St. elsewhere

Well, we finally did it.

[Big sigh of relief.]

We booked our trip to Russia. For varying degrees of reasons, this is probably the most difficult trip The Fella and I have ever attempted. More difficult than planning an extensive road trip through Spain, France, Italy and Monaco (2005); an excursion to Africa (2009); touring the Mediterranean and Turkey (2007); even a cross-country trip across Southeast Asia with five family members (2008)!

This could either be a good thing in that it means Russia will be the most worthwhile and memorable trip EVER taken, or a bad thing in that we tried too hard to make it happen and it wasn't really meant to be. You decide, I sure can't.

It all began when a big group trip in May to the Caribbean fell apart, spinning the wheels in motion to instead go elsewhere exotic. The Fella and I tossed around New Zealand (too expensive), South Africa (not enough time off to go this far), Costa Rica (why didn't we go there when we lived in Miami?), Poland (too rainy that time of year)... and finally, he wildly and jokingly suggested Russia. Those are his roots, after all.

I have to admit, I was intrigued by this idea for one selfish reason: how far and away can I go before having kids? Then The Fella checked out a travel book of Moscow and St. Petersburg from the library, and before long, I was dreaming of seeing the bonfire flames of St. Basil's Cathedral rising into the sky, the famed Red Square, and the Kremlin!

Frommer's travel guide to Russia.

And so, one obstacle after another later, we managed to book another trip of a lifetime.

I'm excited and also a tad nervous. Me: "Honey, have you heard of Aeroflot?" The Fella: "Yea, I think it's a French operated." Me, googling: "Honey, it says it's a Russian airline." The Fella: "Oh shit, we're going to die."