Greetings. Happy May Day for all those who celebrate it! Fortunately, it’s a national holiday in Russia, so that means no school or work tomorrow. Unfortunately, its cold and rainy right now . . . so much for picnicking on the Bay of Finland. But it will be a good chance to catch up on some school work. Anyway, not too much is new with me. On Saturday we took a day trip to Novgorod, something I had been looking forward to since January, and I could not have asked for a more idyllic, beautiful day. Fluffy white clouds rolled across a robin-egg sky, making for a picturesque background for all of my photos (some even look photoshopped). A slight breeze balanced out the warmth of the day making for perfect walking conditions. We spent most of the day exploring the Novgorod Kremlin and its environs, an area containing some of the oldest buildings in Russia. Inside the Kremlin stands the most impressive monument I have seen in Russia: The Millennium Monument. You can check out the photos I took of it on the photos page, but they do not capture the immensity and detailed activity of this behemoth commemorating great figures in Russian history. Also of interest was the St. Sophia Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Russia. It was built around 1000 CE! That’s 1000 years ago! Hard to fathom, but really cool. The Church felt different than most others I have been to in Russia, more austere and simple. Less beautiful but more dignified, maybe. I don’t know how to describe it, you have to go there to understand. Anyway, I could go into detail about the innumerable cultural things I saw in Novgorod, but that would soon become monotonous. Just know that I’ve never been to such a super-cultural space as the Novgorod Kremlin. After lunching at a small cafe outside the Kremlin (they started playing “Yankee Doodle,” “O, Susanna,” and a slew of Christmas classics as soon as they found out Americans were there, lol), we departed for the Museum of Wooden Architecture. Having looked at pictures of wooden churches in Russia a lot before coming here, I had high expectations for this aspect of the tour but was slightly let down. I’m not sure if it was that the structures were not authentic or what that made me feel underwhelmed. It was still really cool, especially going inside of one old house and seeing how provincial Russians used to live. It reminded a lot of pioneer cabins, though the exteriors were more decorative. I got to climb a tree there, too, which I never really appreciated until now. Such a simple pleasure. All in all, I left the city completely satisfied and wishing I could have stayed a little longer. On a completely different note, my return to America looms ahead and I cannot seem to get my mind off of it. I keep vacillating between wanting to go home and to stay here. I’m being pulled by both cultures and really have no control over my uncertainty. I guess me liking and disliking various aspects of the culture divides me, but I really don’t know. But I have to go and I think when I return I will understand better. Until then, though, I need to refocus, as I still have to survive a week of finals! Check out the pics of Novgorod I put up. Until next time, adios.