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| Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood |
My adventure in St. Petersburg has finally started and I
am an official international traveler. I
have finally been subjected to long flights, airplane food, transfers, and
passport control. It may have been long,
but the plane rides were worth it because I have received the first stamp in my
passport. Navigating through four
airports and not losing my luggage, I was already proud of myself. Then, I walked out into the sun of St. Petersburg. I still cannot believe that I have made it to
this city full of history and culture, a city just begging for me to explore. Lucky enough for me, jet lag has taken its
toll and I am slowly adjusting while doing my best to contain my enthusiasm.
The program coordinators have this thing down pat. They completely realize that we have little energy but want to see the city we have committed ourselves to for 8 weeks. In order to remedy our two conflicting interests, they scheduled a city bus tour to get some of the giddiness out of our systems. It was a marvelous idea, because we all wanted to see the city. However, I have officially decided that bus tours are just a tease. They drive you by beautiful buildings full of history that just scream “Come here!” and you are left with an increased desire to explore the city. We drove past the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood, the Mariinsky Theatre, and the Yusupov Palace. I was lucky to catch a glimpse of the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Besides the places I already knew I wanted to see, a hundred others were added to my list during the drive. Bus tours are like movie trailers, except they do not give away half the plot in two minutes. Instead, you get one or two quick facts and are whisked around the corner to the next excitement. All in all, my desire for exploration was nowhere near quenched, it was only amplified. But that is alright, because it was just a tease. The tour was a tease that finally gave me a glimpse of a city I have dreamed about, and for that I am grateful.
The program coordinators have this thing down pat. They completely realize that we have little energy but want to see the city we have committed ourselves to for 8 weeks. In order to remedy our two conflicting interests, they scheduled a city bus tour to get some of the giddiness out of our systems. It was a marvelous idea, because we all wanted to see the city. However, I have officially decided that bus tours are just a tease. They drive you by beautiful buildings full of history that just scream “Come here!” and you are left with an increased desire to explore the city. We drove past the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood, the Mariinsky Theatre, and the Yusupov Palace. I was lucky to catch a glimpse of the Winter Palace and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Besides the places I already knew I wanted to see, a hundred others were added to my list during the drive. Bus tours are like movie trailers, except they do not give away half the plot in two minutes. Instead, you get one or two quick facts and are whisked around the corner to the next excitement. All in all, my desire for exploration was nowhere near quenched, it was only amplified. But that is alright, because it was just a tease. The tour was a tease that finally gave me a glimpse of a city I have dreamed about, and for that I am grateful.
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