The flight from Helsinki to St. Petersburg had many Russian passengers
that were returning home after visiting Finland. Our first glimpses
of Russia were from the airplane window. We saw snow, forests,
and factories. As we got closer to St. Petersburg, we saw kilometers
and kilometers of apartment buildings.
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 We touched down in St. Petersburg, bleary-eyed and jet-lagged
from lack of sleep and the BIG time zone change. When we arrived
in St. Petersburg it was around 11am, which meant it was 3am in
North Carolina. The time change totaled eight hours! We were ready
for lunch, while our families in Raleigh were fast asleep and
not even thinking of breakfast yet.
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From the St. Petersburg airport we traveled to this hotel where
we showered and took a nap, before heading to the train station.
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We were dreading traveling another nine hours, but knew the overnight
train would give us a chance to get some sleep. The compartments
were about the size of a closet, with two sets of bunk beds --
just enough room for four people and all of our luggage.  Each bunk had a bed roll and a pillow, which meant we had to make
our own beds! In the morning a woman train conductor served chai, hot tea, but no food. Luckily, we were smart enough to pack
breakfast bags for ourselves.
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Our host families were anxiously awaiting our arrival in Petrozavodsk.
Each family had arranged transportation from the station to their
flat, or apartment.
To join us on each of our first day adventures, click below:
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