Nancy Lowrey, teacher of classes such as AP European History and (conveniently) Russian History, took her long-awaited trip to Russia. Over the summer, her anticipated trip became a reality.

Lowrey got the chance to see so many amazing things in Russia; it was hard to pick her favorite.

“[We saw] the wreckage of the World War II American spy plane shot down by the Soviets in 1960 in the Russian Military Museum. Also hearing the stories of the war vets [such as] the little lady who was a sniper at Leningrad in World War II,” Lowrey said.

Lowrey’s trip allowed her to be able to incorporate her experiences and knowledge in the classes she teaches.

“[I incorporate them] almost on a daily basis in all classes including Winning the West. Especially for Russian History. I learned so much in Russia that almost every day I share with the class,” Lowrey said.

In such a foreign country, there were to be translation errors and funny anecdotes regarding the average encounter with a citizen of Russia.

“I asked a street vendor ‘Skolka eta,’ which means ‘How much does it cost?’ and she answered me in Russian. I only know a few words. I gave her a look that said ‘I don’t understand,’ and she replied in perfect English ‘Well, you asked in Russian.’ I replied ‘I was trying,’” Lowrey said.

Sadly, though, all good things must come to an end. After the trip, Lowrey returned to the United States, rich with stories and culture from her journey.

“[I felt] so pumped up to share my adventure with anyone and everyone,” Lowrey said.