After five years working in London, I decided it was time to move back to Los Angeles, but not before taking a year off to see the world. I gave up my great job with Lehman Brothers in Administration and a fantastic flat (and roommate) I’d lived in for over three years, packed up all my belongings into some 60 cubic feet of boxes and said farewell to the wonderful friends I made in London. Before setting off for Asia, I spent seven weeks in the States including a weekend getaway in Chicago with my best friends from high school, corrective eye surgery in Philadelphia, Aud and Rob’s wedding in Bermuda, 13 days in Israel on Birthright (with a side trip to Petra) and time in quiet Oak Park with my parents and sister. Then, on July 18, 2010 at 1am, with only 13 kilograms in my 50L backpack and a small shoulder bag, I boarded a flight to Singapore. The goal of my adventure is not one of self-discovery or mending a broken heart but a journey of true desire to explore the world, experience new cultures, taste various cuisines, explore beautiful wildernesses, meet local people, and maybe learn some Spanish along the way. What lies below are my stories (or more of a daily recount of events) from the road.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Notes from St Petersburg

Thursday, August 26, 2010, Friday, August 27, 2010 and Saturday, August 28, 2010
(Written on August 28)

Thursday, August 26, 2010

  • Arrive in St Petersburg at 6:45am, walk to pick up (late), taken to M hotel, 30 minutes to kill while a couple people got changed, called home and finally had a long chat with parents
  • Breakfast near hotel (not great choice)
  • Walking tour (partly in rain) with Anna before free time
  • Hermitage from 10:30am to 3pm - was going to leave at 2:15pm but started raining outside so I read in the cafe - incredible building, rooms were beautiful, kept looking for paintings described in the book, so much to see!, overwhelming
  • Walked to St Issac's and climbed the 200 stairs for the view over Moscow - started raining but clear enough to see city below
  • Walk back to hotel - back killing me - stop in book store along Nevsky Prospect because of rain
  • Relax at hotel for two hours - internet
  • "Last night" dinner - met at 7:30pm in the lobby, walked to great local restaurant where I ordered the meat solyanka and chicken shashlik; got back to hotel at 11:30pm

Me and Anna at last night dinner


Friday, August 27, 2010
(Can this really be yesterday?)

Peterhof
  • Breakfast at 8:30am, walk to boat for private hour tour - cloudy and cold but not raining - beautiful city
  • Tea at Zoom to warm up and say goodbye to Susie
  • Go inside Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood - multi domed, modeled on St Basil's, built between 1883 and 1907, 7000 square meters of mosaics inside (took 27 years to restore)
  • Rush to boat bound for Peterhof - bitchy woman doesn't let me on even though it is not yet 1pm, have to wait for 1:30 boat (go back to Hermitage stall for a bite)
  • Spend two hours wandering around the magnificent Peterhof gardens and fountains (weather improves each minute)
  • Take the bus to the metro (takes 1.25 hours instead of 30 minutes on the boat) to Peter and Paul Fortress - quick 45 minute look around
  • Walk back to hotel across the bridge and past Mikhailovsky (Engineer's) Castle
  • Less than one hour to relax before meeting group (SSKS, Bruce, Wayne and Fi) for dinner - sadly Zoom is full - find another restaurant (which is a cheap buffet but not what Anna had recommended)
  • Zoom for dessert with Bruce, Steph and Kristy - delicious hot chocolate - rained as we walked back at 10:30pm


Saturday, August 28, 2010

  • Leaving breakfast at 8:30 - sad to say goodbye, hard to believe three weeks have passed
  • Rush to Grand Choral synagogue since services start at 10am - stay for 1.5 hours but leave to enjoy my last bit of time in St Petersburg
  • Walk past theater square (with the famous Bolshoy), across bridge, along north side of river bank with Egyptian sphinx, across another bridge, past the Hermitage and back to Zoom for lunch
  • Delicious lunch at Zoom with SSKS, but food takes a while and the girls have to quickly down their soup
  • Rush back to hotel for airport transfer - I was going to take public transport, but luckily, I was able to join SSKS
  • Long lines at airport, quick drink with SSKS before we must say goodbye :(
    • Lunch at Zoom with Steph, Kristy, Stuart and Shelley
  • On plane now - off to London, crazy
Hard to believe I'm really on my way to London.  Three months have passed so quickly.  Looking forward to being in my city.
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