Can you guess what that numbers represents? That, folks, is how much it costs to get a basic physical from a real, live doctor. Who just happens to have her practice conveniently located in the first floor of the building we live in. Was there an entire wall of windows overlooking the shores of Lake Superior with plush chairs and every magazine imaginable on an eclectic magazine rack? No. Was there a fancy tower of automated devices to make measuring blood pressure and temperature easier? Of course not. Because what, exactly, do we want to pay for when we go to the doctor. There was a simple reception desk, a clean white hallway with simple chairs along one wall and a little end table with a few vintage toys and a book from the 80's showing different ways to french braid one's hair (I'm not joking, I should have taken a picture of it). Her office had a desk, more vintage toys, a padded bench, a simple scale and a height chart taped to the wall. She did everything one would expect for a pediatric physical: height, weight, asked if anything hurt, poked around his tummy, and discussed his medical history. I should note that we scheduled the appointment and got in the same day, and she called us back to her office at precisely our scheduled time. We were very impressed. In fact, we are considering some follow up tests for Finn to try to figure out if his explosive behavior is health related at all. Russia seems to embrace what we would call integrated or functional medicine (rather than just treating the symptoms, they actually try to determine the problem and correct it first through diet, nutrition, and natural remedies), something insurance typically doesn't cover back home. We probably have access to some of the best and most affordable healthcare we ever will! America, what is wrong with you?! How did our healthcare system get so messed up?! I do realize there is value in advanced medicine, but the average respiratory illness or preventative checkup does not need fancy buildings and equipment, and should NOT cost hundreds of dollars. Ugh, between healthcare and the terrible food quality at home (I'm talking glyphosates, food coloring, pesticides, hormones, msg and a multitude of preservatives) I'm actually a bit worried about moving home someday.

In other news, we discovered we were misunderstanding the price Finn's school was quoting; we thought they were telling us a weekly rate, but it was actually monthly! Needless to say, we are no longer on the fence about it. He starts Wednesday :-) I'm also excited to report I met a new friend on the playground yesterday. She teaches English grammar to children and has been trying to find a native English speaker to practice speaking with. She offered to help me with Russia in exchange for English conversation! We both have the complication of children, but hopefully we can figure out a way to get together a few times a week.