One of Many Keys

I haven't written anything new in quite some time. This is mainly due to the fact that I have been terribly busy. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that I have lost my taste for writing altogether. As of late nothing has truly inspired me to sit down and clack away at my keyboard. I have been stuck in the daily details of life instead. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with focusing on life one day at a time. As a matter of fact; that's exactly what this piece is going to be about. This topic brings back a lot of memories. I fondly remember writing about the importance of being a dreamer and carving your own path. Many of my readers may I think I have abandoned these principles altogether. This couldn't be further from the truth. At heart I'm still a dreamer who believes in taking the less traveled path. What I've learned over the last couple of months only builds upon those principles.

For this piece I have chosen the title 'One of Many Keys.' (Which probably took way too much time). If there is one thing I have learned in life it's that there is many keys to happiness. I think it's foolish to assume that there is a 'one size fits all' solution to being happy. It's actually the exact opposite. There are MANY keys that ultimately unlock the door to happiness. I have one key in particular that I would like to focus on. It's more of a golden rule than anything else. Keep it simple. Remember how I said focusing on things one day at a time is a good thing? Keeping it simple goes hand in hand with that. Two huge events occurred in my life over the last couple of months. First, I was accepted to the University of Georgia. The one lesson I took away from my acceptance is that hard work pays off. Second, I was awarded an internship at Coyote Logistics. Which has proven to be an amazing opportunity that I'm extremely grateful for. This is first time that I have been exposed to the daily grind outside of classes. I work from 8:00 to 5:00, Monday through Friday. I'm also a participant of the joyous event that is rush hour traffic. But, I'm actually happier than I was before. How could this be true? I have changed the way that I think. Instead of always looking to the future and waiting for things to be better, I try to enjoy each and every day. Simply taking pleasure in everything you do makes a huge difference. It could be the simplest thing. Like turning the crisp pages of the New York Times every morning with a cup of coffee. No future. No past. Just that exact moment. That my friends is simplicity at its finest.

I must admit that I'm a little bit rusty at this writing thing. So instead of trying to formulate a proper exit to this one, I'll leave you with a quote from a film. This film left a certain impression upon me. "We should concern ourselves not so much with the pursuit of happiness but rather with the happiness of pursuit." To anybody who has taken the time to read this far, thank you so much. I'm honestly flattered.

Oh, and one more thing. Big thank you to the film Hector and the Search for Happiness. 

Until next time.

In Reflection

For the last couple of days I've spent a great deal of time reflecting on my month long adventure. On top of learning a great deal about myself, my philosophy on life has changed. It's amazing on how much a month abroad can test every fibre of who you are. With this post, I'd like to share a thing or two I've learned about myself and put forth my newfound ideals on how to live happily. It's my earnest hope that what I share here will be useful to someone else besides myself. In the end, isn't that what life is all about? Sharing what's within your heart and giving yourself to others? I think so at least.

The moment I landed in St. Petersburg, I immediately felt out of my element. Never before had I experienced something so different; a new language, land, and people. Each and every day brought something new. What I thought I knew about myself and the world was proved wrong on countless occasions. Whenever a challenge presented itself, I decided to stand up and face it. Yes, not everything went smoothly and the outcome would often be imperfect. Regardless of failure or success I acknowledged the fact that I had enough courage to face whatever was in front of me. You can do the same. Whatever the obstacle may be, find the courage within yourself to face it. Because once you do, I promise you'll be proud of the outcome. Just like me, you'll learn something new about yourself and the world around you.

Having the opportunity to see the world and learn something new everyday is an incredible experience. An experience I'm eternally grateful to have had. Without the support of my family and friends this trip wouldn't have been possible. I can't say thank you enough. Once I landed on the tarmac in Atlanta, I had a sudden realization. I realized how much I cherish life. Our lives are terribly short in the grand scheme of things. Therefore, I encourage you to enjoy each and every day and see the world. Pick a place on the map and just go. The world is your oyster. 

One of my newly founded outlooks on life is the removal of negativity. Because life is such a short ride I see no point in being negative. Honestly, what have I got to complain about? Being stuck in traffic? Fresh Market running out of my favorite foods? Nonsense. While I'm complaining about ridiculous things someone else in the world is living on only $1 a day. Now, I do my utmost to wake up and remain positive every day. Once I put that into perspective, a lot of things changed. On top of not being negative personally, I wouldn't want anyone else to live with that mindset either. Now I've made it a personal mission of mine to have a positive affect on someone else's life. This acts as a perfect bridge to my final point.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I feel that life is all about sharing what's within yourself and giving your heart to others.  Whenever I've put my heart into something I've gotten something great in return. Even if I were to not receive something in return, I'm still happy knowing I tried to make a difference. There was one moment on my trip that I'll never forget. During dinner on the cruise an older Russian gentleman sat down next to us. We began chatting with him and eventually he told us his life's story. At one point he said one of the truest things I've ever heard. If you think about it, the world is a really small place. All the world needs is love. Call it an unrealistic way of looking at things or whatever you like. I'm willing to give it a shot. The conversation with our friend eventually ended and he gave us all a big Russian bear hug. Just what you would imagine too.

Although I've learned many other things over the last month, I feel these are the most important. They will stick with me for the rest of my life. I'm sure of that. Hopefully I've been able to share something positive with you as my Russian friend did with me. I wish you the best. On that note, I bid you adieu.

This Is The End

Now that I've made it back home safe and sound, I thinks it's time that I share my experiences during the last bit of this trip. Every word I type is terribly bittersweet.

Last Wednesday, I went on my first cruise ever. Our ship stopped in three cities; Helsinki, Stockholm, and Tallinn. Because there is so much I'd like to say about each city, I'll break this intro three parts.

Helsinki

When I arrived in Helsinki, the first thing I noticed was the similarities it shared with Russian culture. Frequently, I would see monuments dedicated to various Russian Tsars. Particularly, Alexander II, emancipator of the serfs (Sort of, but not really), and Alexander III. The first portion of my day was spent touring the city. On the tour I saw Helsinki University, a massive Lutheran church, and the main square (Oldest part) of the city. Much different from Eastern Orthodox churches, the Lutheran church appeared to be much more modest. Also, the church itself was built on top of the main square. 

The Lutheran church.

Looking down on an Alexander II monument from the main square. 

Luckily, our tour was brief and we were then able to explore the city ourselves. I spent most of my time in the main market of the city where you can buy souvenirs and Finnish cuisine. Speaking of cuisine, I ended up trying reindeer meatballs with a special mayonnaise sauce. Both were excellent. The meatballs had a sort of smokey flavor which sort of reminded of deer. And of course, I ended up buying some souvenirs (I'm such a tourist...). By the time I had finished shopping in the market, it was time to head back to the ship. On the way back, I tried Finnish strawberries. After one bite Finnish strawberries had officially become the best in the world. 

Reindeer meatballs, steamed vegetables, boiled potatoes, and a coke. YUM.

The LEGENDARY Finnish strawberry!

The walk back to the ship was a bit depressing for me because I really wanted to see more of the city. I loved the Finnish streets, which are filled with trees and beautiful grassy areas on the sides. A lot of Finns were lying in the grass having lunch or just relaxing. That is definitely something I could get used to. Overall, I thought Helsinki was a beautiful city that I would love to visit again. 

Stockholm <3

Ah, Stockholm, the city that stole my heart. It may sound odd, but when I left this breathtaking city it felt like I was leaving home. I left with one thought in my mind, "this is where I belong." Our first stop in Stockholm was at the royal palace, which was massive and grand (Sweden is a constitutional monarchy). Right after the guided tour a small group of us immediately began walking to explore the city. The most noticeable thing about Stockholm is how clean it is. There were no foul smells as is common in most cities and I found very little if no trash in the street. Small gardens and parks are dispersed all throughout the city. Also, it seemed that Swedes love to ride bikes and be outdoors. For a few hours we walked around downtown, stopped at a small outdoor cafe, and went down the main souvenir shop street. 

One of the many gardens/parks in Stockholm.

A street by the royal palace.

In the cruise's guide for the city, it recommended that you try an ice-cream shop called StikkiNikki. After buying some souvenirs, our group walked across town to StikkiNikki. I must admit, all of the ice-cream I've had in Europe has been incredible. I don't know what makes it different from the stuff you can buy in the states. Unfortunately, visiting the ice-cream shop used up what time we had left in the city. So, I decided to walk back to the ship alone and take in as much of the city as possible. It was one of the best experiences I've had on this trip. I absolutely love Stockholm. If there is one place I think everyone should visit, that would be it. Getting back on the ship was tough. I didn't want to leave.

Looking out into one of the city's bays. 

Ice-cream (:

When leaving Stockholm, our ship had to travel through a series of fjords. I was able to catch the sunset and say my final goodbyes to Sweden. 

Swedish sunset.

Estonia

The last day of our cruise consisted of a visit to Tallinn, Estonia. Prior to the cruise, I knew absolutely nothing about Estonia. Needless to say, after my visit I was charmed by Tallinn. The city itself gives off a very medieval kind of vibe. It's surrounded by very old walls and once you enter it feels like an entirely different world. I almost felt like I was in the middle of a fairytale. We had another brief tour where we learned about the city's German, Swedish, and Russian past. At one point or another, the city was conquered by one of these countries. However, the language itself reminded me of Finnish much more than German or Swedish. 

The view when you first enter the city.

City street.

A higher up view of the city.

For lunch, I ate at a restaurant called Balthazar's. What made this place so special is that every dish is focused around garlic. I already knew that garlic is a very versatile ingredient in food, but Balthazar's showed me just how much you can do with it. My meal of choice was chicken stuffed with prosciutto, cheese, and a garlic mushroom sauce. It was incredible. After lunch, I spent the rest of my time walking around the city taking in as much as possible. I finished the day off with visiting the city's oldest cafe. 

Lunch at Balthazar's.

Tallinn's oldest cafe.

Although it was short, I enjoyed my stay in Estonia immensely. I found Tallinn to be extremely charming and picturesque. 

It Comes to an End

After returning from the cruise my life became nothing but packing and finishing last minute assignments. I did have an overnight stay in Frankfurt, but there wasn't very much time to see most of the city. My main goal was to try some real German cuisine. Success. I had wiener schnitzel, German potato salad, and a Bavarian beer for dinner. It all was excellent. Now that I've been home for roughly a day I've had the chance to reflect on my month long adventure. This last month has changed my life in so many positive ways. I've grown more confident from being out of my comfort zone and I was able to see more of the world. It was extremely eye opening to see how other people live on this planet of ours. Now, I want to see even more of it! You can say that I've been bitten by the travel bug. I wish everyone could have the chance to travel and see the world.

I'm eternally grateful to all those who supported me studying abroad. I couldn't have done it without you. 

Until next time,

Colby McCoy, The Bold Wanderer.

Art, History, and a Mesmerizing Sunrise

It feels as if I haven't posted an update for a very long time! Over the last four days I've seen a ton of incredible things in St. Petersburg. So, grab your popcorn, drink, and get comfy because this will be long post.

On Wednesday, I got to see the two things I had been most excited for. In the morning, I visited the Siege of Leningrad Museum. I've always had a real interest in WWII as a historical topic and the museum proved to be extremely interesting but also depressing. Actually seeing the figures for the total number of deaths put a lot into perspective for me. During the first year of the siege, 1941, up to 100,000 people died each month from famine. On February 20th, 1942, a total of 10,000 people were buried in one cemetery in the city. While reading these figures, I realized how much Russia suffered during WWII. I now understand why Russians refer to WWII as the Great Patriotic War. The museum itself was chalked full of historical info and original artifacts from the siege; both German and Russian. I'll never forget the part of the tour where our tour guide explained and showed us what a daily ration of bread looked like (Which was only 50% flour). It was horrifying. 

Bread ration from the siege.

Information on the famine and what was used as food. 

One part of the museum.

My visit to the Siege of Leningrad Museum was an unforgettable experience. After the museum, our group headed towards the Hermitage; my all-time favorite thing I've seen on this trip. Before I get to talking about the interior and art I saw, I'd like to share a few fun facts. The Winter Palace (Which I've posted about) makes up the Hermitage itself. The museum is said to have over 3 million items in its collection. Also, it is estimated that if you were to spend one minute looking at each exhibit, it would take 11 years to see everything! Because I've only been to the Hermitage once (Hopefully I can visit one more time), I only saw a very small piece of what it has to offer. What I had the pleasure of seeing however, was incredible. When you first enter the Hermitage, you gain a sense of how big the building actually is. Before reaching the exhibits, we walked up the grand staircase which is the epitome of royal opulence.

The grand staircase.

While walking through the museum I felt as if it was endless. Most, if not all of the rooms in the Hermitage hold an exhibit of some kind. I could spend an entire post talking about the Hermitage, but I have so many other things to cover in this post. So, I'll point out a few of the things I most enjoyed seeing. One of the first things I saw was the throne room. I immediately felt the grandeur of the Tsar wash over me. After making my way through the various hallways and rooms, I finally reached the work of my favorite artist, Leonardo da Vinci. Seeing da Vinci's work right before my eyes was so surreal and it filled me with joy. I also viewed Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Michelangelo. My love for art has only increased over the course of this trip! 

Madonna and Child by Leonardo da Vinci

The throne/reception room. Throne is original.

Michelangelo sculpture.

Much quieter than Wednesday, I visited the KGB museum on Thursday and ate out at one of my favorite places in the city, Zoom Cafe. The atmosphere is great and of course the food is as well. Friday, I visited the town of Pushkin, which holds both Catherine and Alexander Palace. Alexander was Catherine II's favorite grandson and she built the palace for him as a gift. I didn't have the chance to tour the inside of Alexander Palace, but I did see Catherine Palace which contains the beautiful amber room. The palace's interior is loaded with gold leaf, ceiling paintings, and meticulously crafted walls. During WWII the Nazi's occupied the palace and destroyed most of it; including the amber room. Because the amber panels in the room went missing, they had to be specially re-made to match the originals (A very long and difficult process). On the palace grounds lies three separate bathhouses and a hermitage, which originally meant a place of seclusion. After visiting Catherine Palace, I spent my evening at the world famous Mariinsky Theatre watching Don Quixote (Originally a novel), a ballet. I personally didn't have very much experience with the ballet before then. But, I loved it and it will definitely become another form of art that I'd like to see more often!

Catherine Palace ballroom. 

Closest picture I could get of the amber room.

Main stage at Mariinsky.

Alexander Palace 

Front of the palace selfie (:

Having just woke up not too long ago (1:30 in the afternoon), perhaps you could guess that Saturday was a long day. By the time I went to sleep, I had stayed up approximately 23 hours. I'll explain why shortly. My day started with a visit to the Yusupov Palace, which is much smaller than other palaces. The Yusupov's were a highly successful merchant family of the nobility who held many notable connections with the Tsar. Unfortunately, there was a fee to take pictures and I decided not to pay it. Sorry for the lack pictures everybody. Now, it was in the Yusupov Palace that Grigori Rasputin was brutally murdered. If you haven't heard the story about Rasputin's murder, I recommend you read about it. It's extremely interesting. Right after completing the tour at Yusupov, we ate lunch and then went on a canal tour. I had only seen St. Petersburg from the streets at this point. Seeing it from the water was an entirely different experience all together. With beautiful weather and a nice breeze, I'd say it was the perfect day for a canal tour.

Picture #1 from canal tour.

Picture #2 from canal tour.

Canal tour picture #3

The Winter Palace/Hermitage from the water. Beautiful.

Up to the end of the canal tour, my day had been only half finished. Right afterwards a small group of us followed our tour guide, Galina, to see Saint Isaac's Cathedral. The interior of the cathedral was stunning as are most of the other cathedrals around the city. Although most of Saint Isaac's has been converted into a museum, there is an area where services are still held. The highlight of my day was about to be next. After our tour, we said a very sad goodbye to Galina, who was an excellent guide and knew an unbelievable amount of information. I went back to the dorm to rest for a while because we were going to spend the entire night in the city. St. Petersburg really comes alive at night it seems. To me, it seemed busier at 2:00 AM than at 12:00 PM. Around the city's most popular areas there was live street music, food-stands, and people everywhere having a good time. At about 3:00 AM, we climbed to the top of Saint Isaac's Cathedral to watch the sunrise. I can't really put into words on what I experienced on top of the city. Seeing the sun rise over top of the city was awe-inspiring. It was the perfect end to an already amazing Saturday. I love this city.

Inside Saint Isaac's Cathedral.

St. Petersburg sunrise. Unbelievably beautiful.

Another shot of the sunrise w/ the moon!

Waking up today I still had the thought of that sunrise on my mind. I'll never forget it. Until later tonight, the rest of my day will be nothing but relaxation and reading. Later, I'll be going to the banya (Russian bathhouse), which I'm really excited for! As always, thanks for reading. 

- Colby

Halls Filled with History

Visiting the Smolny Institute on Monday was truly a magnificent experience. When the tour guide told us that Smolny's halls are filled with history, I had no grasp of just how much history there was. In accordance of a decree by Catherine II, the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens was created in 1806. Originally, Catherine II wished for noble girls to receive a proper education and prepare themselves for life at court. Smolny was the first educational establishment for women up until 1917, when it was discontinued (More on this later). When I first entered the institute, I immediately noticed just how massive it is. The hallways extending to both wings of the building appear to be endless and are filled with paintings and portraits on the walls. Thus, the long walk is not that bad.

The front of the institute. Notice the statue of Lenin.

During Smolny's time as an educational establishment, many notable noble women graduated from this institution. At first, I thought my education was tedious and sometimes quite rigorous. However, once I learned about the institute's curriculum and rules, I was blown away. Firstly the girls were admitted at the age of five, and would study continuously for twelve years. Vacations were prohibited, and family visits were limited. Every girl would learn Russian, French, and German. On top of that, the girls would all have to learn how to play a musical instrument (Of any kind), etiquette, dance, physics, geography, history, mathematics, and many more subjects. Now, that's what I call an education! One of the fun activities the girls would partake in was attending balls. It was at the balls that they could show off what they've learned during their time there. Many notable individuals attended these balls, including the emperor himself. 

Ball room ceiling and chandeliers.

The whole ball room. Photo taken from the front podium.

When standing in the ball room, I could imagine it being candle lit, classical music playing in the background, with a grand dance taking place. As previously mentioned, the institute itself failed to exist after 1917. This is due to the fact that during 1917, the Bolsheviks took control of the building using it as a headquarters. It was also in this building that Vladimir Lenin worked, lived (For a short period of time), and told the Bolsheviks on October 26th that the revolution had begun. A portion of Smolny has been left as a museum, most of it being Lenin's office and personal quarters where he and his wife briefly stayed. I found this part of the tour to be the coolest. Gotta love being a history nerd. Lenin's desk had been preserved as had the items that were originally on it. One of these items was a handwritten decree/order by Lenin himself telling his guards what to do when he was gone or under threat. There was something surreal about seeing Lenin's handwriting and the exact pen that was used.

Lenin's desk. I actually got the chance to sit at it.

Lenin would sleep in this small room right next to his office often. This entire room has been preserved.

Our tour guide shared with us many personal facts about Lenin; none of which I knew. For example, he would work 18-20 hour work days. The guide told us that Lenin practically "breathed the revolution." After seeing Lenin's office, we visited his personal quarters. In this very small room, Lenin lived with his wife. Everything in the room was left as is, meaning either Lenin himself or his wife were the last people to touch it. I found this to be amazing. Only Lenin's closest friends and associates were allowed to enter this room. It's incredible to think that at one point or another, Stalin probably sat on one of these couches or chairs. 

Sitting area. On the other side of that wall is the beds where they both slept.

Both Lenin and his wife used this desk. The document was written by Lenin.

Where they slept.

Currently, Smolny is used a government building. The mayor of St. Petersburg is seated there and Vladimir Putin worked there from 1991-1997. I saw the exact office where Putin himself worked. It hasn't been memorialized, instead it is occupied by another government employee. I loved every second of my visit to Smolny. The halls truly are filled with history. Today, I had a normal class day without excursions. This evening, I went downtown for a cup of coffee and visited a toy store. 

If you grew up with Tonka trucks you'd understand (:

Sitting at Lenin's desk. Trying to look serious. 

So far it has been a great week. Tomorrow I'm visiting the Hermitage museum, which I've been looking forward to for a very long time. Keep an eye out for my next blog post! As always, thank you for reading.

The Moscow Experience

Over the course of the weekend, I had the pleasure of touring Russia's capital. Friday morning we left the dorms and headed to the train station where I rode my first high-speed train. I can officially say that trains have WAY more leg room than airplanes. Which is amazing if you're somewhat tall like myself. After checking in at the hotel, we got tickets and went to see the Russian circus. I absolutely loved it. The show was excellent and all of the different acts were full of extremely talented people. There were even a few animal based acts; my favorite being the one with seals doing dances and passing a beach ball around.

At the circus!

On Saturday we visited the Kremlin and saw Red Square; which was definitely the highlight of the trip for me. Actually seeing the places that are always on postcards is an amazing experience. I personally found the area outside the Kremlin to be more interesting than the actual inside. I'll never forget what it feels like to stand in Red Square looking at St. Basil's Cathedral.

Picture #1 from Red Square.

Picture #2 from Red Square.

In front of St. Basil's at Red Square.

Once we finished the Kremlin tour a small group of us went on a search for the KGB museum. Unfortunately, its been closed for renovation for quite some time now. We finished the day visiting Arbat, a street in Moscow that's loaded with souvenir shops (Or so I thought). I ended up going with another group to the largest souvenir market in Moscow. There are all kinds of stands selling different items and you can actually barter. I actually think bartering is a lot fun; I've learned a lot from that experience. After that we went to a very large park with a large statue of Lenin and some beautiful gold fountains. Originally, we were going to visit Lenin's mausoleum on Saturday but it was closed. Luckily we were still able to visit the mausoleum before heading back to St. Petersburg. Seeing Lenin's body was a combination of creepy and awesome. Inside the mausoleum it's very dark and there are three guards every one or two yards. On the way out, you can see the graves of different Russian leaders including Stalin. Seeing Stalin's grave gave me legitimate chills down my spine.

Lenin's monument at the park.

Map of the street market complex!

Overall, I had an amazing time in Moscow. However, I like St. Petersburg more in terms of architectural beauty and the metro system. The Moscow metro system is massive and I found it to be extremely complicated. Also, Moscow gives off a very Soviet vibe while St. Petersburg feels more imperial. Thanks so much for reading! And yes, I did get some souvenirs for everybody at the different markets. But, my lips are sealed as to what I got :P