Английский с Laura Pickens

This trip is physically very difficult. I am the smelliest I have ever been in my life and there’s nothing I can do about it. I apologize to everyone around me. I absolutely love languages because they are about the people behind the need to connect. All languages are used to make a connection with another human being, which is what I live for. This whole trip is about connections with people, far and wide and deep. I fall in love with each person whose story I hear. And that is how I use my language to get to know people. I haven’t arrived, but I’m having the trip of my life. If you want to chat about this or learn more about English, or if you want private access to me to ask questions about English, click here and join our private chat on Telegram for more information.

After more than 24 hours and various modes of transport, I finally left Russia and now I am in Beijing. This is part of my 47-hour journey to Sydney. I didn’t get to see the Far East of the country, but it’s my dream to one day see it from the Trans-Siberian railroad. It pains me sometimes when I know the kind of natural beauty we have in this country, but the world doesn’t seem to know about a lot of hidden gems. If you want to chat about this or learn more, join our private chat on Telegram for 299 rubles a month.

I'm sure there was a long conversation about how to translate морс

One of my biggest fears for this trip is feeling like crap, which is why I’m gonna start off with the best, most stomach-loving food there is: okroshka. It is a cold soup or, more accurately, a wet salad. Fresh cucumber, boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, radish, chopped meat, and a sauce made of kefir, which is fermented milk, mixed with horseradish and mineral water. I think this proves my Russianness more than anything! 🌿🥒🥔 Join our One of my biggest fears for this trip is feeling like crap, which is why I’m gonna start off with the best, most stomach-loving food there is: okroshka. It is a cold soup or, more accurately, a wet salad. Fresh cucumber, boiled potatoes, boiled eggs, radish, chopped meat, and a sauce made of kefir, which is fermented milk, mixed with horseradish and mineral water. I think this proves my Russianness more than anything! 🌿🥒🥔 Join our private chat for 299 rubles a month

Если есть на свете рай, it’s sleeping on a train from Krasnodar to Sochi. My 47 hour trip from Krasnodar to Sydney has begun. Even though I booked my train tickets a month and a half ago, the only thing I could find was on the cheap platzkarta. It doesn’t matter. I always sleep so well on these trains. It was a full car, but everyone was quiet. The air conditioner was nice. The workers were super helpful. This is my favorite part about traveling around Russia!

I've been sick for the last 3 weeks or so, which is great because my immunity will be good to go for this trip of a lifetime. I'm not just going to meet my friend Liz, but all the people in the Blood on the Clocktower community that I've come to deeply love. While this channel is usually used to talk about life as an American in Russia, it's going to be my little travel blog for the next couple weeks. Stay tuned, it's going to be amazing! 🌍✈️

Watching people run for the buses was one of the very first observations I made about Russia. I asked everyone I could about how they noticed that and why they do that. This began my 15-year journey of observing Russians and understanding their history through their people. If you want to chat about this or want to learn more about life in Russia, click here and join our private chat on Telegram for 299 rubles a month!

In Russia, there is no concept of personal space Can you imagine being considered rude just because you asked for some space while discussing your private medical history? In any other country, the receptionist would have asked the other person to step aside so I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable asking for it, but not here. In Russia, everyone knows everyone’s business. The funniest part was she getting mad at me again as I was leaving 🤦‍♀️. If you want to chat about this or learn more, click here to join.

What does it mean to be a woman? 🌍✨ Living in a different culture has given me the opportunity to question my own belief systems. Many things I took for granted as absolute truths now seem more flexible and varied. It's especially fascinating to see how opinions on what it means to be a woman differ. Now, I understand what it means for me, and it's not the ideas I was given as a child. My personal beliefs and culture are now a fused conglomeration of my American and Russian worlds. If you want to chat about this or learn more about English, join our private chat on Telegram for 299 rubles a month. Click here .

15 Years in Krasnodar ❤️ Every year that passes, I am amazed that I still haven’t felt the need to go back “home”. Because this is home. I have been an adult longer in Russia than I ever was in America. 15 years in Russia blows my mind. 15 years in Krasnodar. My life love affair is my home. If you want to chat about this or ask questions, come join our private chat on Telegram for 299 rubles a month. Click here