1. Not everyone is as interested in this as I am. As people continue to ask me "How was Russia?" I've stopped correcting them and exclaiming like a lunatic on speed that "ACTUALLY I WAS IN UKRAINE AND IT WAS AWESOME BECAUSE BLAH BLAH BLAAAAAH!!" I've realized that just because I had the time of my life, most people really aren't that concerned with the particularities of Russian/Ukrainian culture. Now I usually just say "It was awesome, thanks!" unless they ask more specific questions, like how to say something in Russian (which is ALWAYS fun to answer, by the way). I also understand that Borsch and Pel'meni are not everyone's favorite foods, and I don't need to cook them in portions large enough to feed forty... oops.
2. I'm a responsible adult... right? Sometimes I feel like I'm a successful young adult with all of her ducks in a row, lots of good life experience, and a promising future. I mean, I can speak RUSSIAN for cryin' out loud! that's so COOL! I'm original and intelligent! ...Then I remember that I haven't even STARTED paying off my student loans, that my parents have taken out their own loans to pay for my education as well, that I've never had a REAL job, haven't had ANY income since summer, and that if all goes as planned then all I can look forward to for the next year is a food stipend. At first I thought I was subconsciously running from my debts and responsibilities by "fleeing the country," which I sometimes joke about, but you know what? This is really what I want to be doing. I'm 22: I don't feel like a grown-up quite yet. Which brings me to my next point...
3. I'm poor, and I will be for a LONG time. Yeah, I went to college, and I majored in Russian. Cool, but what does that mean, in the grand scheme of things? Not a whole lot. I am, thank goodness, a preferred candidate for teaching English in Russian-speaking countries, but since I don't have a Master's or a degree in teaching... Well, you understand. Eventually I'll go back to school, or else earn enough Russian speaking experience to work as a translator somewhere, but in the meantime I'm trying to spend as little as possible while still enjoying my life to the fullest. So far, so good --- you want to know why? Read on.
4. You can never replace Family. My parents, my sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins are SO great. Even if they don't understand why on earth I'm living on a less-than-shoestring budget and running around the world, they're supportive and proud of everything that I've accomplished thus far. And when they tell me that they're worried about me being a fair-skinned young lady in Eastern Europe, sometimes I may get defensive, but it shows that they care a lot about me and want to make sure that I'm safe. Anyway, I love my family, and it's hard to spend enough time with everyone when I'm only back for a month, but they are always there for me (even if I am a fiscally irresponsible nomad).
Well, I guess that's the end of this blog... Hope you enjoyed reading. Next stop, Tbilisi! www.georgianchaos.blogspot.com
Love,
Sarah
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