Oh yea...the bugs...I keep forgettin' 'bout the bugs...'sheesh'...
The cold I can deal with, but I hear the bugs are a force to be reckoned with...
I will likely check out Tenn. as I have many reletives from there as my father and his family are from there...so there's alot of family history there anyways...
As far as finding Nirvana, I think anywhere I settle can be that with the right state of mind, and with my sweetheart(s) (she has the sweetest little daughter too) by my side I'll have a good head start ya' know?

And as Russia goes, I think we will likely live there 1 or 2 months every summer, if my trading does well this could be my occupation for that time, as there is not much construction work available for outsiders, LOL...they are actually still much worse than Kali for regulations...talk about 'beauracracy'...hehehe...unless you have connections and know someone in the KGB everything is difficult...
But the summers in Petrozavodsk are very nice...

Cheers!