Not, repeat NOT in a Russian gulag. Yet.

I'm writing this from my hostel in St Petersburg, Russia, where I just arrived. It's called the Crazy Duck. Hmm, I wonder if they cater to western tourists?

This was the one leg I was most concerned about. First, not only can't I speak the language, I can't even read the alphabet. In Spanish I could at least sound words out. So that had me stressed out.

Russia is notorious for being the most difficult country to enter. Getting a visa is a pain. You have to register with the local authorities every time you visit a new city. You can expect to be stopped by policemen and asked for your paperwork. And it can be even harder to leave if your paperwork isn't in order! Lose your exit voucher and expect to pay a fine of $500 or more.

But I had an additional headache, which I learned about a week before I left, when I went to the Russian embassy in DC to get my visa. My visa is a bit beat up. Officially an "altered" or "mutilated" passport is invalid. The girl at the embassy told me there was "a 50-50 chance" (her words) I would get turned away at the border.

I believe if you try to enter the country with fraudulent documents you can be arrested. So that was weighing on my mind. I was considering what to do for Plan B, if I wasn't allowed in the country.

It was nervewracking, but I'm in. It's rainy and I'm tired from getting up at 3 a.m. and traveling all day, but I'm in!

And not only that, I met a guardian angel as soon as I left the airport. The directions to the hostel were surprisingly good. They gave me the bus number I needed, the metro stop, etc. But there was still a lot to figure out. It's raining here, so I ducked into the bus stop to look at my guide book. I looked up and I was standing next to a Russian supermodel. Or at least she should be. I tried not to stare, but I did, and got caught, so I quickly buried my head in my book.

She asks me in fluent English, "Do you need help?" It just so happened she was getting on a bus to the subway station and would be happy to help me find my way. Tall, long reddish-brown hair, green eyes. I'm in the country for five minutes and I'm already in love!

It turns out she teaches English. I asked her if she would be willing to work as a tour guide, but I guess she thought I was joking... So, sadly, we parted ways, but it was a pretty good introduction to St Petersburg.

I'm going to face my share of challenges, but to a certain degree it's all downhill from here. Assuming I can get OUT of Russia, of course...