Russia

Most people think of winter scenes like the one pictured above when they think of Russia. Horse drawn sleighs are not frequently encountered in modern Russian cities, but Winter remains a serious business. Without appropriate protective clothing, people freeze to death on the streets. You would think in such a harsh climate, that the first breath of cold weather would be met with dread. Not so. In fact, Russia's most famous poet, Aleksandr Pushkin, celebrated this season of transition with his beautiful poem "Autumn."

Russians are a philosophical people. They like to talk about the meaning of life and the "Russian soul." Autumn is welcomed, not feared. After the hectic pace of summer with its long daylight hours (over 18 hours daylight in Moscow!), you enter a brief time of cool temperatures and shorter days. Autumn gives everyone a breather to take stock of the year gone by and prepare for what lies ahead.

I moved to St. Petersburg, Russia, in January 1993, and lived with a Russian family while I taught English as a Second Language to Russian school children. That June I moved to Moscow and lived on my own in an apartment on the outskirts of Moscow. The following year I got married and my husband moved from Arlington, VA, to Moscow. We lived and worked in Russia until July 1997.

Autumn makes me think of my friends from Russia and I remember the times we shared as the days grew shorter and the temperatures fell.