Lake Baikal, Russia

This was one of my favorite moments in Russia by far. N had helped me find smoked Omul (a fish only found in Baikal waters) at the local market that we ate while looking out onto a spectacular view of the lake below.

People often travel to the lake as a means of finding clarity or understanding from themselves. Contrary to that expectation (and closer to my own experiences during much of this trip) I learned something much more important from an entirely different source.

If I examine this trip as a microcosm of the journey through life in general, I have been learning that the most poignant and impactful experiences that I have had have been ones that I have shared with others. Finding common ground with someone whom I expected to have an entirely different background and set of life experiences than I was a revelatory experience.

Funny then, that eating fish with a Russian on a mountaintop has made me realize that as far as I’ve felt from the rest of the world for most of my life, I’ve really been much closer than I thought. Thanks N 😄
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