St. Petersburg: The Journey Begins

It's 10:47 PM and light still fills the sky. I can officially say that I've spent a full day within the gorgeous city of St. Petersburg. And really, what an amazing city it is. Although I've spent only one day in the city, I feel as if I've seen so much. Practically every street, building, or park has a story to tell. I apologize in advance for any wacky sentences or words in this post; the jet lag has been brutal. Today, I took a bus tour of the city. Our guide shared all sorts of interesting information, particularly the history of certain buildings. Essentially, the city itself is very old. It is not uncommon to see statues and monuments dedicated to certain rulers, political figures, and artists.

Monument to Catherine the Great

Without posting every single statue or building I've seen, there are a few key sights I'd like to share. Firstly, I had the opportunity to briefly see the Smolny Cathedral, which was originally established to house Peter the Great's daughter, Elizabeth, who refused to take the throne and instead wished to become a nun. Probably the most interesting thing I saw on the tour today, was the Peter and Paul Fortress. It was originally established as a base for military personnel and political prisoners. Behind the fortress's menacing stone walls, lies the Peter and Paul Cathedral. The cathedral serves as a burial ground for almost all of the Russian Tsars/Emperors from Peter the Great to Nicolas II. I won't go into detail about the stunning interior of the cathedral. Instead,  I'll let you take a look for yourself.

Smolny Cathedral

Within the Peter and Paul Fortress's walls lies the cathedral.

Inside the Peter and Paul Cathedral

Tsar's tombs.

The final historical site I visited was The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood. In 1881, a group of revolutionaries threw a bomb at Tsar Alexander II's carriage, mortally wounding him. It was decided to build the church right on the spot where Alexander II was assassinated. This was by far one of the coolest places I visited today. The artwork is breathtaking and the church's history itself is fascinating. I highly recommend you read about it more for yourself. 

The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood

Inside the church.

The church's ceiling.

The exact spot where Alexander II was assassinated. 

On top of seeing some amazing buildings, I've also had the pleasure of trying Russian cuisine. And I must say, it's excellent. For breakfast I tried a hot cereal called kasha, which is a lot like oatmeal. If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend you do so. Lunch, consisted of borsch, a beat soup with sour cream, chicken kiev, olivier salad (Much like potato salad), dumplings, and shashlik (Russian shish kebabs). Everything was delicious. I've learned quite quickly that Russians love to put dill on many different dishes. 

A bowl of traditional borsch, with sour cream. Yum.

Well, I'd say that this concludes my adventure for now. Tomorrow will be full of more exciting and amazing new things to see. I can't wait to share it with you. Dasvidania.

Before I Leave

The countdown truly has begun. On June 28th, 4:00 PM, I'm officially off to St. Petersburg, Russia for a month. But before I leave, I'd like to share a new mindset I've developed over the last couple of months. Changing the way I think has been crucial in who I've become as a person. I'm hoping this will help my readers in one way or another.

Probably the most important thing I've learned is to live in the present; not the past or the future. While planning ahead is extremely important, it shouldn't be your main focus. Along with that, always enjoy the little things. That cup of coffee or book you're reading, savor it and take in every little detail. Most people will be shocked in how many of those amazing little details they are actually missing. The cliche phrase, "Stop and smell the roses" is one of the most truthful things someone has ever said to me. Similar to this idea, I've come to the realization that life is too short to not enjoy the little things. We only have one life, why not try and make the best of it? 

For the longest time, I looked at the glass as being half empty. I thought being a cynic was the only way to think about the bigger picture. On the contrary, this couldn't be farther from the truth. I've found that maintaining a positive outlook on life is essential to being happy. Sure, we all have moments where we feel down and don't want to get back up. But, it's important to get back up and keep pushing forward. In truth, I never was awarded anything for being a cynic. Nothing positive came along and changed my life. However, ever since I've become an optimist an unbelievable amount of positive things have come into my life. I promise the same will happen for you. 

Finally, I've officially decided to always follow my heart in things I want. If there is something out there you truly want, go for it. I'll agree that it is important to use your mind in making decisions. At the end of the day however, listen to your heart. There have been many occasions where I listened exclusively to my mind and ended up missing out on an amazing experience. Ultimately, my heart told me I should go on this trip. It was something I truly wanted to do. And what do you know? I'm actually doing it. All I can tell you is make the leap! Everybody deserves to have what they truly want.

Before I end this post, I'd like to say that my letter series will continue. Most likely once I return from Russia. For the time being, I'll constantly update this blog with pictures and posts about my experiences abroad. I'm hoping to inspire everyone to go out and see what the world has to offer. 

Until next time, 

Colby