Russian Generosity

While cruising between Volgograd and Astrakhan, our last destination before crossing the Kazak border, my mind keeps reflecting back to our short yet rich experience crossing the Russian territories. There is something unique about this nation that makes it all the most intriguing. From the window of the G500, I had quite some time to observe the streets, the facilities, and the living conditions of the people of the Motherland. What I saw equaled my expectations; the streets are dirty, the infrastructure is underdeveloped, and government officials are unwelcoming. But on the rare breaks of our journey, we interacted with the locals and were greeted with overwhelming generosity and hospitality. It is then that I noticed the existence of a huge gap between the open mindedness of the people who welcomed us in their houses, shared their food, and told their stories and their country which seems stuck by the restrictions of their USSR days. Along the way, a doctor kindly escorted us in and out and around the beautiful city of Moscow as a result of the unavailability of Russian maps in our navigation system. We then continued Southward out of the city, stomachs filled with delicious food, after a couple invited us in their humble home and proudly made us explore locally grown products. Spasibo Russia! #DrivenToExplore

By: Jessica Horn