Trans-Siberian Diary

July 4th 10AM

I woke up this morning thinking there was an earthquake. But it was just the train shaking. Maybe I'm still traumatized from the 311 earthquake.

July 4th 4PM

45 days have passed since Yoshi and I embarked on this journey around the world. Time has flown by. Our adventure began with a volcano eruption in Iceland, and after traveling through five countries by sea and land, we are now on the long (very long!) Trans Siberian Railway. Finally, some quiet time to relax. I'm sitting in our cabin, gazing out the window at the changing scenery.

The wonderful people we've met along the way have truly made our journey special. A man we met in Iceland, said to me, "There are good people and bad people in the world, but most are good." I really like those words -- simple yet meaningful.

Before this trip, I have to say, I used to exert too much energy on my career, my things, and my time. Now I have no job, very minimal things, and all the time in the world. I thought letting go of all these things would make me anxious, but I was wrong. I feel so free and confident that I can do anything.

July 5th, 11AM

When you're going east-bound on the Trans Siberian Railway, the days are only 23 hours long. Everyday, you travel through a new time zone. By the time we reach Mongolia, we'll be five hours ahead of where we started. Today is another quiet day on the train. It's cloudy outside. Siberian wooden houses use very little paint, leaving the natural wood color.

It feels great to sit here in my seat and gaze out the window for hours. Life back at home is too hectic to appreciate these quiet moments in life. Letting go of everything... It's a lot harder than it seems.

The train on the right is the one we're on.

Siberian landscape

We have a 4-person cabin to ourselves!

Pork noodles & salami and cheese sandwich