The best (and worse) part of being an American in Russia

Spoiler: they're actually the same.

After telling people I’ve lived and worked from 36 countries the most common follow up question is, which country is the best?

My answer is unintentionally diplomatic. Every country has pros and cons.

Not a very fulfilling answer, I know. But it’s honest.

From dated infrastructure (con) to the level of safety (pro), Russia has many pros and cons. I’ve been coming here since 2019. Each year I’ve stayed from a few to several months. This year, 2024, I believe I’ve stayed the longest. A total of 8 months… and the year’s not over.

People also ask if I’m treated different because of my nationality. The answer is, no. Even when telling people I’m from the US, they respond with interest — not aggression.

Life here is much different from what I expected. If I had to narrow down the biggest pro, it’s actually also the biggest con.

Isolation.

I especially feel it in Penza, the city I’m in. There are roughly 500,000 people here and as far as I know, I’m one of the two Americans here.

(The second one, Clyde, only comes for a few weeks at time.)

In a way, it’s nice. I like being separated from what’s going on because it helps me think. However, too much time alone isn’t good.

I’m not only disconnected from people like me physically, but the people I know in the US and EU are in a different time zone, which makes it inconvenient to have conversations during my day.

I’ve been active in making friends, which helps. If I hear someone speaking English, I introduce myself and invite them to my English speaking club where we speak English (obviously), play games, and get to know each other.

I’ve also been a volunteer at a summer camp. For two weeks I go to the camp in the forest and help kids 8-16 with their English. The kids are great, but it gets boring after a few days. I don’t like being a teacher.

People also wonder why I’m here in Penza instead of the US.

The answer is practicality. The US is expensive. For my current income, the quality of life we have here in Penza is better than we’d have in the states. If my income would increase 10-20x, then the US would be a more permanent option.

I would prefer living in the states. It’s my home country and I feel more comfortable there. I’m also able to interact with people more there than I do here in Russia.

But it is what it is. The reality is we’re here. Instead of trying to imagine being somewhere else, I have to best from the current situation.