I’ve been trying not to get too excited about our upcoming trip to Moscow.  I haven’t received my Russian visa yet.  The good news is just yesterday we received a slip from the post office.  This should be the invitation from Olessia’s mom (it has to be signed for).  I’ll be picking it up shortly.  If everything looks good, it and my passport will be sent off to the Russian Embassy in D.C.  With this document coming in, it is now permission to get excited.  We can now purchase the airline tickets.  We can start planning and packing for the trip.  I’m looking forward to meeting all the new people, trying all the new food, seeing all the sites, sounds, and smells!