Eight years ago today, on 11 August 2017, I stepped off a plane in Moscow as a 22-year-old, thinking I was just coming for a new adventure, maybe a year or two at most. I didn’t know the language properly, I didn’t have a long-term plan, and I had no idea how much this country would shape my life.
Now I’m 30. This city, this country, has given me more than I could have imagined. It’s where I built my career, made some of the closest friends I’ll ever have, and experienced moments that I’ll carry with me forever. I’ve explored corners of Russia I’d never even heard of before moving here, from tiny villages to Arctic ports, from the Caucasus mountains to the Far East.
It hasn’t all been easy. The past few years have brought huge changes, challenges, and moments where living here felt uncertain. But through all of that, I’ve never stopped appreciating the everyday life I have here: the beauty of Moscow, the warmth and humour of the people, the little routines that make this place feel like home.
At 22, I thought I was taking a leap into the unknown. At 30, I can look back and say with absolute certainty that moving to Russia was the best decision I ever made. Despite everything, it’s still a wonderful place to live.
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May holidays at the dacha only mean one thing: manual labour
С Днём Победы!
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Contact me!
contactjonnytickle@gmail.com
12 October 2015