Inner Thoughts on Life.

Ever since I left the Long Beach airport on August 25th I have been trying to wake up from this everlasting dream. Every once and a while, I will catch myself going about the hum dum of the day and I will wake myself up with this thought: This is really my life right now. Lots of times I get caught up in my daily routine of classes and I feel so detached from the Russian world around me. Sometimes I think it is easier to be asleep and ignorant than to be awake and overwhelmed. 

Here are a few of my inner thoughts:

I was in a children’s shelter, singing Russian folk songs, and sharing music with a preciously nervous six year old orphan girl. 

This is really my life right now.

I was in in the market, trying to buy winter boots. I laugh because the merchants make fun of my “big” feet. очень больш

This is really my life right now.

I was teaching english this morning, and this nervous ten year old boy shouts from the back of the classroom, “CAN I HAVE YOUR NUMBER?” 

This is really my life right now.

I watched an entire family take shots of vodka together at a MacDonalds tonight. I also watched them get kicked out of the MacDonalds for being drunk. нормально

This is really my life right now. 

I was walking home a few nights ago through a beautiful park with my closest Russian friends. We ate cotton candy and laughed until we cried.

This is really my life right now.

My Russian students practically worship the ground I walk on, and they waited for an hour after their lessons just to walk with me to the bus stop. 

This is really my life right now.

Nizhnii Novgorod is my favorite place in the whole world right now. I can’t believe I will be leaving this city in seven short weeks!! Time here is flying by so fast... I am really going to miss my Russian friends. I am getting sentimental and teary eyed just thinking about it... and there is still so much fun to be had! Oye! 

We move in with our host families next saturday, and I can’t wait! Debbie (our RA) says that she found me the perfect family! All of the International Office students know this family and they say that I am so lucky to get paired with them! I am so blessed! 

I love my life!