now that you are planning this trip to Russia - a.k.a. "the new and unknown", maybe you would like to hear some predjudices about Americans, just so you are prepared for the best, or the worse.....
- of course this doesn't mean that just because you come from America, that you will be prejudged, but many Russians are pretty etnocentric, and they do have an opinion on Americans. And ofcourse this doens't go for all Russians, but probably many of us:

the 30+ generation thinks Americans are: superficial, materialistic, act as if they are superior, loaded(is if it was bad), loud and rude (funny that should come from Russians:P)

young generation think that: America is a country of future,Americans are pretty cool, but their president looks like a monkey....
and many Russian ladies would concider an American as a good potential husband....

......this "information" is from personal experience of living in a Russian environment for 18 years....

hope this message doesn't offend you, and you will have an awesome trip, but this is "a note just in case"......


(hope I'm not gonna be executed in here, for this message)

:P