Foreign countries are exhausting!

Safely landed in Moscow yesterday after being stuck on the plane for 2 hours on the DC tarmac. First we were delayed by air control for weather outside of New York, then they couldn't figure out how to detach the walkway (seriously?? isn't that their job??), then we were delayed AGAIN for weather. I was starting to think I might never get here! But we were finally on our way and it was pretty uneventful. I didn't sleep a lot but I was able to rest quite a bit so I wasn't too tired when we landed. Dad had a driver meet me at the airport and we got back to the apartment and got in and settled pretty easily.

The apartment is GREAT! Small-ish but the space is set out perfectly. There's some stuff that he hasn't figured out yet - like where to put up art, what to do with some shelves, and we might go to Ikea this weekend to fill out the place.

Then I metroed my way back to the group at a restaurant downtown and we had dinner. Dad and I were supposed to go to a concert in Red Square for the premier of Transformers 3 in Moscow - Linkin Park...but apparently GM got confused about the time. They told everyone 9:30 but it actually started way earlier than that so we heard about two songs. Oh well, that's Russia for you. Then we came back to the apartment and I conked out cold.

This morning, after 9.5 hours of sleep I was STILL tired!!! Seriously, I think my body is just wiped. I'm hungry and sleepy all the time. And a little light-headed. But I met the group and we did a little orientation at the school and then ate lunch in the cafeteria there. Then we got a coffee, did some wandering, and (finally) got local phones. Dad had an extra phone but I needed a sim card. I feel challenged using this phone...it's like relearning everything and it makes me miss my phone at home :-( but for a month I'll live. If I can ever figure out how to text.

I forgot how TIRED your feet get living in the city. I'm sure I'll get used to it again but for now I think I might soak my feet in the bath. Whew.