Extreme Northern James

Surgut, Russia, November 22 2019 In my school's break room there is a map of Russia, and I frequently find myself staring at it in awe in between classes, studying it, mesmerized by the sheer size of this country.  You can see some random city in the middle of nowhere, look it up on Google images, and be baffled as to why people would live in a such remote and harsh place.  I saw this city, Surgut, on the map and decided to look it up. It is located in Western Siberia in Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, which is the epicenter of Russia's oil industry.  Taking a three hour flight Northeast of Moscow, I decided to go there on a three-day weekend since the tickets were quite cheap.  It is a remote place, but nowhere near as remote as some.  I had very few expectations, but I knew it would be cold.   I decided to write about my trip here first because while it was not some super crazy vacation, I believe that my travel to this city is the embodiment...

This is my first blog and my first post, so suppose I should just delve right into things. I am James VerLee, and I hail from the Northern US city of Bangor, Maine. While my life choices have frequently been made on a whim, they have certainly led me on a unique path, to say the least, and for that I am grateful. My professional life has been characterized by cross-cultural experiences, and I have met many people from many countries.  I used to be an employment case manager, and now I'm teaching English in the exurbs of Moscow, Russia, in a city called Dzerzhinsky.  Why, might you ask, did I choose Russia? Well, my choice was made on a whim, of course.  In short, because it's cool, and it's a massive place with a rich culture and fascinating history; being here is an incredibly unique experience.  It's the biggest country in the world! It's also kind of hardcore, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? About me; I am a very curio...