don't drink the water

up at 7:30 AM, with just a handful of sleep, on the day that i leave for russia.

for the next six months i will live out of a suitcase- three months in moscow, three weeks in europe (with destinations such as prague, amsterdam, zurich, and paris), and the rest of the summer in the states in decidedly non-siberian climes such as fort worth, LA, and tampa.

i'm a full-grown, (debatably) mature, 28-year old man. i have scars. i have tattoos. and i'm scared silly about this trip. i know i'm going to have a fantastic time. i know russia will be an amazing place. but it's hard to feel comfortable leaving everything you know and heading into an unfamiliar cloud armed with advice such as: "don't drink the water. don't make eye contact on the street. never carry your real passport. and, under NO circumstances, should you ever, EVER, talk to the police in russian. or get their attention in any way. even if you're being mugged. or get in their car, even if they insist."

at the same time, i know this is a place where i will witness a cat circus, where i will get on stage each week and perform an incredibly wacky play full of wigs, kung fu, and mannequins, where i will leave the theatre after said play and purchase a beer on the sidewalk, where i will be submerged in a fascinating culture and history, and where i will learn from some of the most talented and incredible theatre professionals alive today.

what an amazing opportunity. i'm so friggin' lucky!

and undeniably SCARED.