You always wanted to visit the former Soviet Union.

You also always wanted to win an Olympic medal.

Well, a friendly reminder: the next winter Olympics are a mere 394 days away. And they’re in Russia.

Thus, it’s time to discuss curling.

Sweep the ice at Broomstones Curling Club, a full-tilt curling facility for trying out your competitive stones-pushed-on-ice legs, now open in Wayland.

This is your chance to make sense of the odd sport of curling on training grounds used by actual champions (at the junior level, but still). It’s got everything needed, too. (Namely: ice, brooms and big curling stones.)

Start by locking up a three-hour session and rounding up some curling associates (note: four people per team) who will make the 30-minute trek west to Wayland. Once there, you’ll learn the basics from a professional instructor on the hand-manicured ice rink, with actual matches to follow.

You’ll want to dress warm (it’s 40 degrees on the ice), but if you need something to keep the blood flowing, you can just duck inside the bar for a few local beers (Cisco, Jack’s Abby, Mayflower) before getting back on the ice.

We’re guessing this isn’t how it’ll be in Russia.

Or maybe it will be.