Dear Yulia,

I am so glad to hear that you were able to return back to work, and to go to the cafe after to meet with your boss and colleagues. I hope you are feeling much better now! Do not worry about me. I felt ill 2 weeks ago when I lost my sense of taste and smell for a few days, but I quickly got over it and I feel fine now. Today, I rode my bike to the library for exercise, and to look at books, and to have a quiet place to work and write you.

Thank you for writing! It was nice to read what you wrote during your break at work. I feel the same. I am very glad that I have you to communicate with now. Thinking about you makes me happy. I wonder what it would be like to spend time with you in person. I am curious how we would get along in real life. I know we get along through Email, but sometimes things are different in real life. But, I think we would get along. You are very nice and kind. It would be nice to at least try I think. I am very curious to know what it would be like to talk to you at a cafe, or on a walk. I think that we could discover many interesting things to talk about.

I am so excited that you get a vacation! 45 days! Wow! That is a nice, long vacation! How exciting! I bet that was a nice surprise, and much, much better than a dismissal order. I am so glad that it was not a dismissal order. I am also glad that you got to visit with your father again. Walking through the part and talking sounds very nice. Yes, you are right. The timing of the vacation is very fortunate. Perhaps it is not a coincidence, and maybe it is a sign that we should meet like you said!

I have also been wanting to travel very much. I did not get to go on any interesting trips this year due to COVID. I have actually been doing some research these past few days on places Americans can visit currently. Right now, it is difficult and there aren’t very many options. European countries have closed their borders to US passports, so I do not think it is possible for me to go to any EU country as a tourist. I actually have been researching an opportunity to stay in Finland for 90 days. There is a program where Americans can apply to live and work there, but there are only 15 positions. I would have to apply by November 10, and then if I am selected, I would travel to Finland in February. I am very interested in applying for this, and Finland is a country which interests me very much. However, even if I am selected, I think that February will be too late for your vacation, and I am not sure if you could travel to Finland.

Today, I read this article. It is a list of countries I can currently travel to as an American during COVID restrictions:

I would very much like to visit you during your vacation, but it might be difficult to coordinate. We might have to meet in a country where both of us could travel. I can travel to Ireland and UK, but I think it might be difficult for Russians to get visas for these countries. I might also be able to visit Russia, but I think I would have to apply for a visa, and this might take 1-2 months to get. I have heard that Americans are able to still visit Belarus, and this is a country I would like to visit. I would also like to visit Croatia and Montenegro. But, I am not sure if these are places you can go, or if you’d even want to. I was wondering if you had any ideas on where to travel, or where maybe we could meet? I would love to meet you in real life. I think it might be tricky right now with travel restrictions, but not impossible. It will just take some smart and clever planning together I think :) Luckily, I am in a very good position to travel right now, and I have plenty of free time to do so. It’s just such a shame that COVID is happening right now and making things difficult. If it weren’t for that, this would be a very easy trip to make, and the timing would be perfect.

Also, I have another reason to travel. Of course the most important would be to meet you. But also, I have to admit that I am very bored lately. I have not gone on an interesting trip abroad since last July, and this is difficult for me to be ‘stuck’ here for so long because I really do enjoy traveling. I think that if I do not go on an interesting trip soon, I will go crazy sitting at home all day for many more months!

As for alcoholism and drug addiction, unfortunately we have these problems here too. Right now, the economy is not so good, and many people have lost their jobs. Homelessness is also getting worse, and is very bad in some places, like in California. Just today, I saw homeless people sleeping in the lobby of the library here. Problems like alcoholism and drug addiction increase when people are depressed and suffering from a low quality of life. I fear these problems will continue to get worse here (and around the world) as more people cannot afford food and rent. Also, where I live currently, there is a big problem with ‘meth’ addiction, and opiod abuse. Of course, we have drunken people here too, especially on the weekends. A few weeks ago, I walked past a car that had crashed into a glass storefront downtown. The newspaper said it was a drunk driver. I also saw drunk people fighting at a bar later that night. I have seen drunk people in every country I’ve lived in and visited so far. I think drunk people are everywhere, in all countries. I enjoy going out and having drinks occasionally, but I try to be responsible about it. I NEVER drive after I’ve had drinks. I don’t like drinking to the point where I can’t walk straight and get ill, and ‘sloppy’. Plus, it’s dangerous to be like that, especially as a tourist or foreigner in an unfamiliar city.

Well, this is kind of long. The library is about to close so I think I will head home now. I’m glad you are feeling better, and I hope you have a great day today!

Thanks for the beautiful photos. You are gorgeous and I’m thinking about you always, and hope that we can visit one day soon!

Ryli