As an experienced international traveler, I have to admit that this trip didn't exactly push my personal boundaries a lot-- most of the places I visited were museums or historical sites, we always had a guide to make sure we didn't get lost, and on this trip most of our food was provided for us on the ship too! But the great thing about traveling is that even if the trip doesn't provide a lot of challenges, it will always provide insight into different cultures.
Now, based on my previous comments, I don't want anybody to think I didn't enjoy myself. Viking easily made this trip one of the most relaxing international trips I've ever been on, which was DEFINITELY a new experience. My family's motto when traveling is usually "you can sleep when you die". We spend our time seeing as much as we can in as little time as we can, because we never know when (or if) we'll be back. Viking is an incredible company that has service at the heart of everything they do. I'm normally not a huge fan of cruises, but this trip was much more my speed. It was very educationally focused, and I was much more interested in attending lectures on the Romanov family than playing bingo in the bar or salsa dancing on the lido deck. The food was spectacular, and our rooms were kept immaculate by multiple housekeeping visits a day. I was also astounded by the ability of the crew to learn our names and our preferences so quickly. As a teacher, it takes me about 3 weeks to learn the names of 130 students. The crew had our names, coffee orders, and room numbers memorized in about 2 days!
Another "first" on this trip was losing my luggage. I normally travel in a carry on, but I was convinced to check a bag because this was a longer trip, and it would be nice to not be in the same pair of jeans for two whole weeks. Viking was incredibly hospitable, provided me with all the toiletries I needed, and washed all my clothes each night until my suitcase was delivered from the airport. Definitely an experience I don't need to repeat again, but I'm glad that it happened in a place where I had so many other people helping me to navigate this potential disaster.
Being in Russia at this point in time was also fascinating. Despite the "friendliness" between our current political leaders, I feel like there are a lot of tensions regarding election hacking, and even some latent resentment regarding our cultural relationship in the past. It was fascinating to be reminded that despite the way our countries are run, or who they are run by, that we are all just humans; we all want the same things. People want to be happy, and safe, and healthy have opportunities to grow. Whether they are from big cities like Seattle or Moscow, or little towns like Belfair, or Uglich, people want to connect with each other, and learn about the world around them. We all have our own given circumstances that shape us into who we are, but our experiences are often much more similar than we realize.
One striking moment on this trip was getting to meet a woman named Nadia who opened her home to visitors so we could see what her life was like. She spoke through a translator and told us about her life as a grandmother, and how she enjoyed working in her garden. She spent most of her early life growing up in Lithuania, and became a biology teacher. When the USSR was dissolved, the principal at her school said she had done a great job as a teacher, but she had 6 months to leave the country. I was floored that she had spent her life in one place, and was suddenly told that she had to abandon everything she's known. Then, I remembered that people in my own country, known as DREAMers, are experiencing similar uncertainties about their future. It really hammered home the point that no matter how different we are, we have even more in common.
I'll write a bit more about a few specific moments of my trip, but there's no way I can blog every moment. If you'd like to hear more, let's meet up for a drink (or maybe some pelmeni) and we'll chat :)
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