I Left Los Angeles for a Simple Life in Russia. Then Came a Bear!

I downshifted from California to a log house in the Russian forest near Saint Petersburg—and a WILD bear showed up at our dacha! 🐻 What is a Russian dacha? How do Russians live in the countryside? Naturally, my neighbors and I set out to investigate. Yes, we're looking for bear poop—and taking it very seriously. Join me and my dog, Wobblegum, for a walk through the forest and our dacha community near Saint Petersburg. We meet the neighbors, search for signs of our unexpected visitor, and explore how Russia's dacha tradition began and how it works today. I also share how I went from Los Angeles to a traditional Russian log house—and why downshifting has been so good for my mental and physical well-being. Forest walks, manual labor, the satisfaction of doing things with my own hands, and neighbors who turn a search for bear poop into a shared adventure: there's a lot to love about this life. #RussianDacha #LifeInRussia #SaintPetersburg #MovingToRussia CREDITS & LICENSING: • Music by Elena Lemekhova (@Elena_Lemekhova) • Photo: Alex 'Florstein' Fedorov / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0:) • Subscribe animation: Enchanted Media