Reflections on the Russian elections

Today my beautiful and beloved country of birth votes for its next president. Sadly, I’m not a citizen and consequently can’t vote. Not that it would make a whole lot of difference – like in the Finnish presidential elections a couple of months back, everyone already knows who is going to win (in both cases,… Continue reading Reflections on the Russian elections

Monthly Roundup: January 2018

I’m sitting on a park bench. It’s 4pm and sun has just set behind the hills of San Francisco, yet it’s still warm enough for me to chill outside wearing nothing but a short summer dress that I got this afternoon for 3 dollars (we didn’t pack summer clothes as we definitely did not expect… Continue reading Monthly Roundup: January 2018

Meeting Her Majesty the Queen and Other Travel Highlights of 2017

It has become a tradition of mine to dedicate a couple of days around the turn of the year for looking back on the travels of the previous 12 months. Many of us travel so often these days that it can almost start feeling mundane, so it’s good to take time to appreciate that traveling is,… Continue reading Meeting Her Majesty the Queen and Other Travel Highlights of 2017

Monthly roundup: September 2017

Colourful leaves, chilly mornings, hot chocolate and chestnuts? Not quite. September was still a full-on summer month: I got to experience some of the hottest days of the year and wear the sundresses that had remained in the closet during the colder-than-expected Northern summer. It was a busy month both for me and for the… Continue reading Monthly roundup: September 2017