I write this blog entry with something of a heavy heart, knowing that this is going to be the last one, and that I have less than 48 hours left in this city that I’ve come to love so much. It’s tough to put my finger on what exactly it is that I will miss so much about St. Petersburg because so much has happened here, and it’s all been so different from any American experience that I’ve ever had. A lot of it has to do with the people that I’ve met here, that’s for sure. I went into this trip feeling those familiar anxieties that one gets while traveling alone. I was worried about settling in in a new city, not knowing a single soul, and not knowing how to get around. And now I’m going to have a hard time saying good-bye to all of the friends I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.
The instructors of our classes are one part of all of those who will be missed. We have our big show tonight of scenes from Chekhov’s “Seagull,” and several old friends who have taught us will be in attendance. I regret that we have only had a short time to work on this, but we have definitely made the most of that time. And it seems like all of our training is being put into this, like it’s the culmination of all our efforts. So it doesn’t feel as if we’re putting on some last minute production due to the time constraints. It feels like another farewell to someone we’ve been getting to know and would like to spend just one last day with.
The city of St. Petersburg itself feels like another friend we will have bid adieu to. I will miss walking its crowded streets with vendors on every corner, bright pastel colors, and beautiful stonework and statues. This last week, we went to the palace gardens of Peterhof, and I was amazed by the symmetry of the lush gardens, and the exquisite fountains covered in gold. It looks like a gorgeous, gigantic web meant to ensnare anyone with even the crudest aesthetic sensibilities. The day after that, we visited the Hermitage. That building is, quite simply, the biggest, densest art museum I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. It was a delight to be able to see works of art that I had only been able to view in textbooks and had always longed to see in person. And the building itself is a work of art that almost eclipses the brilliance of the objects displayed in it. I could visit every day of the week for three weeks straight and still not be able to take it all in.
The hardest group to part with will be all the friends I’ve made over here. Everyone in Russia has this infectious zest for life that draws you in and makes you yearn for every opportunity that you can get to talk to a stranger, climb onto a rooftop to hang out, or have an all night jam session on guitars or piano. They know how to enjoy life over here, and all the American students in this program all have the most interesting stories about the adventures we’ve all gotten into over here. And now we can take some of that spirit back home with us.
I will miss everything about this country, good and bad. I’ll miss late nights where you have trouble getting to sleep because the sun doesn’t quite set. I’ll miss boat rides down the canals and swimming in them after. I’ll miss our classes where we have no idea what they are trying to teach us, and then having some breakthrough and loving that instructor for what they got out of us as actors. And I’ll miss everyone I’ve come across that has helped to make this the trip of a lifetime.