(Welcome to Kazan!)

We made it! Due to multiple delays, it took us about 35 hours which was about half flight time and half enjoying all the amenities at various airports. Alden and I entertained ourselves at JFK by finding all kinds of backdrops for Mr. Smart photos (see below). We fortunately had empty seats on our NY-Moscow flight, so everyone except Simon was able to take a horizontal snooze.

Two administrators from our school met us at the airport in Kazan to schlep us and all our gear back to school. We got a quick tour of our apartment and the school and then FINALLY a shower. Our apartment is spacious and across the driveway from school in a gated campus. The school playground is just outside our door and includes a zip line, basketball and tennis court along with various swings and climbing structures.

We woke up at 5:30 am and finished most of our unpacking. Then we ventured out into the neighborhood where we checked out the local stores and the market which is a combination of a flea market and farmer’s market. One of the markets featured a very nice man from Uzbekistan who kept plying our children with free fruit and nuts and kept saying (in Russian) “you will only shop here, yes?!”

Later in the day we ventured out to a nearby park. The park had amazing climbing structures and interesting play features and was hosting a local food and craft fair. We tried lots of samples and bought some dried watermelon, a marshmallow-like treat called Zefir, local cheese, and two unicorn clips with rainbow hair extensions. Our kids were both wearing shorts and stood out since the majority of kids were dressed in long sleeves, hats, and puffy vests. It was cloudy and at times drizzly, but was around 65. It made us wonder how they will dress when the weather hits the single digits in a few months!