November Update

Well, here it is - November 2010 - almost one year since I arrived in Moscow. So much has happened that I don't even know where to begin... but I'll try to chronicle as much as possible over the next few weeks. To start off, here's a snapshot of the past year by numbers:

• 9 types of transport taken
• 6 Russian visas
• 4 different roommates
• 3 very different apartments
• 2 trips to Kiev, Ukraine
• 2 trips back home to America
• 2 companies worked for (1 past, 1 current)
• 1 trip to Saint Petersburg 
• 1 Moscow Suburb visited
• 1 Smogpocalypse (aka Moscow this summer) survived
• hundreds of churches seen
• thousands of pictures taken (I promise to post them once they're finally sorted!)
• +40 C/104 F - the record breaking temperature in Moscow this summer
• -26 C/ -15 F - the coldest day of the past winter

Right now, the weather is behaving much like it did when I arrived last November. It's cold, but tolerably so, grey, and rainy. We have had a few sunny days recently - yesterday was one of them actually, and it was gorgeous. Sun definitely becomes a precious commodity in the winter here in Moscow!

As for me now, I'm right where I want to be. I've got a great apartment in the center of the city, a great roommate, a great job, and life in general can be described as great! :D While this past year certainly had its share of trials and tribulations, the good far outweighed the bad, and I wouldn't change anything even if I could. Everything happens for a reason, and I'm pretty sure if things had gone differently for me in the past year, I wouldn't be where I am now.