The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

So. I’m sitting in the hotel right now trying to recall my past weeks. There’s been some good, bad, and ugly, but all in all, I would say that the last few weeks have been good ;)

Here is a completely scattered list of thoughts, events, things I’ve seen, and maybe even random facts:

*While I was sitting talking on skype this evening in the hotel, I was hacking up a storm because I am freaking sick with some type of sinus infection/sore throat. While I was coughing, these two nice women were sitting across my way frantically looking through their purses. Then one of them holds this long silver thing in front of me while I’m trying to cough and talk to mom and code at the same time. It took me a while to realize what it was, but she was handing me a pack of cough drops! What a simple thing to do for a stranger, but I don’t think she realized that she made my life!!!!! Just another proof to me that there is good in this world.

*While sitting at Kolomenskaya park (which is a beautiful LARGE park with a cathedral and a long place to walk along the river) two other girls and I watched a babushka squat down by a tree to relieve herself. We watched in amazement as if it were a tourist attraction. I’ve seen lots of guys going to the bathroom on the streets, but I’ve gotta admit: the grandma surprised me.

(as a side note mostly for the entertainment of Cody, I had to go to the bathroom on the street for the first time…I was running in the morning and there was no way I was going to make it back. The funny thing was I was about 10 steps from my building door. Anyway, I ran behind one of the car garage huts, and ya…hopefully that is the last time that happens)

*I got kicked out of St. Basil’s cathedral while singing in one of the domes, “Be Still My Soul.” Thankfully, it wasn’t because I was singing that I got kicked out with two other friends, but they randomly decided to close early. It would have been nice to know that they were closing early when they sold us the tickets 10 minutes earlier…oh well :) The 50 rubles that we spent was well worth getting yelled at and kicked out of the cathedral.

*I was asked to bear my testimony in Russian in church…I was shaking from fear but got through it ;)

*I had dinner with a friend Marcus Hudson who happens to be from Sandy but I met him at BYU. He married a Russian girl here and he and his wife had me over for dinner, which was a wonderful break from Lidiya’s cooking ;)

*I visited the monastery here in Moscow…a lovely way to spend the afternoon. I feel like if someone were to ask me here, “What do you do in your spare time?” I would probably say something like, “I walk around churches.” You should try it sometime ;)

*Speaking of churches, my favorite church in Russia has been the Cathedral of spilled blood in St. Pete. The name (I hope I’m not getting this mixed up) comes from the fact the Alexander the second was assassinated on the spot that they constructed the cathedral. John Mayor’s lyrics sum up not only my feeling about this church, but about the rest of Russia in general:

I'm writing you to catch you up on places I've been
you held this letter, probably get excited
but there's nothing else inside it

don't have a camera by my side this time
hope that I would see the world through both my eyes
maybe I would tell you all about it
when I'm in the mood
to lose my way
with words

today clouds are painting colors of the cowboy cliche
it's strange how clouds all look like mountains
in the sky next to the mountains anyway

don't have a camera by my side this time
hope that I would see the world through both my eyes
maybe I would tell you all about it
when I'm in the mood
to lose my way but let me say

you should have seen that sunrise (or cathedral ;) )
with your own eyes
it brought me back to life
you'll be with me next time I go outside
just no more 3 by 5's

So don’t worry…I’ll post pictures of the cathedral, but honestly, they are sad attempts at making something so majestic and sacred into a small 3 x 5 photo.

So side summary of other beautiful things that I saw in St. Pete:

*First sleeping train experience. Hmm. We were packed in like sardines and barely slept a wink. I think the fact that it was an overnight ride and it never got pitch black outside made sleeping a challenge, but also made for some beautiful Russian vistas along the way.

*We stormed the winter palace.

*Tried to see the hermitage when really they say if you looked at everything in the hermitage for something like a minute, you would need 30 years to get through it. Largest Rembrandt collection in the world. Works of others artists like da Vinci and Renoir. Just the hermitage buildings themselves were enough to impress me let alone the beautiful paintings, sculptures, and even mummies in the basement.

*A trip out to Peterhof grounds was INCREDIBLE!!!!! The grounds are gigantic and there are beautiful fountains and gold statues it seemed around every corner. There are trick stones there that spray you if you step on them which I thought was pretty cool. My favorite part was looking out on the gulf of Finland. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to live there.

*Walking down Nevsky prospekt was gorgeous. The architecture in Petersburg is so European.

*Peter and Paul fortress was so fun to listen to the history of the tsars from our guide. And yes. Anastasia is there…I hate to break it to you, but she was shot with the rest of them. We were truly walking among Russian royalty in the cathedral which is essentially the burial site for the tsars.

*St. Isaac’s cathedral is an architectural miracle. The 112 columns are solid granite. That means they were cut from one piece and put up as one piece. Incredible.

*We celebrated 4th of July by going inside the Kremlin!!!! How appropriate, huh?! It is pretty much a city in there. Different roads, buildings, parks..and I think 7 cathedrals (wikipedia it to verify if I’m wrong ;) ). Obama’s coming on Monday and I think he’ll be bunking up there.

*Walked through Pushkin Museum.

*There’s a MJ memorial next to the U.S. embassy here. RIP Micheal- I listened to the “best of Michael” in memory of his musical genius.

*Quick back note about Cathedral of Spilt blood…I got in for the Russian price. I know that means nothing to you, but it was probably my proudest moment in Russia…I think the cashier was impressed that I was developing the Russian way of deception when it comes to money ;) Haha, she totally knew I wasn’t Russian but I think she was impressed that I was trying!

*A story with less success: I went to the kosmonat museum with a bunch of friends and it was written on the sign that students were free. We go up and show our id’s but the lady starts freaking out that we have to pay because we’re not Russian. One of the kids in our group started arguing with her that it’s not written on the sign, so she told us to get out of line if we weren’t going to pay, and she immediately printed a sign that had Russians only printed in bold. Haha, we still love you anyway Russia.

*We had a wonderful time exploring Ikea in Russia. fun adventure.

*One of the times that I was at the hospital, one of the little girls had an interesting conversation about why I was not married. She politely informed me that I was too old and I was “late.” I then asked her if she had a bf…she said that she did but he was a “durak” (essentially, an idiot or fool). I just nodded my head and said it happens! Haha, that little girl was cracking me up the whole time…

*We had a wonderful Russian cooking party where we learned to make pelmeni and borsh…YUM! I’ll have to make it for you guys when I get back…SO GOOD! Anyway, you know what I realized about myself?? I LOVE doing dishes. I enjoyed doing the dishes and cleaning up for a large group more than I enjoyed the meal. I must have got mom’s cleaning genes, but it was kind of therapeutic. Maybe it’s because I miss feeling useful or helpful for other people.

OK guys, I’m going to rap up because my head feels like it’s going to explode from sinus pressure, but I’ll post some pics real quick before I go home…know that I love you all and God loves you too! Take care!