There's an idea of the Plains as the middle of nowhere, something to be contemptuous of. But it's really a heroic place.
Every once in a while, people need to be in the presence of things that are really far away.
Siberia is so big, it’s almost more an idea than a place
Everything in Russia is made of cement - phone booths, fence posts and light bulbs.
Russians don't complain, usually.
When I needed to think or was really upset, generally I climbed a tree.