Among the first things I noticed when boarding my flight from Los Angeles to Russia was the beautiful bright orange uniforms worn by the flight attendants. It was like taking a trip back to the 1950’s when flight attendants took a great deal of pride in their uniforms and visual presentation.

The 10.5 hour flight was long, considering the limited leg room in the cramped economy seating. I can’t complain much though, as I was able to sit next to two very pleasant young Russian girls who had lived in the United States for several years. They took pleasure in teaching me about the Russian culture and even translated the announcements made by the pilot and crew.

One thing that caught me off guard was a Russian tradition after a successful landing. Just as the wheels touched the ground the Russian passengers burst out in clapping. It was a nice way to end the flight.

In preparation for the time changes, I forced myself to sleep no more than an hour on the flight. We left LAX at about 6pm and arrived in Moscow around 5pm (Moscow time). The time in San Diego was 7:00 am when we landed in Moscow. Just as I walked out of the baggage claim area, I was greeted by someone from MFitness and was taken to my hotel.

The hotel was very nice, comparable to the LUX in Los Angeles with more amenities. I treated myself to a nice traditional salmon dish

and hit the gym for a quick workout and relaxing sauna. The contrast of the hot sauna and frigid pool water was just what the doctor ordered following the long flight. I went to bed around 10pm Moscow time (12pm San Diego). Tomorrow at 7:30am I am meeting the driver from MFitness in the hotel lobby to return to the Moscow airport for my flight to Novosibirsk. This will be a four-hour flight and three more hours of time change! Until next time, see you in Siberia!