Skip to main content

My first blog post

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 curious person, I love to explore new places and I'm very knowledge thirsty.  I love nature and the outdoors, and I love to bike, ski and swim.  I like winter and I like cold weather.  I'm also of big fan of metal music! I am sociable, enough, but plenty comfortable with my own company.  I love languages; I learned French when I was younger, a decent amount of Arabic from the University of Maine and my last job, and now I am learning Russian.  I am not content with a mere conversational ability; I want to know it all, and I push myself hard!



Why am I blogging? Because I have been traveling to some very off the beaten path places and I think it is worth sharing my experiences.  I'd also like to share what my life is like in Russia.  My primary interest in traveling is within the country, with a special interest in Siberia and the more 'far out' places. I have already been to many places, but it is a huge country and there is a lot to explore! Sometimes I think I have traveled more in Russia than in the U.S.A.  I have also visited some countries that fall within the sphere of Russian influence. In reading my blog, you may learn about places on the globe that you may not have known even existed.

This blog is primarily for my family, and dedicated to my parents, to whom I owe everything.  It is also for my friends and for people who share a like-minded curiosity. And so begins this blog, which I should have started long ago. Better late than never!


Comments

  1. Aunt AliceApril 9, 2020 at 12:32 PM

    Great start Jamie! Love the pictures and look forward to more of them. Where and what is the first picture.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unca DonApril 18, 2020 at 9:46 AM

    Cool blog, Jamie. Have you noticed if Russians from different locations speak with differnt accents that allow you to identify where they are from like we have different dialects of English spoken here? Cool pics! Post more.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Les MyersApril 21, 2020 at 8:21 AM

    I turned up the heat as I read and viewed your photos.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Murmansk- The Edge of the World

  I began writing this post shortly after moving back to the USA at the end of spring in 2021, and while I had wanted to finish it not long after having visited Murmansk- the last place I would visit in Russia- that didn't happen.  Life happened; I returned home, got reacquainted with the country of my birth, and tried to find out what to do next.   I began teaching online for a school in Yakutsk, the capital of the Sakha Republic, which is the largest republic in Russia.  It is the home of the Sakha people, the indigenous inhabitants of this vast, forested region.   Summer in the Sakha Republic involves mosquitos, forest fires, and celebrations of native culture, while winter involves -50 degree weather, fur coats, and short excursions outdoors.  I had fallen in love with this place that I had never been to, and began to regret my trips to other regions when I could have gone to this magical land of endless trees, rivers, and mountains.  Yet...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ingushetia and Ossetia- A Tale of Two Enemies

November 13, 2020 This is a story of my trip to the land of two nations, the Ingush and the Ossetians, who hate one another.  They are neighbours, and to the uninformed, would perhaps be indistinguishable.  During a three-day weekend, I went to both republics, officially called the Republic of Ingushetia and the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, to see what life was like- as well as to hear some grievances. The North Caucasus mountains Originally it had been my goal to go to Ingushetia, which was a follow-up after my trip to Chechnya.  The Chechens and Ingush are both Vainakh people, and share much in common; their languages are mutually intelligible, they are both Muslim, and are both mountain people.  Calling a tour company before my flight, I asked about going into the mountains, but was told that I needed a pass from the FSB  (the Russian FBI) as I was a foreigner, and the mountains of Ingushetia are located within a podgranichniy zon  or secured border...
Post a Comment
Read more