This is a letter to you. I realized just today that I forgot "our" anniversary. I call it like this, because it is exactly one year and four days ago that I left Italy with two suitcases, a whole bunch of warm clothes and a few words in my Russian vocabulary to one adventure that is still the greatest I've ever had.
You are such a beautiful city. I saw myself in all your contradictions, in all your "it is what it is" appearance. You thought me that sometimes beauty escapes from the rules set by the society and can be found in the most unexpected corners of the world. I found myself for the first time totally accepting myself thanks to this life lesson. I learnt that I'm like you, an unexpected beauty that only the right eyes can see. Because if you go to Moscow, either you hate it, either you understand it. And if you are part of the lucky second category of people, at every corner of the city you will find something that leaves you amazed and slowly you will fall in love.
I fell in love. I did.
With the icy breeze that blew early in the morning when I waited at the bus station.
With the colors of your sunsets, so pink and bright that made me feel butterfly of life and gratefulness in the stomach.
With the old бабушки (babushki or grandmothers) sitting on the benches near the river chatting.
With the gold of your theaters and the love of arts and culture that every muscovite has inside the heart.
With the metro stations that are a work of art.
With Gorky Park, where you can actually ice skate through the park like in a fairytale.
But above all I fell in love with the warm heart and spontaneity of the people. Some, out of the blue, started talking to me while I was waiting for the metro or for the bus. Others helped me with extreme patience when I almost got lost on my way to one of the theaters. And I could go on with the list of acts of kindness that made me love you even more.
Now, I don't know when we could meet again because my life path doesn't allow me to be there right now or in the near future, but until that moment:
I miss you and you should know that whenever I see a picture of you my eyes become full of nostalgia and if I could I would just pack and take a flight to you.
You are the city that made me grow and bloom and I will always thank my brave unconsciousness and my parents' trust because today I'm stronger and more confident.
I think I will always love you.
So.. до встречи!
And here I leave some pictures, some mine and some taken from the Facebook page of Moscow in Your Pocket City Guide, just so that maybe somebody else could be inspired by this magical city.
And I know it's quite crazy to write a love letter to a city, but my feelings had to be expressed in some way :)
Have a good day everybody!
