I visited Russia with a group called People to People. There were 12 of us from all over the United States - Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Texas. We were there right on the heels of the breakup of the USSR and formation of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States).

We flew from D.C. to Moscow, saw Lenin's tomb and the Red Square, visited some of the surrounding area, and then took a train to St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad). There we visited the Hermitage, made a few other stops, and then went to a "Resort". That was probably the most relaxing part of the trip, being out in the country by a lake and river. It was nice to be away from the grime and bustle of the city.

One thing that really struck me about the trip was the housing arrangements the city. I grew up in a rural area where everyone had a house, and usually a good chunk of land to go with it. In Moscow and St. Petersburg, everyone we encountered lived in apartment towers. Old apartment towers. Not that that's bad, but of all the things we saw, that sticks in my mind as most foreign to me.