Spring in Kazan was a busy time- organizing and packing up our stuff, end of the year school events, visiting favorite places, and spending time with our Kazan friends. There were a few special ISK springtime traditions that we missed in our first year for obvious reasons but that were celebrated this year- Spring Ball, Sports Day, Sviyaga Staff Party, and the graduation ceremony. Last … Continue reading До свидания Казань!

Victory! Mila mastered riding her bike! Over the past couple of years, Mila has been working to feel comfortable on her bike. It seemed every time she started blossoming in her confidence there would be an interruption- either travel or snow- that put a pause to her efforts. This spring she has been confidently zipping all around campus. Victory! Alden successfully completed his PYP exhibition … Continue reading Victory and Sorrow

Last week was our last long break of the year and hence our last opportunity for a longer trip within Russia. Though there are many places we wish we could have visited while living in Russia, it seemed like visiting St. Petersburg was a must. Simon and the kids had never been and I hadn’t been since the early 90s when I went on a … Continue reading Horsing Around in St. Petersburg and Karelia

Last year, winter didn’t seem to be all that big a deal. We had braced ourselves for the cold, investing in many layers of warmth and even schlepping heavy sheepskin coats that Simon’s family had given us. Though we had a few cold days and much more snow than we are used to, the winter didn’t live up to all the hype. This year, we … Continue reading Real Russian Winter

We had hoped to spend this winter break with Sarah’s parents, who celebrated their 50th anniversary at the end of December, but as with many plans this year, Covid forced us to revise our plans. Our HR told us if we leave Russia, we will not be allowed to return, so we decided to venture with our ISK friends Jen and Chris to Lake Baikal. … Continue reading Socially-Distant Adventures in Siberia (or how I learned to wear two pairs of socks and three pairs of pants and love the Siberian winter)

The fall has been full of challenges- quarantine, wearing masks at school, and unease with the different response to COVID that our school and local community has taken. After a summer of wearing masks and social distancing and being very cautious, it was culture shock to return here where hardly anyone wears a mask and life seems to be carrying on as if nothing is … Continue reading Babya Leto on Magic Maple Mountain

When we last posted, we had made it back to the states and were isolating in NH after our international journey. We now write from Kazan where we are wrapping up our mandatory quarantine after another whirlwind journey back to Russia. Though there were many uncertainties and inconveniences this summer, we are grateful for the good times we had reconnecting with our family and friends … Continue reading The Ups and Downs of Summer 2020

We embarked yesterday on our journey home. Kazan to Moscow to JFK to New Hampshire to Portland.   Our trip to the Kazan airport was uneventful. Kids were troopers wearing their masks and gloves, saying they were in ninja training.  Many others on the plane were casual with their masks, hanging them on their chins or not wearing at all. I complained, hoping they would move … Continue reading Escape to New York

That is the question we have been pondering since March. The kids vote “GO!” as they really want to get back to see their cousins, grandparents, other family, and friends. Here are some ideas Mila has suggested for how we might get home: When embarking on this journey, we knew that being away from home would be hard, but we were excited to get to … Continue reading Should we stay or can we go now?