Lessons Learned from 4 Years as an Expat
Well, that was a strange year. I’m a month late three months late on my yearly recap of expat life, my annual celebration of crafting the life abroad that I wanted. I love doing this reflection, skimming…
Two Days in Wroclaw on a Polish Road Trip
Wroclaw, with its historic atmosphere but very local energy, is one of my favorite cities in Poland. Maybe I’m biased because I spent two months there in the summer of 2018, working on my Delta Module 2,…
My Lost Year as a Moscow Expat
I think a lot about the ‘right way’ to be an expat. If I were to construct the picture of a ‘good expat,’ they would be someone who speaks the language, has relationships with local businesses, gets…
Alternative Places to Learn Russian
After my long rant about why people should stop asking about learning Russian in Kyiv and instead just make their plans to go to the Motherland, you might find it odd that I’m encouraging you to think…
How to Plan an International Family Vacation
After about a year of living in Ukraine I found myself as the tour director for a very small, very specific group of visitors — my family. I’m not even sure how the idea got started, considering…
The Best Cocktail Bars in Saint Petersburg, Russia
Listen, it wasn’t my plan to make it a boozy weekend in Saint Petersburg. I booked my train tickets with two intentions—One, to see Firebird at the Mariinsky Theatre because this girl loves a weird-o ballet. And…
Amy, Эми, Amychka
I had already crossed an ocean and taken a five day Midwest road trip spending a full forty hours in the car, and here I was trundling down on a slowly overheating bus to spend the last…
The 5th Annual Butler Family (Queens) Donut Hike
My father deftly navigated Manhattan traffic, my mom navigating with Siri in the front, my two (grown) brothers and I smooshed in the middle seat of our minivan. All morning I had felt calm, but now that…
Is It Safe to Travel Dagestan? Or Stupid?
Every time I told a new person that I planned to travel Dagestan during our school holidays, I had to digest their expression and ask myself, again, “What’s the difference between being stupid and being brave?” It…
How to Get a Russian Work Visa for US Citizens
Getting a work visa for any country is (not without justification) an exercise in jumping through hoops, as is getting a Russian visa in general. So when I decided to apply for jobs in Moscow, I was…
