In the end only kindness matters...

Last week, I turned 44 and it's time for my annual birthday trip. The decision on where to travel came quite easily - back to the Caucasus!

This region is like a wonderful partner - there was an immediate connection when we met, and it goes beyond the mere physical elements. Of course, the stunning contours of the landscapes, and excitement of something "new" to explore are what initially led me here. But it's more than that. I love the Caucasus because they are both calm and wild at the same time. Perhaps it's difficult to comprehend, but there is a sense of belonging here. The countries are small, completely different from the massive geographic swells of my home country, or even Russia. This is part of the appeal - that you can conquer an entire nation in a very short period of time, and simultaneously ignite a spark in the soul and mind with all of the stunning mountain landscapes, ancient sites and warm, friendly people. It's an intoxicating blend of Earth, mountain, sky and human curiosities...with the negative aspect of increased heartbeats due to the wild driving culture you must endure to reach these remote places. In such environments, boredom never arises. There is a real sense of feeling alive beyond the mere habit of breathing each day, or going through the routine motions of adulthood that trap us. Boredom - it is the most brutal enemy for me personally. I'm always fighting it off, and can't stand to be captured or held hostage to it for even short periods of time. Yes, I need adventure, stimulation - maybe similar to a young child. :))

I will depart for Tbilisi next week, spend a few days there, and then drive to Armenia. If you know interesting places in Armenia, colorful people, or any other facts you wish to share, please write in comments. If you missed my prior stories about Georgia, you can read them here, and there are still many which remain unwritten.

Sorry for the very long absence from the blog. I am alive and well...and hope the same is true for my dear readers!

Thanks to all who voted in the poll for my next journey! Colorado won with an overwhelming 64.8% of the votes! It seems people are very interested in reading about the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, so in late July or early August I'll visit the Rocky Mountains and tell you all about it. Shop owners and pot cafes are receiving huge profits, but there are many legal dilemmas associated with this "pot rush," which I'll explain later. How profitable is it? You can see the astounding 2014 figures in this article from the Washington Post - $700 million in legal marijuana sales and over $60 million in tax revenues for the State of Colorado. Yes, many Americans like to smoke weed. There's not much stigma associated with it anymore. People of all professional levels and socio-economic classes enjoy it. I'm not sure what the perception of marijuana is in Russia, or if there are any efforts to legalize it there. I highly doubt it, but perhaps I'm wrong.

On an unrelated note, thanks so much to the kind and thoughtful readers who sent me messages recently inquiring about my absence from LJ. I was only gone for a little over a week, but everything is okay. :) I was still dealing with legal issues and a very important immigration case at work. Please remember the blog is not my job, unfortunately. It's merely a hobby, and one that takes a lot of time and effort. I hope everyone is doing well, and enjoying the long, warm days of summer! Someday, I'll make it to Peter for the White Nights Festival and scarlet sails...

P.S.: Any readers living in Colorado? I will be happy to receive suggestions on which towns/places to visit!

Yesterday, I booked tickets for a short holiday trip to France to visit one of my best friends living in Bon-Encontre. This is a small, rural town located in Southwestern France. The trip will be very short, from 4 December - 8 December and the plan is to visit the countryside of Bon-Encontre and take a day trip to Bordeaux to visit the Christmas Market and city. The main thing - to spend time with a dear friend I haven't seen in person for over three years. The last time we met was in Kyiv, when I visited him during the summer of 2011.

Already, America is gearing up for the holidays. Soon, we'll celebrate our annual Thanksgiving feast and turkeys and other festive foods have already arrived in the grocery stores. Smells of cinnamon, cakes, cookies and pine trees will soon follow. During the last week of the year, I'll probably take a week long journey somewhere in the U.S. Which State are you most interested in reading about? Let me know.

Do I have any readers living in the Bordeaux area? What is interesting to see there? Not castles, because I have seen so many in my lifetime! Where will you celebrate the New Years' holiday? In Russia, or abroad? I'm always so jealous of the long period of vacation Russians get during this time!

Perhaps you remember this photo from my Moscow post last year? I came across this Sochi countdown structure during a stroll in the city, yet never imagined that a year later I'd be attending the Games. On Sunday, I'll leave America for a very short yet interesting journey in Russia. I've never been to an Olympic event, but am intrigued that Russia is the host country so I'll go and witness everything for myself. During the trip, I'll also take the opportunity to ride the Russian rails. I wrote here that I've always been curious about long train journeys, so I'll take a ride from Moscow to Adler on the new double-decker trains. This journey is over 24 hours! I'm sure to get a good taste of what it's like to travel on Russian Railways, maybe see some interesting scenery along the way and hopefully sleep a bit. Here's the full itinerary, although it's subject to change:

(1) Arrive in St. Petersburg the evening of 10 February. I'll have a free day on 11 February. If there are any readers who can walk with me or show some interesting places in the city during the day, please send me a message on LiveJournal or to my personal email account at shanrocks75@gmail.com. Of course, it's necessary that you speak basic English as my Russian is very bad. I visited St. Petersburg last winter and like this city very much. I've seen all the standard tourist sites, so I'm looking for a unique place or person in the city that I can photograph and write about. Any suggestions from locals?

(2) On 12 February, I'll take the high-speed Sapsan train from St. Petersburg to Moscow. From there, the real adventure begins. I'll board the new double-decker train and ride all the way from Moscow to Adler. I'll stay in Sochi for two days, then fly back to Moscow. One day there and then back to America. The entire trip is only one week, and I'll have no time to meet with readers in Moscow. I'm sorry, as I know many of you have requested such a meeting. Hopefully next time I'll be in Russia much longer and have time to arrange a gathering.

I truly hope Russia shines on the world stage during the Games. I know many readers are opposed to the financial resources dedicated to the Olympics, or have no interest in competitive sports, but for me it's an opportunity to see Russia in a new and unusual light. To assess Russia's ability to accommodate a huge influx of foreign tourists and engage in hospitality on a grand scale. I'll be sure to share my observations about the good, bad and ugly encountered at the Games and on the rails. This is Russia - always something interesting and strange waiting for me. :) You can also follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Please share this post and my journal with others who may be interested in my Russian journey. And a special welcome to my new readers who found me through the community ru_learnenglish!

© Kaj Bjurman

I hope everyone enjoyed the May holidays! In America, we are getting ready for Memorial Day weekend next week. It's the official start of summer, my least favorite season. However, I plan to travel to Toronto in mid-June for a three day weekend. Of course I will visit Niagra Falls, but if anyone knows of other interesting or unusual places to visit in the area please let me know.

Next week I will publish some new posts. This week I had no energy, tired and drained. I wish everyone a pleasant weekend!