Below see my admission that financial and, more importantly, airline reality refuse to coincide with my preferred reality. To use more imaginitive language — the tigers turned into bees, and the bees flew away.

Dammit.

This simplifies my life to 1) get a job and 2) go to the gym. At least I know I’m going to Petersburg and Irkutsk in the fall. Perhaps I should call that program and ask where is my promised visa application, and required reading list.