Twenty Years

A lot can happen in 20 years. Life events pass by quickly and, before you know it, decades have passed. So many things change. And so many more stay the same.

Twenty years ago last March, I was a college student who was thrilled to be on his way to Russia as part of a university study abroad exchange. Twenty years ago last March, I found myself a stranger in a strange land. It was 1994, and I was one of the first foreigners allowed inside the closed city of Nizhniy Novgorod. On my first day in the city, I made eye contact with Nataliya.

Twenty years ago in April, we went on our first date. We dined at a nice restaurant (Dom Aktora), had a few drinks at the Admiral Cafe, and sat together on the side of a hill as we overlooked the Volga River.

Twenty years ago this week, Nataliya and I were married.

Rather than renew our vows, we renewed our first date. We dined at a nice restaurant (Sotto Sopra), had drinks at Tio Pepe's, and sat together on the side of Federal Hill as we overlooked Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

A lot can happen in 20 years. Life events pass by quickly and, before you know it, decades have passed. So many things change. And so many more stay the same.

Here's to the next 20 years going by much more slowly, but being every bit as rewarding.

Sochi in the Sun

The most expensive Olympics in history are well underway in Sochi, Russia. And it’s warm enough that Sochi could host the Summer Olympics as well!

About 24 hours north of Sochi is a place I’ve called “second home” from time to time: Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia. The third-largest city in central Russia, it’s the city where I went to college, met my wife, and became intimately introduced to Russian culture. Saint Petersburg is easily the most impressive and beautiful city in Russia, Moscow is easily it’s power-center, but Nizhniy Novgorod will always feel like Russia to me.

Since my first visit to Nizhniy Novgorod 20 years ago this month, I’ve returned about half a dozen times. There’s something special about Russia in the Winter with the picture-postcard scenery all tickled by snow. But it was my summertime visit to Russia about ten years ago that prompted me to write a travel story.

“Vodka in the Sun” was originally published in a British travel magazine, Travel Insights, which is no longer published. However, it was reprinted in serial format In Coloquio.

Join me for some vodka in the sun as we visit Nizhniy Novgorod, Saint Petersburg, Moscow, and a river cruise to such islands as Svirstroi, Kizhi, and Valaam. The adventure starts at the link below.

http://coloquio.com/coloquioonline/2003/0308eric.htm