Parting is such sweet Sorrow

In January of 2000 I stepped out the luxurious surroundings of the Sheremetyevo arrival lounge into a cold, dark, Russian evening, and said to myself, "Alright, so the plan is to work my 9 months and get out of here!" Now that 2 years and a lot of faces have passed, I'm actually ready to take the next step. I wouldn't want anyone to think that I didn't like it here or that I had better things to do. The truth is that once you've made it through your 1st year in Moscow, it gets harder and harder to leave, despite whatever other adventures you might have planned.

Before I go I'd just like to say goodbye (but not forever) to the people who have made Moscow a home for me. First, thanks to all the "old school" teachers, (you know who you are), for making me feel welcomed and taking me out for those first crucial beers. Next, I would like to thank all the Russian staff, (especially those who know my name and patronymic), for the endless help with resources, language, bureaucracy, and just life in general. In addition to all these people, of course I wish the best of luck to all other lovely people I've gotten to know in between.

P.S. If you ever get a hankering to throw it all away and come to South America, you can get in contact with me at one_eyedman@hotmail.com

Tim Yale