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Journey is a rock band that was formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California. The original band members included Neal Schon, Ross Balory, George Tickner, Gregg Rolie, and Prairie Prince. Journey debuted their first album in 1975, which didn’t do much in sales, so the second album, “Look into the Future”, was released a year later, and didn’t do well in sales either.

Robert Fleischman joined Journey, and they released the song, “Wheel in the Sky” in 1977, which was a big hit for Journey. Steve Perry joined the band at the end of that year as the lead vocalists. Journey released their fourth album, “Infinity” in 1978, and the album reached the top of the charts along with the singles, “Lights”, and “Wheel in the Sky”. Journey finally got a top ten album when they released, “Departure”, then the band went on the Departure Tour, and released “Captured”, which was a live album.

“Escape” was released in 1981, and was Journey’s highest selling album. The album featured, “Don’t Stop Believin’”, “Open Arms”, and “Who’s Cryin’ Now” singles that ranked high on the Billboard chart. “Escape” went to number one, and went platinum. This album stayed at number two for almost two months.

Journey released two video games, Journey, and Journey Escape in 1982. Journey returned to the studio to record, “Frontiers”, which reached number two on the Billboard charts, and sold over six million copies. After the release of “Frontiers” Steve Perry and Neal Schon pursed solo careers. Steve Perry was replaced with Steve Augeri, because he injured his hip and required hip surgery in 1998. The band released, “Arrival” in 2002.

In 2012, “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey” documentary was released that shows the story of Journey. Journey announced that on March 5, 2015 that they would be teaming up with the Steve Miller Band, and Tower of Power for a tour. Journey will be touring across the United States and the United Kingdom, and their last concert will on August 2, 2015 in St. Johns, Newfoundland.

Journey fans can see their favorite band in concert this year. You can arrive at the concert in full support of Journey when you are wearing the Journey Don’t Stop Believing Tour T-Shirt. The Journey Don’t Stop Believing Tour tee shirt is the North American 1981 tour tee shirt that features the Journey name and the 1981-1982 date of the tour. The Journey t-shirt is the perfect tee shirt for any fan, and features the classic song, “Don’t Stop Believin’”.

Journey is one of the all-time best rock bands ever, and rock fans and Journey fans can show the world that they love Journey by wearing the Journey Don’t Stop Believing Tour T-Shirt. The tee shirt is great to wear to any concert or just hanging out with your friends. Journey just announced their 2015 concert tour, and you can arrive in style, supporting your favorite rock band, Journey when you arrive in your very own, classic Journey T-shirt.

OldSchoolTees.com has Journey T-Shirts and more 70's and 80's Rock Band Tee Shirts with great prices make this a great time to stock up on vintage inspired tee shirt designs from Old School Tees.

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Journey - Officially Licensed Merchandise

Journey is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1973. Memebers include; Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Steve Smith, Jonathan Cain, Arnel Pineda, Gregg Rolie, George Tickner, Aynsley Dunbar, Robert Fleischman, Steve Perry, Randy Jackson, Mike Baird, Steve .... Show More Augeri, Deen Castronovo. Discography includes; 1975 Journey, 1976 Look into the Future, 1977 Next, 1978 Infinity, 1979 Evolution, 1980 Departure, 1981 Escape, 1983 Frontiers, 1986 Raised on Radio, 1996 Trial by Fire, 2001 Arrival, 2002 Red, 2005 Generations, 2008 Revelation 5 Nomota, 2011 Eclipse. Tours inlcude; 2014 Summer Tour (56) 2015 Summer Tour, 30th Anniversary Tour, CiscoLive 2013, Classic Rock's Main Event, Departure, Eclipse, Escape, Evolution, Frontiers, Generations, Hard Rock Casino 2015 Tour, Infinity, Journey, Next, Pre-Arrival Tour, Raised on Radio, Revelation, San Francisco Fest 2016, The Arrival, Vacation's Over Tour '98, Vacation's Over Tour '99, Volunteers for America, Yeah! Tour. Show Less

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DCF Moscow: Interview experience & advice

By millefleur March 25, 2017 in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus

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6 posts in this topic

Recommended posts, millefleur   5,039.

Hi everyone,

I posted a detailed review in the Consulate reviews section, so if you're interested you can read it here .

I had no problem getting into the Embassy because we called and emailed beforehand to make sure my name was on the list. If you are the petitioner and are planning to accompany your spouse, definitely do this as it'll just be one less bit of stress for you in this process. Indeed, they had a separate list and I saw my name there, so they check these kinds of things.

There were A LOT of people there, a huge line outside the Embassy, but it moved very quickly. The immigrant visa area was also jam packed and crowded with people. We were number 10 in the line. The whole process took about 3 hours from start to finish, mostly just waiting until we were called. Get there early! I'd imagine the later you come, the longer you will wait. We arrived at 8:00am, but our official appointment was 8:30am.

Registration/fingerprinting:

This process took only a few minutes, but we had to wait for about an hour and a half before they called our number.

The registration woman asked my husband his age and his name, where he is working, has he ever had any other names and if he has lived anywhere else besides Russia. She then asked for the following documents:

- Original Russian marriage certificate (no copy/translation necessary; it was returned after the interview)

- Original Russian birth certificate (no copy/translation necessary; it was returned after the interview)

- Original military ticket/booklet (they asked us for a copy as well, we handed them a complete copy with a complete translation and they kept it; the original was returned after the interview)

- Original police certificate (they also asked for a copy, so we gave her the copy plus translation, but they kept the original. This was the only original document they didn't return to us.)

- My husband's foreign passport (no copy was necessary)

The lady then asked for "financial documents," by which she meant the Affidavit of Support (I-864). I handed her a huge stack of these papers which included:

- Letter of explanation for why I wasn't required to file taxes

- Cover letter explaining my proof of domicile in the US, plus evidence to support that (voting record, mail received at US address, letter of resignation from job in Russia, etc.)

- My joint sponsor's I-864 (the lady asked me: "Is this your mother?" and I affirmed that my mom was the joint-sponsor.)

- Cover letter written by my joint sponsor explaining her financial situation

- My joint sponsor's household member I-864A form

- My joint sponsor's IRS transcripts for the last three years, and copies of W-2 forms as well

- My joint sponsor's bank statements for the last 12 months (this was necessary because we used assets)

- My joint sponsor's proof of US domicile, including US birth certificate, marriage certificate (because of the household member), and copies of the joint sponsor and household member's passports.

After all that, they took my husband's fingerprints. We then waited another hour and they called our number again, this time for the interview.  

Our interview was extremely short, much shorter than what I had read and heard about previous DCF Moscow experiences. The IO was extremely friendly. Both my husband and I went into the interview room together, and I thought that perhaps they would separate us and interview us separately, but I just sat down and she started interviewing us together. First, my husband took the oath in Russian, and then she started asking him questions in English. She asked him only two questions: "What do you do for work?" and "How did the two of you meet?". She typed in some information while he was answering. After that, she asked me three questions: "Does your mother (joint sponsor) have anyone else in her household (brothers or sisters)?" "How long have you been living in Russia?" and "Where are you planning to move back to in the US?" She also was a bit confused by the huge stack of papers, and she asked me if my mom had filled out an I-864, I told her yes, it's there in the pile somewhere. She found it and then she asked my husband when he had taken the medical exam, we explained that we'd done it a few days earlier. Then she said that "Everything looks great" and that as soon as the results of the medical are in, we should expect the approved visa to arrive about a week later. She basically told us we were approved! Woohoo! (They kept the passport obviously.)

I just want to say thanks to everyone on VJ! I seriously couldn't have done it without this site. Thanks again for everyone's input and advice!

• TBoneTX , Dashinka and JSWH

🇷🇺 CR-1 via DCF (Dec 2016-Jun 2017) & I-751 ROC (Apr 2019-Oct 2019) 🌹

Info about my  DCF Moscow* experience  here and here

26-Jul-2016: Married abroad in Russia 👩‍❤️‍👨   See guide here 21-Dec-2016: I-130 filed at Moscow USCIS field office* 29-Dec-2016: I-130 approved! Yay!  🎊  

17-Jan-2017: Case number received

21-Mar-2017: Medical Exam completed

24-Mar-2017: Interview at Embassy - approved! 🎉

29-Mar-2017: CR-1 Visa received (via mail)

02-Apr-2017: USCIS Immigrant (GC) Fee paid

28-Jun-2017: Port of Entry @ PDX 🛩️

21-Jul-2017: No SSN after three weeks; applied in person at the SSA

22-Jul-2017: GC arrived in the mail 📬

31-Jul-2017: SSN arrived via mail, hurrah!

*NOTE: The USCIS Field Office in Moscow is now CLOSED as of February 28th, 2019.

Removal of Conditions - MSC Service Center

  28-Jun-2019: Conditional GC expires

30-Mar-2019: Eligible to apply for ROC

01-Apr-2019: ROC in the mail to Phoenix AZ lockbox! 📫

03-Apr-2019: ROC packet delivered to lockbox

09-Apr-2019: USCIS cashed check

09-Apr-2019: Case number received via text - MSC 📲

12-Apr-2019: Extension letter arrives via mail

19-Apr-2019: Biometrics letter arrives via mail

30-Apr-2019: Biometrics appointment at local office

26-Jun-2019: Case ready to be scheduled for interview  ⌛

04-Sep-2019: Interview was scheduled - letter to arrive in mail

09-Sep-2019: Interview letter arrived in the mail!  ✉️

17-Oct-2019: Interview scheduled @ local USCIS  

18-Oct-2019: Interview cancelled & notice ordered*

18-Oct-2019: Case was approved!   🎉

22-Oct-2019: Card was mailed to me  📨

23-Oct-2019: Card was picked by USPS 

25-Oct-2019: 10 year GC Card received in mail  📬

*I don't understand this status because we DID have an interview!

🇺🇸 N-400 Application for Naturalization (Apr 2020-Jun 2021)   🛂

Filed during Covid-19 & moved states 1 month after filing

30-Mar-2020: N-400 early filing window opens!

01-Apr-2020: Filed N-400 online 💻  

02-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received online 📃

07-Apr-2020: NOA 1 - Receipt No. received via mail

05-May-2020: Moved to another state, filed AR-11 online

05-May-2020: Application transferred to another USCIS field office for review ➡️

15-May-2020: AR-11 request to change address completed

16-Jul-2020: Filed non-receipt inquiry due to never getting confirmation that case was transferred to new field office

15-Oct-2020: Received generic response to non-receipt inquiry, see full response here

10-Feb-2021: Contacted senator's office for help with USCIS

12-Feb-2021: Received canned response from senator's office that case is within processing time 😡

16-Feb-2021: Contacted other senator's office for help with USCIS - still no biometrics

19-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice - canned response from other senator's office 🌐

23-Feb-2021: Interview scheduled - notice to come in the mail

25-Feb-2021: Biometrics reuse notice arrives via mail

01-Mar-2021: Interview notice letter arrives via mail   ✉️  

29-Mar-2021: Passed interview at local office! Oath Ceremony to be scheduled

13-Apr-2021: Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

04-May-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 Unable to attend due to illness

04-May-2021: Mailed request to reschedule Oath to local office

05-May-2021: "You did not attend your Oath Ceremony" - notice to come in the mail

06-May-2021: Oath Ceremony will be scheduled, date TBA

12-May-2021: Oath Ceremony re-scheduled for June 3rd, then de-scheduled same day 😡  

25-May-2021: New Oath Ceremony notice was mailed

16-Jun-2021: Oath Ceremony scheduled 🎆 - DONE!!

17-Jun-2021: Certificate of Naturalization issued

🎆 Members new and old: don't forget to fill in your VJ timeline! 🎇 https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

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Whoops, forgot to add:

We also had to bring 2 passport-sized photos and were asked to present them with the other docs during registration.

TBoneTX   43,531

As usual, a thoroughly detailed and immensely helpful post.

What a relief for you, and you must be on Cloud 9!

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC , 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

Dashinka   23,421

First of all Congrats!  I am glad to hear you and your husband were approved.  Also, thanks for the detailed review, I am sure this will be helpful for others that follow on the DCF route.

Visa Received : 2014-04-04 (K1 - see timeline for details)

US Entry : 2014-09-12

POE: Detroit

Marriage : 2014-09-27

I-765 Approved: 2015-01-09

I-485 Interview: 2015-03-11

I-485 Approved: 2015-03-13

Green Card Received: 2015-03-24 Yeah!!!

I-751 ROC Submitted: 2016-12-20

I-751 NOA Received:   2016-12-29

I-751 Biometrics Appt.:  2017-01-26

I-751 Interview:   2018-04-10

I-751 Approved:   2018-05-04

N400 Filed:   2018-01-13

N400 Biometrics:   2018-02-22

N400 Interview:   2018-04-10

N400 Approved:  2018-04-10

Oath Ceremony:  2018-06-11 - DONE!!!!!!!

redleg627   15

Congratz !. Big relief. Soon you will be able to hang up those winter parkas and forget about snow for a awhile !.

Visa Received: 2015-03-02 (K1 - See timeline for details) US Entry: 2015-04-09 POE: Portland, OR Marriage: 2015-06-20 I-485/I-756 Sent: 2015-06-30 EAD Card Received: 2015-10-02     I-485 Approval: 2016-01-13 Greencard Received: 2016-01-23

I-751 Filed ROC: 2017-10-18

I-751 Received NOA1 18mo. Extension: 2018-10-16

N-400 Filed Online: 2018-11-25

I-751 Interview/Approval: 2019-05-22

N-400 Interview/Approval: 2019-05-22

Citizenship Oath: 2019-09-21

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Journey on the Trans-Siberian: Moscow to Yekaterinburg

This is the second part of a series about my trip across Russia on the Trans-Siberian Railway in the summer of 2018. I’ll cover the overnight ride from St Petersburg to Moscow, the 16 hours I spent in the Russian capital, and the two-day ride from Moscow to Yekaterinburg.

After a few days in St Petersburg I boarded the overnight train to Moscow. The sleeper train “Red Arrow” departs at 11:55pm. I read (but didn’t confirm) the departure time was set in Soviet times to leave before midnight so travelers could get reimbursed for two working days.

There were three people already in the cabin when I walked in: In one of the top bunks was a girl who looked 20-something, and on the two bottom bunks, two Brazilian men who looked like soccer fans. (It was World Cup summer.)

We exchanged muted hello’s and filled out our breakfast order forms. Without wasting time I followed the process of settling into an overnight cabin:

• Examine and unpack the supplied bedding.
• Make the bed.
• If foreigners are in the cabin, motion to them to follow your lead.
• Exit the cabin to give others room to make their bed and, if they wish, to change into sleeping attire.
• Return when appropriate, and begin smalltalk to spark a deep and cross-cultural conversation that’ll grow richer and bring you closer together with every mile of track until the morning golden hour.

Except the Brazilian men didn’t speak English, and the girl, probably on-guard, remained silent. I went to sleep.

It wasn’t the rocking that stirred me awake every hour, but the impressive guttural symphony coming from the man below me. The snores came in different tones and rhythms, transforming mid-breath with no particular pattern, which made them difficult to ignore. (A few days later, Tatiana, another cabin-mate, refuted my story by telling me sound doesn’t travel upwards. “Then he cheated physics,” I said.) I forced my earplugs deeper and felt relief that this is only a seven-hour trip.

By morning the Brazilians still didn’t speak English but the girl was more inviting. She’s a mother of two—which surprised me—and was headed to Moscow for a meditation seminar. I made whatever smalltalk I could fit between bites of fried cheese fritters until we arrived in Moscow.

It was early morning, and my first objective was to find a quiet part of the city where I can rest until some nearby coffeeshop opens. I took the metro to the nearest patch of green on Google Maps—a park called “Clean Ponds.”

The only available bench was next to a group of Russian men still drinking from the night before. One of the men was slumped over, another was drying in the sun after taking a dip in the pond, another was throwing fists at the wet one, and the rest were fighting to stay upright—only because it’s easier to keep drinking when upright. I decided against napping, and instead enjoyed the scene unfolding to my left.

A woman approached and sat next to me, holding her small dog, and complained about the park’s occupants. Following a light conversation, she lit a cigarette, told me about her (deceased) husband’s medical invention, and proposed I introduce the product to the US market in return for a cut of the profits. She did this while parrying advances from one of the men. (“I have a job and own an apartment in a good location, behind the McDonald’s,” he said.) She gave me her phone number before leaving, probably dreaming of business ventures in America that will not happen.

When the woman left, the party group noticed me. “Where the f— did you come from?!” one of them said. I was prepared to give (and take) a few hits and run, but managed to ease the tension with some jokes and handshakes.

I gave up on rest and went in search of coffee and breakfast.

Irina and Red Square

Irina is a lawyer living in Moscow who’s trying to improve her English. We met on a language-learning website, and arranged to meet in person to walk through the Red Square and practice English/Russian.

The Red Square was staged for the World Cup and crowded with tourists. It felt like the Russian version of Times Square, which I found intolerable. I snapped some shots and hurried us to lunch.

We found a Georgian restaurant just off the main boulevard and spent the next hour chatting about Russia’s legal system, language exams, graduate school, and how long could it possibly take to cook chicken.

In 2007 I was supposed to visit St Petersburg aboard my college’s training ship. My cousin warned me I should brush up on my Russian: “We have smart relatives there, don’t embarrass yourself.” I searched for Russians to chat with online and found Polina.

We spoke every other day in the months leading up to my voyage that summer. I started to like her. We made unrealistic plans for her to travel from Moscow to St Petersburg to meet me for the few days I’d be there. It never happened. Just days before my ship’s scheduled arrival, the captain diverted us to Estonia after failing to get the proper docking permits or visas for Russia. Polina and I exchanged only a few emails over the next decade.

This time, the plan worked.

We met and crisscrossed the Moskva river over bridges as we spoke of life in Russia, her newborn son, traveling, her dreams of returning to freelancing, the things we still do and those we don’t… I don’t remember where we walked or what we passed.

Is this what Captain Smith made me miss? I imagined myself at 19, and Polina getting permission from her mom to take the overnight train to St Petersburg, and my needing to return to the ship by midnight, and maybe ending up like my shipmate and the Croatian girl he fell in love with on the first day in port in Dubrovnik…

The thought made me happy but also underscored the passage of time. We were far from 19, and we both found love on native soil, and she became a mom, and I had to catch the train to Yekaterinburg before midnight.

After saying goodbye to Polina, it was time for the next segment of the Trans-Siberian Railway: A one-and-a-half-day ride to Yekaterinburg. I stocked up on ramen noodles and tea, and made my way to the train.

Riding the Trans-Siberian Railway is interesting for two reasons: The train itself, and the people on it. Life aboard the train doesn’t differ much from one segment to another, so I will write a separate article of observations and survival tips learned throughout the entire trip.

The people, however, did change with each segment. On this segment from Moscow to Yekaterinburg, as urban sprawl gave way to dense forests and wooden villages, I got to know a family from the Far North.

Tatiana, Nastia, and Sasha

My roommates for the 27-hour trip from Moscow to Yekaterinburg were Tatiana and her two children, Nastia and Sasha.

Within minutes of departure I took off my shoes to get comfortable and waited for the hallway activity to calm down before preparing for bed. Tatiana, somehow sensing my inexperience with long-distance train travel, pointed at the blue disposable slippers that came with the provided bedding and gently suggested I put them on. I thought they were silly and not for someone who’s used to rough traveling, so I responded that I’m alright in my socks. She tried to convince me a bit longer before giving up.

Moments later, I went to the bathroom—there’s one at each end of every car—and learned they’re just like airplane bathrooms: small and wet, and you don’t know from what . I returned to the cabin, changed my socks, and donned the blue disposable slippers. Tatiana looked on with approval.

They were traveling from their small military town near the Russia-Finland border (where her husband is stationed) to Novosibirsk — over 3,000 miles away — to visit her parents, as they do every summer. Airfare would cost them three months’ worth of income (by my own calculation), so they took the train, like many Russian families traveling to or from Siberia.

Our conversations spanned life in Russia, life in the US, Nastia’s college ambitions (she’s undecided between medicine and chemistry), traveling (because of the husband’s position in the military, the family is not allowed to travel outside of Russia), drawing, Russian literature, and more… We talked without end for two days while sharing food and drinking tea by the liter.

Tatiana teaches literature and Russian at their local school. She told me about life inside the arctic circle and showed me photos of polar lights, fields of flowers, her shirtless husband stepping out of a bania (a Russian sauna) and jumping into the snow, and other everyday scenes. She worried about what will happen after her husband’s military contract ends next year. She’ll miss Nastia when she stays behind in Novosibirsk for one final year of school and then university.

Tatiana also worried about my safety. She advised me to tell people I’m a local: “Your Russian is good enough,” she said, “that people will believe you and assume that your slight accent and slower pace is due to—” and she raised her fingers to her temple and did a twisting gesture. I nodded, thought for a moment, and decided that was a compliment.

Nastia is a straight-A student interested in chemistry and medicine. She’s not sure which of the two she’ll study in university, but she has another year to decide. She’ll stay with her grandparents in a small village outside of the city for another year until it’s time to attend Novosibirsk University. Although she studied english in school for several years, she never felt comfortable enough to speak it. (The faculty at their local school is made up of military spouses with little or no teaching experience.)

Nastia earns money on the side by painting custom designs on her clients’ nails. Her designs—from cartoon characters to landscapes to sunsets, all painted on half-inch-wide keratin canvases—are remarkable and belong in high-end nail salons of New York. I offered her some advice based on my consulting experience (she should charge more for more the elaborate designs). Her entrepreneurial spirit made me happy for her, maybe because it reminded me of my teenage years when I drew cartoons for money.

Sasha is just beginning to learn English, and this was his first encounter with a native speaker. He was nowhere near conversational English, so he engaged the only way he could: shouting out Russian words from his language workbook to see if I could respond with the right translation. “How do you say, um, ‘lion?’” he asked, and looked at me with a wide smile and alert eyes, waiting to hear a word that matched his notes. “Give Greg a break,” Tatiana said, more than once, after many animals were correctly translated, but I gave Sasha an approving smile to signal it’s alright. “Crocodile!?” he continued…

The next day, as the train approached Yekaterinburg in the early morning, I nudged Tatiana and Nastia awake to say “goodbye,” as they requested the night before, when we exchanged longer goodbyes and I told them how wonderful it was to meet and spend time with them. “Goodbye, Greg,” they replied, and both gave me a smile that I didn’t expect from anyone whose sleep was interrupted, who’s been on the road for weeks, who wouldn’t see her daughter (or mother) for a year, whose future was so uncertain… And still they smiled in the way that only good people do.

Previous chapter: St Petersburg Next chapter: Yekaterinburg

Trans-Siberian Railway Prices

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Ticket prices for the Trans-Siberian Railway also depend on the current ruble exchange rate.

Is the Trans-Siberian Railway expensive?

Before starting on your Trans-Siberian Railway adventure you naturally want to know what the entire trip will cost. Although this sounds like a simple question, it is pretty difficult to answer. The Trans-Siberian Railway price of travel depends on the following factors:

• Which travel class do I want to use? The price for a first class ticket is about three times the price of a 3rd class ticket
• Am I willing to buy the tickets myself and assume responsibility for the organisation of the trip?
• How many stopovers do I want to make? The more breaks, the higher the total price.
• What sort of accommodation do I want? Will it be a luxury hotel or will a hostel dormitory be sufficient?
• What tours and excursions would I like to go on?
• What is the current exchange rate for rubles?

Basically, everything from a luxury to a budget holiday is available. If you buy yourself a 3rd Class nonstop ticket at the counter, a few hundred Euros will cover the price. All you will experience is a week on the Trans-Siberian train and will see nothing of the cities on the way. There is, however, any amount of room for upward expansion. Everyone makes different choices about which aspects they are willing to spend money on. I personally prefer to save money on accommodation and railcar class, visit as many cities and do as many trips as possible. To enable better classification of your travel expenses I have contrasted two typical traveler types. In the third column you can calculate the total cost of your own journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that these are only rough estimations and not exact prices.

The all-in costs seem fairly high at first. However, they cover everything and it is quite a long journey taking four weeks. Many people forget to consider that when looking at the list. We should also deduct the running costs for food and leisure at home. I think most visitors to this page will classify themselves somewhere between the two categories, that is around the € 2,000 – € 2,500 range. When comparing these prices with other travel packages, you get the impression that it is hardly worthwhile travelling individually on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Please keep in mind that most packages last no more than 14 days and you are herded like cattle through the most beautiful locations.

If you spend less time on the Trans-Siberian Railway you will, of course, pay less. I chose this particular travel length because I prefer not to do things by halves. If you fulfill your dream of travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, enjoy it and don’t rush things. But it’s up to you, of course. Try playing around with the form a bit to find the appropriate price for your trip.

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• Trans-Siberian Express

Our 8 Best Trans-Siberian Rail Tours of 2022

Come with us on truly... The Journey of a Lifetime along the world’s longest railway. See how the landscape and culture changes as you head West to East. See Moscow, Siberia, China and more. Our Trans-Siberian Railway tours are all customizable and can be adjusted to fit any budget. Our most popular packages are listed below. Please click on the tour details to learn more or contact us for more information about our Trans Siberian rail tours using the form on the page. Feel free to also schedule a call with one of our Russian travel specialists. Many travelers have found this to be the best way to together, create an unforgettable customized tour for you.

Trans-Siberian by Imperial Russia Train

Besides the below tours, we also offer a luxurious tour by a private train

Trans-Siberian 3 in 1

This is our shortest version of our Trans Siberian railroad tours but it covers some of the most interesting cities. The trip begins in Moscow, the capital of Russia, then continues on to Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural Mountains and at the edge of Siberia. The tour ends on the shores of Lake Baikal.

• Schedule Tour can be started on any day
• Route Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Irkutsk
• Languages English-speaking guide is guaranteed. Other languages are on request.
• Accommodation The following hotel options are available: 3 stars
• PRIVATE TOUR This is a private tour, there won't be other people in your group

Great Russia by Train

This tour will take you along the full route of the Trans-Siberian railway to 3 of Russia's most interesting cities - Moscow with stunning Red Square, the Kremlin and Cathedrals, Irkutsk located in the heart of Siberia and home to the great Lake Baikal and Vladivostok - the King of the East with its harbor of the Golden Horn and Amursky Bay on the Pacific Ocean.

• Route Moscow - Irkutsk - Vladivostok

Trans-Sib - four cities

On this great Eurasian journey from West to East you will cover the entire route of the Trans-Siberian Railway, visiting four major cities along the way: Russia's capital Moscow, Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, Irkutsk including incredible Lake Baikal, and finally Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean, at the very edge of Russia.

• Route Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Irkutsk - Vladivostok

Highlights on the Trans-Sib

This tour is a great choice for seeing the highlights of Russia, Mongolia and China. From Golden-Domed Moscow you will continue on to Irkutsk and visit beautiful Lake Baikal. Mongolia will greet you with its endless steppes and the Gobi Desert. Finally, you will reach China and visit the magnificent Great Wall, Ming Tombs and Forbidden city.

• Schedule Tour can be started on any Monday
• Route Moscow - Irkutsk - Ulan Bator - Beijing

The Great Journey - East to West

This trip lasts for 2 weeks and passes through 6 fascinating cities. Starting in Vladivostok with its harbour of the Golden Horn and passing through the Buddhist city of Ulan-Ude, then to Irkutsk - home of magnificent Lake Baikal and onto Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg - very dynamic Siberian cities, and finally ending in golden-domed Moscow.

• Route Vladivostok - Ulan-Ude - Irkutsk - Novosibirsk - Yekaterinburg - Moscow

5 stars - East to West

This tour covers the highlights of the Trans-Siberian Railway - including all 5 major cities along its route. You will admire cultural masterpieces in Beijing, learn about nomadic life in Mongolia, see amazing Lake Baikal in Irkutsk, learn about the fate of the Last Tsar in Yekaterinburg, and visit Russia's energetic capital Moscow.

• Schedule Tour can be started on any Thursday.
• Route Beijing - Ulaanbaatar - Irkutsk - Yekaterinburg - Moscow

Trans-Sib through Russia - Mongolia - China

This exciting Trans-Siberian tour takes you to three countries - Russia, Mongolia and China. From Moscow you will proceed to the Siberian cities of Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk, close to Lake Baikal. Then you will cross Mongolia with its endless steppes and the Goby Desert, and finally arrive in China with the Great Wall and more.

• Schedule Tour can be started on any Saturday
• Route Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Novosibirsk - Irkutsk - Ulaanbaatar - Beijing

Journey of a Lifetime

The tour is a great opportunity to visit three countries on one trip. You will be delighted with the capital of Russia, see the border of Europe and Asia in Yekaterinburg, admire beautiful nature in Krasnoyarsk, see the world's largest lake Baikal, steppes of Mongolia and China's cultural heritage.

• Route Moscow - Yekaterinburg - Krasnoyarsk - Irkutsk - Ulaanbaatar - Beijing

My wife & I have just completed the Journey of a Lifetime 16 day 15 night Trip as organised by Express to Russia. We also had a tour of St Petersburg & Moscow as well. The planning & execution of both trips was well above our expectations. The guides we had in all of our destinations were exceptional & the meet & greet & return to the stations went as smooth as clockwork. We had one minor hitch but that was through no fault of Express to Russia..a quick email from our Ipad had the problem resolved immediately We did have some misgivings at the start about doing the booking online ourselves but Elena was wonderful & answered all of our questions promptly & to our satisfaction. We felt comfortable with the whole process.The train trip is wonderful with Mongolia being a "special " place for us! We highly recommend Elena & her company. I am happy to answer any questions any body may wish to ask.

Thank you so very much for organizing our trip. Everything went wonderfully, and we really enjoyed our time in Russia. Moscow was beautiful, Lake Baikal was very cold, yet very fun to swim in, and the DPR Koreans that I met and made friends with in Vladivostok was beyond priceless. The guides you got for us did an exceptional job, and the drivers helped us out a lot as well. The hotels you got for us were great, and the room you got for us in the Vladivostok really made the long stay comfortable. The trains were also very enjoyable as was the Russian hospitality, although we really weren´t expecting people to be so generous or helpful. Overall, the trip was wonderful, and you arranged it magnificently. You really went out of your way to accommodate my schedule and help me with my schoolwork, so I really appreciate it; I couldn´t have done it without you. So once again, thank you for all of your efforts, and hopefully in the future you will be able to help us out again. Take care, and thank you for everything.

The Trans-Siberian Express is the longest train journey in the world. The route takes you from ancient Russian cities through deep forests and breathtaking mountains to Siberian outposts and into Asia. You will visit Buddhist temples , Lake Baikal , the Ural Mountains , Vladivostok or Beijing . Express to Russia is a specialist in travel for individuals and small groups along the route. We will make sure that you have an unforgettable journey on this incredible adventure. Choose basic packages below or contact us to arrange your own custom travel.

Our Russian tours are offered as land only where you arrange your own airfare and we meet you at the airport and handle everything else. You can easily book the discount tickets yourself through our own discount internet ticket office . Please browse our discount air tickets section to learn more.

Trans-Siberian Train

The main route of the Trans-Siberian Railway begins in Moscow and heads east to Vladivostok passing through Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Ulan Ude, Chita, Blagoveshchensk and Khabarovsk. The length of the route is 9259 km or 5753 miles. The train travels through 7 time zones and takes 8 days to complete without making overnight stops. The Trans-Siberian splits off into a few other fascinating directions as well:

Trans-Mongolian Train

The Trans-Mongolian Line was built from 1940 to 1956 between Ulan-Ude at Lake Baikal’s eastern shore and the Chinese capital Beijing. From Ulan-Ude the tracks go south towards Mongolia, crossing the great Gobi Desert and finally ending up in Beijing. This route is a mere 7867 kilometers long (Moscow - Beijing).

Trans-Manchurian Train

The Trans-Manchurian Line runs on the same route as the Trans-Siberian as far as Tarskaya, which is a few hundred miles east of Baikal. From Tarskaya, the line runs southeast into China near Zabaikalsk and makes its way down to Beijing. This route is a 9001 kilometres long (Moscow - Beijing).

Click to learn more about the history of the Trans-Siberian Railway .

Frequently Asked Questions From Our Travelers

Where does the trans-siberian railway start and where does it end.

The Trans-Siberian Railway starts in Moscow and extends all the way to Vladivostok on the Pacific Ocean. This route connects the European part of Russia, the Ural region, Siberia and the Russian Far East.

Are Beijing and Ulan Bator stops along the Trans-Siberian railway?

Beijing and Ulan Bator are parts of Trans-Mongolian railway - an offshoot of the main Trans-Siberian Railway. There are many options to arrange your travel: to visit Ulan Bator and or follow the Trans-Siberian railway to or from Vladivostok. 

Can I use the hop-on hop-off principle when traveling by Trans-Siberian train?

Unfortunately, that is not possible. Train tickets in Russia are not open, so you will need a separate ticket with a particular date for each leg of your trip - for example, you may go all the way from Moscow to Vladivostok, but you will only be able to leave the train for short stops at the railway stations. In case if you would like to explore different cities on the way, you will need separate tickets, for example Moscow – Yekaterinburg, Yekaterinburg – Irkutsk, Irkutsk - Vladivostok. We offer carefully planned private tours that will allow you to visit several cities on your way.

Are there showers aboard Trans-Siberian trains?

Most of the Trans-Siberian trains do not have showers, and there are two WCs per each carriage. Please consider it while planning your trip. We recommend to choose shorter distances (that is, to plan more overnight stops in the cities along the way) to avoid the inconvenience of not showering. Another option is to choose the trip on board a more luxurious train which has all the on-board amenities that one might need.

Are meals included on the board of Trans-Siberian express train?

When traveling with RZD regular trains meals are not included. You can easily buy your meals in the restaurant car.  Another option is to buy local specialties from “babushkas” (grandmothers, or simply Russian old ladies) on the short train stops along the way. This is a very authentic way of getting your meals.

What is the most comfortable way to travel on the Trans-Siberian railroad?

There are luxurious trains on the Trans-Siberian railway that are quite different from regular RZD trains and can be described as 5* hotels on wheels. We offer this type of accommodation on the Imperial Russia train where you can enjoy a full board menu, a shower and a comfortable compartment.

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More From Forbes

Nori’s journey from dtc startup to clothing care industry disruptor.

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Courtney Toll (right) and Anabel Love (left) launched Nori in 2021 to reinvent the iron.

In a landscape dominated by established brands, Nori emerged as a disruptor in the ironing industry. Where others saw a commodity, Nori pioneered innovation where few dared to venture. I sat down with Nori CEO and Co-Founder, Courtney Toll, to delve into her journey from launching Nori despite investor skepticism to navigating the complexities of hardware manufacturing and retail distribution.

Dave Knox: Nori is iron spelled backwards. What inspired you to innovate in the ironing and steaming category?

Courtney Toll: The decision to innovate in the ironing and steaming category stemmed from a personal pain point. I had just started my corporate career in New York City and wanted to make a strong first impression. Like many New Yorkers, I lived in a tiny apartment without space for an ironing board. I hated my leaky steamer from Bed Bath & Beyond and couldn't afford repeated dry cleaning. I tried every DIY hack to remove wrinkles from my clothing. This highlighted the lack of innovation in the ironing and steaming market since the 1980s. So, we set out to create a solution designed for an urban, on-the-go lifestyle, branded and sold direct to consumer. That solution became our hero product, the Nori Press.

Knox: Many people think, "This thing needs to be better," but moving from that idea to building a hardware company with a supply chain is complex. How did you start and tackle this challenge?

Toll: You're right; hardware is a capital-intensive industry. As a risk-averse founder, I stayed in my corporate job as long as possible until the company needed a full-time employee, later including my co-founder. While working my nine-to-five, I researched other hardware brands and spoke with founders to understand where to start. I interviewed over 19 design firms to find the right team to build the next-generation iron. We chose a group with engineers who had experience with brands like Conair, Remington, and Cuisinart. I also began fundraising before leaving my job, meeting with family, friends, and their connections. We closed $300,000 via a convertible note, and once that was secured, I quit my job to pursue this full-time. Taking smaller, tangible steps to de-risk the venture made the entrepreneurial leap much easier.

Knox: Many believe you must quit your job to fully commit to a startup, but Adam Grant’s book The Originals mentions that starting something while keeping your current job increases your success chances by 35%. How did you balance this perspective with investors, showing you believed in your idea but weren’t quitting your job immediately?

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Toll: I believed I was serving all stakeholders by not rushing in. By staying in my day job, I had time to de-risk the opportunity. I researched the market, revenue streams, distribution, and branding strategies. This preparation meant I didn’t ask for investment until I was confident the venture was worth pursuing. By the time I spoke to investors, I had a clear plan and a path to market. I could show them how far I’d come and what I needed to take the next step. This approach reassured investors that their money would be well-spent.

Knox: When considering irons, it’s traditionally a commodity business dominated by retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, and Target. What made you believe that the first digitally native iron could succeed in e-commerce rather than just big-box stores?

Toll: Part of our de-risking process involved talking to over 500 consumers to understand their needs. We found that most people struggled to name brands in the ironing and steaming space, and almost all shopping happened in big-box stores. Yet, the current generation increasingly shops online and had no attachment to this product, which they should use regularly. By launching direct to consumer, we became the first digitally native iron brand. This allowed us to educate consumers on our innovative product and transform ironing from a mundane chore into a part of a beauty routine, emphasizing clothing care. Launching online gave us the platform to reshape consumer perception and elevate the purchase experience.

Knox: Even though your business name directly connects to the original category, you’ve elevated the brand as a clothing care brand. How do you see the category evolving, and what does your roadmap look like?

Toll: Our journey began with wrinkles and the ironing and steaming category, but the immediate success of the Nori Press showed us a larger opportunity in the fragmented clothing care market. This market, worth nearly $90 billion, is made up of disparate product categories. People buy their irons and steamers from one place, sewing machines from another, and laundry detergent, hampers, and hangers from various other sources. No single company was providing all the necessary solutions for clothing care in an innovative, cohesive way.

We saw that people were eager to care for their clothes, yet the existing products were unbranded and uninspiring. Now, we position Nori as a next-generation clothing care brand, offering innovative solutions to extend the longevity of your wardrobe and transform your laundry room. Since launching the Nori Press, we've introduced a fabric shaver, deionized ironing water, and a laundry hamper.

Knox: You've expanded into new categories and grown the business, starting as digitally native. Now you’re in Nordstrom, The Container Store, and Bloomingdale’s. What led to the shift towards an omnichannel strategy?

Toll: Direct-to-consumer (D2C) was crucial for brand building. We launched online to communicate the values and benefits of our product and brand, with the goal of making Nori recognizable on retail shelves. Despite our D2C beginnings, the plan always included an omnichannel approach. Today’s market rewards such a strategy.

We started receiving organic interest from buyers as Nori gained traction and became recognized as an innovative brand. Buyers from Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, and The Container Store reached out to us. Currently, 90% of our business is online. However, as we expand and enter mass retail, we hope retail sales will eventually dwarf online numbers, becoming the majority of our business.

Knox: For a hardware brand, getting someone over the purchase hurdle is challenging, especially for a home product where the process isn’t visible to others. How have you driven trials in alternative channels like hospitality to expose people to your product?

Toll: Being digitally native allowed us to effectively demo the Nori Press, which is essential for a product like an iron. We created content that not only compared the Nori Press to existing solutions but also showed it in use, with satisfying, real-time videos demonstrating wrinkles disappearing with one pass. This led to efficient acquisition costs from a direct-to-consumer standpoint, making consumers more willing to purchase from Nordstrom or Bloomingdale’s after seeing it work online.

To bridge the gap for first-time users in wholesale or hospitality settings, we direct them back to the online experience. We use QR codes on packaging and in-store demos to replicate the online experience, ensuring that the first interaction is as impactful as our digital content.

Knox: Reflecting on your journey as a founder, nearing the three-year anniversary of your business, what would you have done differently?

Toll: I would have focused on one channel at a time. Initially, I knew we wanted to be a direct-to-consumer business, but I was eager to expand into hospitality, gyms, retailers, and wedding registries. In hindsight, I should have concentrated on perfecting the direct-to-consumer channel first.

We did manage to get it right eventually. By focusing on D2C, we created effective paid acquisition content, built an online community on Instagram, and engaged in co-branded partnerships that added credibility. This focus allowed for natural and organic channel expansion, with buyers approaching us and already having buy-in, which made retail success more achievable.

Focusing on one channel, understanding what works, and ensuring success there sets the foundation for success in future channels.

Knox: Many original digitally native brands were in less innovative categories, where co-manufacturers could easily create straightforward products. The innovation was around the brand and go-to-market strategy, not the product itself, which led to many copycats. You entered a category with a higher barrier to entry. What advice do you have for entrepreneurs intimidated by high-barrier categories?

Toll: In today’s market, creating something truly unique is crucial. High-barrier categories force you to ask, "Am I creating something truly unique?" This introspection helps ensure you’re not just another brand in an oversaturated market. In hardware, you’re challenged to think through the differences, pursue patents, and innovate genuinely. I always advise founders to ask themselves, "What is so different about this product?" and, "Why would a customer choose this over existing options?" Once you establish this uniqueness, focus on generating revenue around it. Determine the best channel for your product, succeed there, and other channels will open up organically.

Knox: Your business has achieved double-digit revenue growth. How have you chosen to finance the business, and what other options did you consider?

Toll: Yes, we reached an eight-figure revenue run rate in just two years at the hands of a three-person team. Early funding was indeed necessary to catalyze such momentum, specifically within Meta advertising. We knew we’d need to fundraise from the start, but hardware investments can be daunting for investors. This challenge forced us to scrutinize our unit economics early on. To date, we’ve raised just under $5 million across three rounds. Initially, we relied on angel investors who connected with our pain point. Once we proved ourselves in the direct-to-consumer channel and showed early success in retail, we attracted venture capital firms like Yeti Capital, Rachel Zoe Ventures, and Cosmic Ventures.

Due to the difficulty in closing funding, we were conservative with spending, maintaining a lean team and reinvesting in marketing and revenue-generating activities. This approach led to profitability in Q4 of 2023. Achieving profitability is highly valued in today’s market and provides stability amidst fundraising uncertainties.

Knox: With impressive growth over the past three years, where do you see the business going in the next three to five years?

Toll: There are many tangible goals we aim to achieve, such as launching in specific retailers, introducing new products, and reaching certain revenue milestones. However, our overarching goal remains the same: to revolutionize the laundry room. This space has been overlooked for too long. As people start caring for their clothes the same way they care for other aspects of their lives, we want Nori to be their default brand for clothing care.

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A Founder’s Journey From Fashion to Passion: Making Great Fitting Scrubs and Washing Clothes for the Unhoused.

[author: Jodie Dolan]

Q&A with Jodie Dolan, founder and owner of Dolan Medical Scrubs

Jodie Dolan was the founder and owner of a successful fashion apparel company when she had an epiphany – she wanted to make a difference in the world. Jodie shares her journey from high fashion to making comfortable clothing for essential healthcare workers and to restoring the dignity of the unhoused through the gift of clean clothes.

Q: Tell us about how you got started in fashion and how that business evolved.

Jodie : When I graduated in 2000 from University of California Santa Barbara, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I was trying out various things and I ended up making T-shirts, which I painted and decorated with crystals. To my surprise, I received a real order – and from Saks Fifth Avenue no less. Saks was my first customer and, at the time, I was on my own producing the product. I didn't know anything about fashion, business, manufacturing, or finance. I had an art history degree, so when it came to starting a business, I was really winging it. But I was able to turn that first little order into a fashion business, selling complete collections wholesale to retailers like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Anthropologie, Barneys New York, and many specialty stores. Eventually, we moved into private labeling and white labeling, focusing on the customer: How can we help this retailer? What kind of product do they need?

Q: What prompted you to transition from high fashion to scrubs – medical wear?

Jodie: Around 2019, after building my fashion business for many years, I was burned out and disillusioned. I decided I wanted to do something that really mattered and would make a difference. That led me to volunteer on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles, near the Fashion District. And then COVID happened. There was an avalanche of cancellations in my email inbox, leaving me with millions of dollars of unsold inventory. It was an "oh S***! moment." What do I do now? I hustled and lined up all my manufacturing facilities to make massive amounts of PPE and masks. That put me in front of healthcare professionals all across the country and I heard them complain that their scrubs didn't fit well, that they were tight, not breathable, and just uncomfortable on their long shifts. So I asked myself: What if I took everything that I know about fashion and applied it to an area in the apparel industry that is ripe for innovation? And that's how DOLAN Scrubs was born and the beginning of my journey to make a difference. We are now proud to offer the world's best fitting scrubs in the most inclusive size offering: XXXS-6X with 5 inseams, curve fits and specific petite fits. Our customers thank us every day.

Q: For founders of CPG companies there is the conundrum of how to raise capital without sufficient inventory to sell and how to manufacture inventory without capital to pay the factories. How did you work through that puzzle?

Jodie : It definitely is a puzzle – like a Rubik's Cube.

For the first 18 years of my business, we manufactured in-house here in Los Angeles, with about 100 people in our building producing our clothing. That made it possible to do small runs of items and then, when the volume of business grew, we had the flexibility to increase the runs. But eventually it became untenable to manufacture in Los Angeles because of the cost of labor. And, in any event, manufacturing detailed fashion garments domestically is really hard, especially when you are trying to scale.

You cannot have a successful apparel business unless you have the volume to support it. That was another reason I wanted to pivot to an area with a big volume need – like the uniform business and the medical scrubs business. In those businesses you have economies of scale and can manufacture the same product over and over, without having to worry about seasons or trends.

Now we have two wonderful manufacturing partners: one in China and one in Vietnam. Both of them have big scalable operations and they are flexible – they can do one piece, or they can do 20,000 or more pieces at a time. I believe that is the key to solving this puzzle we're talking about – finding good manufacturing partners that make consistently good products, that are reliable, and that you trust.

And having good partners is essential. Many large retailers have very strict protocols regarding the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We regularly audit our factories and are very careful about who we work with.

Q: How have you funded your scrubs business and what advice do you have for other entrepreneurs in the CPG sector about how to fund their growth?

Jodie : I have self-funded DOLAN Scrubs. I had friends and family investment early in my fashion business, many years ago, which I was able to pay back in full. I then used my savings from that business to fund the scrubs business. Before seeking outside funding, it was important for me to validate that there was a market need for fit solutions in uniforms. I've done that and now we're just starting to think about outside capital. We're set up to scale, and we want to find the right investors to help us do that.

I would advise other founders to start small and build slowly. There is a lot of emphasis on rapid growth, but that's hard for CPG companies. We're not SaaS companies and I think it's a mistake to have that same mentality. There will be pushback from the factories who want – or may require – you to order more. But I wouldn't let them make your decisions for you. I think it's worth taking extra time to validate your product and then find the right people who will support you.

Q: Circling back – your time volunteering on Skid Row inspired your scrubs business but it also led to a separate venture that operates side by side that business. Tell us about that.

Jodie: I did a lot of volunteering on Skid Row – and so did my team. One of the places I volunteered was with The Shower of Hope, a nonprofit that offers mobile showers. If you are unhoused, you can pop in and take a 10-minute warm shower. I had spent a year and a half getting to know the community on Skid Row and I realized that I could do more, and my company could do more. How could I use my business for good?

My light bulb moment came one day when I was at The Shower of Hope handing out towels. I handed a woman a towel and she went into the trailer and took a shower. She came out feeling so clean, renewed, and refreshed. And then: I watched her put her dirty clothes back on.

So that was the beginning of The Laundry Truck LA. Why couldn't we build a laundry truck that sits next to the shower truck and wash this woman's clothes while she's taking a shower? Fast forward – we now have three trailers operating seven days a week. We've done over 400,000 pounds of laundry. We serve a lot of the same people we originally saw on Skid Row, young and old, but now we also serve single moms, families, and kids. There are over 10,000 unhoused kids here in LA alone, and we partner with the city, county, and school districts to go right to their schools.

Q: Running one business is challenging enough. How do you manage to oversee The Laundry Truck LA at the same time you are building your Dolan Scrubs?

Jodie: Our for-profit scrubs business works hand-in-hand with The Laundry Truck LA. We have a 1 for 1 offering. For each purchase of DOLAN Scrubs, we contribute a pound of laundry to someone in need. Each business supports the other. I believe business should be that way. There are millions of healthcare workers in this country and, if you're not one of them, you probably know someone who is. In business, we should be solving problems and, at the same time, operating as a sustainable, profitable business model. I'm excited to have DOLAN Scrubs out in the world, helping healthcare professionals feel comfortable, considered, and seen when they are doing such essential jobs and I'm grateful that I can leverage that platform to address one of the many challenges faced by the unhoused.

[ View source .]

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En_ of an E_a: As Pat Sajak Signs Off, a Look Back at ‘Wheel of Fortune’

The host departs this week after more than four decades leading one of the most watched shows on syndicated American TV.

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By Maya Salam

Since 1981, Pat Sajak has anchored “Wheel of Fortune” with an affable and even disposition. On Friday, viewers will see him give the big wheel his final spin, capping one of the most impressive runs in television history — and the longest ever for the host of a nationally syndicated game show.

Sajak, 77, announced his retirement last year. In an interview with his daughter, Maggie, that aired Monday on “ Good Morning America ,” he said he felt “surprisingly OK” going into his final week. The farewell episode was filmed in early April.

“I do know that somewhere along the line, we became more than a popular show, we became part of the popular culture, and more importantly, we became part of people’s lives,” he said. “And that’s been awfully gratifying.”

“Wheel of Fortune,” which debuted in 1975 with Chuck Woolery as its host, became a hallmark of family-friendly programming — a game show where everyone regardless of age or background could watch and play along, with Sajak as its trusted conductor. Perhaps fittingly, Ryan Seacrest, who rose to fame as the good-natured host of “American Idol,” will take the reins from Sajak when the show returns for Season 42 in September.

It remains among the most watched syndicated shows on American TV. As of last year, it was still drawing more than nine million viewers daily, second only to “Jeopardy!” for syndicated shows. In the mid-1980s, more than 40 million viewers tuned in daily.

As Sajak’s era ends, here’s a look back at the show’s legacy, impact and memorable moments.

Sajak’s Run, By the Numbers

50,000: The approximate number of puzzles that have appeared on “Wheel of Fortune.”

$250: The price of a vowel, which has never changed, even as the value of prizes and cash rewards has gone way up.

$250+ million: The amount “Wheel of Fortune” has awarded to contestants in cash and prizes since its syndication debut in 1983. Since the “Million Dollar Wedge” was introduced to the wheel in 2008, three contestants have each won $1 million.

$1,030,340: The amount Autumn Erhard, the biggest winner in the show’s history, took home in cash and prizes.

7,800: The number of different outfits White has worn while at the puzzle board. She went almost 40 years without repeating a single look.

1997: The year the puzzle board went from analog to digital, allowing White to simply touch the monitors to reveal letters. Before the change, it took several minutes, instead of seconds, to reset the letters manually.

2022: The year the puzzle board was upgraded to a single LED screen. Its frame is outfitted with two sensors that activate the screen when White’s hand breaks the plane in front of it.

Five or six: The number of shows generally filmed in a single day, with Sajak and White changing clothes between tapings to make them seem as if they were shot on different days.

Vanna White, More Than a Sidekick

Vanna White, the show’s famous letter-turner, joined Sajak in 1982, and their relaxed, familiar chemistry has been a key part of the show’s enduring success. When Sajak announced his retirement, White, 67, said on social media that she “couldn’t be happier to have shared the stage” with Sajak. “Who could have imagined we’d still be at it 41 seasons later?”

By some accounts, White has walked well over 2,000 miles on that stage, strolling back and forth to reveal letters. (The first letter she ever turned was the “T” in the puzzle “General Hospital.”) She even stepped in to host “Wheel of Fortune” for a few weeks in 2019, while Sajak was away for an emergency surgery.

Over the decades, White has arguably eclipsed Sajak as a pop culture figure, not only becoming a household name, but also being shouted out in a surprising number of lyrics, particularly in rap songs including Nelly’s hit 2000 track , “Ride Wit Me.”

White, however, is not departing with Sajak, though how much longer she will stick with the show remains to be seen. She agreed to a contract extension through the 2025-2026 season, a deal that reportedly included a notable raise .

“When I heard that Pat was retiring, I thought maybe I should retire, too. But I’m not ready,” she told TV Insider last month. “We’ll see toward the end of those two years how I feel. I thank God after all these years that I still love my job.”

In 1980, before she was famous, White appeared on another game show, “The Price Is Right,” as a contestant. Wearing a T-shirt that read “Get Serious,” she was picked for contestants’ row where she was welcomed by Bob Barker, the third longest-running game show host behind only Sajak and Alex Trebek , who hosted “Jeopardy!” for 37 years.

Freewheeling Early Days

In a 2012 interview on ESPN2’s “Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable,” Sajak shared some gossip that, given the squeaky clean image of the show, was pretty memorable. According to Sajak, back in those early days, he and White would sometimes have several margaritas at a nearby restaurant while they waited for prizes to be brought onto the show’s set in Burbank, Calif., which usually took a couple of hours.

“Vanna and I would go across and have two or three or six, and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet,” Sajak said. “I had a great time,” he added. “I have no idea if the shows were any good, but no one said anything, so I guess I did OK.”

What’s Next for Sajak?

Sajak has been “figurine-like and amiably showbizzy” onscreen, as The New York Times television critic James Poniewozik put it last year, presiding over a show that has long been a 7 o’clock staple in homes across the country.

In recent years, though, Sajak has become more politically outspoken off-air, writing occasional columns expressing his conservatism and more frequently sharing his thoughts on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. In 2014, for example, Sajak posted that “global warming alarmists are unpatriotic racists knowingly misleading for their own ends.” (He later said he was joking.) In 2022, a photo of Sajak with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a far-right Republican from Georgia, was widely circulated, and criticized , online.

Sajak has also served on the board for the Claremont Institute , a right-wing think tank in California, and is chairman of the board of trustees of Hillsdale College , a conservative Christian school in Michigan, at which Justice Clarence Thomas delivered the 2016 commencement speech .

Sajak hasn’t said whether he will continue with such pursuits, but he is expected to consult on “Wheel of Fortune” for three years. One somewhat surprising gig for Sajak was announced right as his time on “Wheel” concluded — starring in a stage production of “Prescription: Murder” next summer at the Hawaii Theater, opposite longtime Honolulu newscaster Joe Moore. “Prescription: Murder,” a 1968 television movie written by William Link and Richard Levinson, was the basis for the TV series “Columbo.”

In the interview with his daughter, Sajak said he was open to working on new projects, but added that he is “perfectly happy if it just means that I’ll continue with my crossword puzzles and play with grandchildren,” adding, to rib his daughter, “hint, hint, hint, no pressure.”

In the Viral Era

Long before memes, cultural cachet was all about catchphrases, and “Wheel of Fortune” had a doozy: “Can I buy a vowel?” — which became a humorous way to convey confusion in general or to request more information of any kind.

Now, “Wheel of Fortune,” which could be considered the original Wordle, gets meme-ified with remarkable frequency on TikTok and Instagram: in puzzle board parodies, which can be generated online , or when contestants fail in hilarious or embarrassing ways.

In 2020, a contestant went viral for guessing “chasing tail” in the bonus round; “kicking back” was the answer. And just a couple of weeks ago, a contestant scanned the puzzle board, clicked his buzzer and yelled out, “Right in the butt!” The incorrect guess has been viewed millions of times as it made its way across social media. The puzzle’s actual answer? “This is the best!”

Maya Salam is an editor and reporter, focusing primarily on pop culture across genres. More about Maya Salam

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