April 15th

Today is the big day!! I'm sitting in the lobby of the D.C. Hilton with some time before my first meeting. We American teachers have morning meetings to prepare us for our journey, then it's off to Dulles International Airport for our 10 hour flight to Moscow! My husband amazes me with his ability and willingness to take such extraordinary care of our kids. There is no way I could do this without him! Last night we were treated to a lovely dinner in a French Bistro. I personally had so much fun talking with the Russia experts from American Councils and cannot wait to visit with actual Russians about so many topics. All my students know my interest in Putin and Medvedev of course, and we also discussed tensions in the Caucasus and Stans, the upcoming Sochi Olympics...all major "passion areas" for me. Currently I'm planning to walk around the city a bit since I know I'll be sitting today...a lot! Next post...Russia.