Every traveler has it. That one destination you dream about above all others, that magical locale that pulls you in with some special lure that speaks to you in a way no other place on earth does. The city or country or continent you can’t rest until you see.
I have one of those too. And thirty countries after I began my exploration of this vast and fascinating planet, I still haven’t seen it.
It’s a question I ask myself often when I make my travel plans: Why haven’t I been to Russia yet?
Ah, Russia. Land of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky and Solzhenitsyn. Home of Red Square and the Kremlin, St. Petersburg’s Hermitage, and the Trans-Siberian Railway’s epic winding cross-country route from Moscow to Vladivostok. Art, ballet, literature, architecture, history, vodka. So many reasons to experience this magical country.
And yet…I still haven’t.
Russia and I have a long history of near-misses. It began nearly two decades ago (eek!) when I was in college. A friend and I had a chance to take a winter break trip to Russia; my parents agreed and were willing to finance it as a cultural experience (God, I miss being a college student); our plans were all set and then—everything fell apart. Our trip was cancelled after the tour guide pulled out (understandable, but still heartbreaking for both of us), and my dreams of seeing Russia were scrapped. But, only temporarily, right?
Several years later, I had another chance. While living in London during graduate school, a group of fellow students were planning a trip to Moscow. I was excited to join in on the adventure…then saw the cost. The brief trip would have totaled more than $1000, not terrible in retrospect perhaps, but far beyond the budget of my student self. Once again, I had to give up the dream…temporarily, I was sure.
Russia would still happen. I would find a way!
But, eight years later and here we are. I’ve been many incredible places, but I haven’t yet fulfilled my ultimate travel goal.
Why haven’t I made a Russia trip happen yet, when I’ve managed to see so many other corners of the globe? It’s a question that still haunts me. Sometimes I feel like I shouldn’t go anywhere else until I see Russia.
But…Russia is hard. At least that’s what I’ve gathered from many who’ve visited there. It’s intimidating. It’s expensive (Moscow in particular, which is always at the top of “World’s Most Expensive Cities” lists). It’s not necessarily a breeze for solo travelers. The visa process is a pain. Russian is a difficult language (I know: I took a class, finally, to at least get my feet wet for future travels), and not everyone in Russia will necessarily speak other languages like English to help travelers out (not that they are obliged to, of course, but it does throw up one more hurdle for a non-Russian speaker. Hey, at least I finally know the Cyrillic alphabet! That’s something, right?)
So yes, there are plenty of reasons that Russia is a more challenging destination than many others. And honestly, I think that’s what’s kept me away. There’s always somewhere easier, less stressful, less imposing that I could visit, and so I do. But is this okay?
I’m going to throw down the gauntlet right now and tell myself, No. It’s not.
Yes, Russia is a challenge for many travelers. Travel there, especially if I opt to go solo, won’t be a cakewalk. But Russia has been calling to me since my teens. It’s a place I need to see. I need to soak in the magnificent artwork of the Hermitage, stroll down Nevsky Prospect, see Lenin’s tomb in Red Square where so much 20th century history unfolded, watch a world-class ballet at the Mariinsky, dip my toes in Lake Baikal, and ride the Trans-Siberian railway from one end of the vast country to the other. My life as a traveler won’t be complete until I do. So it’s about time I make it happen. No more excuses.
I have a number of other trips coming up this year and next, so it may take a while to properly plan and execute my journey. But I’ve waited twenty years; I can wait two more, right?
2018: The Year of the Russian Adventure? Yes. I like the sound of that.
Have you been to Russia? Is there any place like this for you that you’ve always dreamed of seeing? How did you finally make it happen?