The Final Countdown

All right, friends, this is it.

I leave tomorrow morning for Bard College, the institution through with I am studying in St. Petersburg. The plan is to get to the MSP airport at five a.m. and arrive at the Albany airport at eleven. I'm all packed, besides this computer, my retainer, and a Nalgene. And a PBJ sandwich for the road.

I've said my good-byes to Greta and Charlie, to the Struss family, who called me while on vacation to pass the phone around the car, and my extended family, and to Punch. My sister and I played Scrabble with our former manager, and not only was it good to see Kate, and good because I won (this time), but it was good for occupying two full hours of this day, this dreary, boring, what-am-I-to-do-with-myself day.

Mom whipped out Google Earth late this evening -- too late. I wanted to look up all sorts of places, but I needed to reorganize my packing. If you have the time and inclination, you can follow along on my journey. I will be at Annandale on Hudson, NY for the first half of the week (look for the sweet Performing Arts Center), and Hotel Rus' (1 Arilleryiskaya Street) for the second half. The middle of the week will be spent mostly in the air.

The question on every one's mind -- I know what it is because people keep asking -- is WHERE and WHO is my host family. I don't know the answer and I don't know when I'll know the answer. But you will know once I know, dear readers, fear not.

Vocab for the day:
Чемодан: "suitcase," a noun near and dear to the hearts of Prof. Thomas' first-year Russian students. У меня два чемодана.
уходить, убезжать, улетать, уплывать: "to be in the process of leaving by foot, by accelerated motion on foot, by air, or by motion through water." Я улетаю зватра.

Let's be honest, it's late, considering that I plan to be up at four. So farewell!