There is nothing like sitting in a train station in Yaroslavl on a Friday night. I arrived with five other traveling companions on our journey to St. Petersburg for an extended weekend. The train is at least two hours late so here we sit at 11:30 pm after five intense 
days of our volunteer assignments at our various placements, completely exhausted and craving rest and perhaps if we are lucky our hotel will have air conditioning; however we are heading north so chances are slim. We can’t read the tickets or the platform signs so we are hoping for the best. I am positive that I made the right decision to travel with a group of collective minds rather than travel solo as was my original plan.
Why is there jack hammering going on a Friday night at midnight??
I experienced a surprising amount of culture shock and homesickness this week. I think the combination of only four of hours of sleep nightly (due to the daylight hours and intense heat), rowdy drunken neighbors (that I shared a bathroom), missing my girls and furry kids, and the emotional drain of the hours spent at the women’s and kid’s psychiatric hospitals all contributed to a very emotional first week in Russia. With all that being said I was greatly touched by my interactions this week and have an intense love for the women and children I met. I am so overwhelmed by the sadness and the amazing amount of hugs and love exchanged.
Culture shock also comes in the forms of REALLY appreciating what we have in the USA. There is something to be said about smiling when passing, getting your meal served with everyone at your table at the same time, and the philosophy that the customer comes first. Coming from a hospitality background this has been a challenging week on that front. Well, it appears we are ready to board…
days of our volunteer assignments at our various placements, completely exhausted and craving rest and perhaps if we are lucky our hotel will have air conditioning; however we are heading north so chances are slim. We can’t read the tickets or the platform signs so we are hoping for the best. I am positive that I made the right decision to travel with a group of collective minds rather than travel solo as was my original plan.Why is there jack hammering going on a Friday night at midnight??
I experienced a surprising amount of culture shock and homesickness this week. I think the combination of only four of hours of sleep nightly (due to the daylight hours and intense heat), rowdy drunken neighbors (that I shared a bathroom), missing my girls and furry kids, and the emotional drain of the hours spent at the women’s and kid’s psychiatric hospitals all contributed to a very emotional first week in Russia. With all that being said I was greatly touched by my interactions this week and have an intense love for the women and children I met. I am so overwhelmed by the sadness and the amazing amount of hugs and love exchanged.
Culture shock also comes in the forms of REALLY appreciating what we have in the USA. There is something to be said about smiling when passing, getting your meal served with everyone at your table at the same time, and the philosophy that the customer comes first. Coming from a hospitality background this has been a challenging week on that front. Well, it appears we are ready to board…
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