Night before the first day of school.

Don't expect to hear a lot from me this week. It's going to be a little crazy. I still have my Russian intensive next week, with class from 9:30am - 1pm, and then every day I will be shopping classes in the afternoon/evening, from either 1pm - 4:20pm or 4:40pm - 8pm. And then I am going to come home and pass out. Every night. Can't wait. But at least it is only next week. Once the Russian intensive ends I'll have more time to myself again.

This weekend was full of some nice carefree shenanigans. I'm getting to know the new people -- I hung out with some of them on both Friday and Saturday night. I also hung around with Katya and Stas and their friends on Saturday for a bit -- we ate Georgian food.

Today we had an excursion. Technically we don't need to go on excursions anymore, especially not ones that we already did this summer, and today was a six hour trip to Peterhoff -- the garden with all the fountains -- where we were this summer. But it is kind of expensive to get there on the hydrofoil and the gardens will be closing soon as the weather gets cold, so Ilana and I wanted to go one last time.... when we first got off the hydrofoil and were standing on that weird dock by the park and the wind was insane, Ilana and I were so miserable and sure we had made the dumbest decision of our lives. But then the two of us ditched the tour (as it was the same route from this summer) and went on our own personal wanderings to places we hadn't seen this summer (we even got a little lost at the edge of the park). And then our excursion dissolved into drinking tea and talking when we got too cold. It was nice.

And then after Peterhoff I went back to visit the dorms with Ilana, Lauren, Vicky and Eric. I hung out there and Ilana and I made pasta and I had mushroom soup that Ilana had made and we drank tea and continued our conversation and did homework and it was just a good break. It was kind of like being at Wellesley again for a little bit..... you know, the good part of Wellesley, the sitting around in Claflin and eating macaroni and cheese late at night part of Wellesley. I hadn't realized how much I've missed Western-style dorm life until I was back there tonight. It even made me sad when I had to leave in the cold and dark and take the bus back to my house alone, though I think it was the smell of the cold that really pulled a homesickness trigger.... Petersburg smells just like Boston in the fall, and it made me realize just how long I have been here.... and how much longer I have yet to go. But then on the bus back when we were crossing the Nevsky bridge, fireworks were going off -- either because tomorrow is the first day of school or because Zenit won on Friday night or what -- and it was quite serene.

Now I am a very tired lady and need to get myself to bed, but one last thing before I do....

HAPPY 23RD ANNIVERSARY, PARENTS!
I'm certainly grateful you two got hitched all those years ago. I wouldn't exist otherwise.

Good night.