My flights yesterday went really well and were quite easy. Business class in Lufthansa was really nice. There was a remote control for my seat that actually made it lay out completely flat, and it even had a massage in the back of the chair! The movie selection was good as well, and I ended up staying up the entire flight mainly because the time of the flight was all day for me. Business class was pretty empty, and almost everyone sat by themselves (they’re usually pairs, meaning no one sat next to anyone, including myself.) Flying into Frankfurt was very beautiful. All the trees had been dusted with snow and it was a winter wonderland. I walked around the airport, found the showers, and had a nice hot shower to feel better about being on the plane for so long. I then had some bratwurst and sat at the ‘Goethe’ Bar and lounge and spoke to some people. There was a guy that randomly sat down next to me and he was from San Francisco as well. Throughout the airport, I felt like a poor american–our dollar has sunk so low that no one even wants it anymore. My bill at the Goethe bar was 6 euro, so when I said that I needed to pay in US$, they upped the price to a grand $15. I couldn’t believe it. For a currency that started off completely equal to US$ back in 2001, to seeing that now I was being charged almost double was gross! I then waited around until my next flight for Moscow was to leave, and I wrapped my gifts to be brought into Russia :) By this time, I was definitely tired, so I dozed on the 3 hour flight to Moscow. After we deplaned, we went to the passport control, and there were queues that looked endless. I chose a line that I thought would move fastest, and I could not believe how slow my line was. Not only was it the SLOWEST line, but I ended up being the absolute LAST person through–after 1:40, I finally made it through, which was fine, because Evgeny had been caught in traffic. At around 8pm, Evgeny and Katya came to pick me up, and we started our long journey back to their flat. I was energized by the excitement of seeing them, and I was so happy to be here again. More soon. (PS> I got through customs in a breeze).