One of the harder parts of living abroad long-term is that the only way to see friends and family is through Skype, which, while a heck of a lot better than a letter or a phone call, is no approximation for seeing people in real life. I haven't seen my parents or sister in more than 11 months.

But that all changes tomorrow. My parents and sister are coming to visit Russia for ten days. We'll be in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Vladimir. I can't wait to see my family again and show them around the country I've been calling home for the past year. I've missed them a lot, and it'll be great to see them again. Their plane takes off in a few hours, beginning the 16-hour saga that will take them to Moscow. As the Russians would say, Счастливого пути!