I was thrilled when I realized that I was going to celebrate my 21st birthday while studying abroad in St. Petersburg. My sole goal was to have a fun and unforgettable day with friends, and so I made a plan. Earlier this semester, I had a huge craving for food from back home. As a […]

What’s the best way to warm up and spend a free evening in Warsaw? In my opinion, nothing is better than finding a small pierogarnia (pierogi restaurant) and sitting down to a plate of delicious pierogi, hot beer, and good company. Poland and pierogi are practically synonymous – and for good reason. Pierogi, often rendered […]

Thanks to a couple of local friends, I had the opportunity to check out an extreme sports place called On the Wake, which I don’t think I would have ended up finding otherwise. I was told by my friends that this was an indoor trampoline park, which was true, but there was also a lot […]

The walk from the Курская metro station to where our classes were held at HSE is lined with a number of small cafes and convenience stores. Typical of the average college student, we often stopped in one of these cafes on our way to class. Below are my reviews of the three cafes most frequented […]

In the two months that I have lived in Irkutsk, I have eaten out a lot. Every day for lunch, I like to try a new cafe or restaurant. I work as a host at a restaurant back home, so I’m very familiar with American dining customs and hospitality guidelines. As such, I have noticed […]

In 2005, when this resource was first developed, supermarket chains in Russia were only first developing. Brand and product selection, while perhaps normal for a post-Soviet location, was disappointing and monotonous for most visitors. The restaurant scene, even in places like Moscow and St. Petersburg, also felt underdeveloped. Of the three things commonly looked for […]

What is life in Kyiv really like? Very often when people in the West think of cities in Eastern Europe, they think of cold, grey landscapes and shortages of basic goods. Kyiv today, however, is a vibrant, colorful place overflowing with street culture, great food, and a global assortment of goods. To help you stay […]

I embarked on the Cuba-Russia Connection program offered by SRAS in May of 2018. However, this incredible program really began months before me landing in Cuba. SRAS’s communications with me and the resources they offered before the study abroad trip helped set me up for the great experience that was the Cuba-Russia Connection. SRAS emailed […]