I’d like to call our weekend there my water break from the marathon that is Russia. Other than consuming mass amounts of real coffee and perfectly curried tofu, I explored the cobblestone streets of the city to no end, went to an island fortress, took a ferry across the Gulf of Finland to Tallinn, Estonia for the day, and soaked up every moment of sunshine that I could.

It was joy.

Even so, coming back to Russia, back to my little apartment with Mama Tatiana waiting, was definitely like coming home. And speaking of coming home, the stateside countdown has reached 11 days. My heart almost stops when hearing this. The joy of seeing family and friends and things that are familiar will be more than I can handle. Equally, knowing that this 9-month adventure of seeing the world and its people is coming to an end is bitter, bittersweet. I feel as though I have homes all over the world now, and my heart is scattered throughout. There is still so much to do and so much to see. With classes wrapping up and finals approaching I hope that I can make my last visits to people and places surely saying, “Goodbye. Until next time that is”.