This was my feeling from about October 2021 until I actually got on the plane. In retrospect it was a deep feeling based on my health and age but also, it was really profound bearing in mind what happened towards the end of February 2022 with the invasion of Ukraine. It shows that you never know about plans and life until you see things in retrospect. The trip was well planned but with Covid still present, when I was in Moscow, a number of the plans changed and due to the changes, I met some wonderful people and had really extraordinary experiences and cultural lessons.
One of my closest friends asked me why did I want to go, at that precise time and in the middle of winter? Good question but my answer was very simple “Because “. He looked at me quizzically and just said “but why”. My answer again simple was “because I wanted to, for many reasons some simple to understand, others more complex. Therefor my answer of “because “is a simple and all-encompassing answer. I hope the following diary will answer some of his (and other peoples) questions.
