Every life comes with a story ...and possibly a great adventure

So here it goes - I am about to embark on a crazy, challenging, emotional and no doublt life-changing experience, so I figured that for my own sake (and bad memory) I should write down my thoughts and experiences...and for the few people (aka my parents) who may be interested in what I'm doing. Most everyone who knows me already knows that I am going to travel to Russia this summer (at least anyone who has listened to me in the last few months should know!)... but I have always said that I would keep a blog while I was away and I figured no better time then the present to start! For anyone who isn't familiar, from June - August I will be living and working in Yaroslavl, Russia - a city in Russia's "Golden Ring" a 4-5 hour drive northeast of Moscow. I am participating in a volunteer program and will be working in several homes for children and a hospital for women while I am there.

I have learned that whenever you tell people that you will be traveling deep into Russia for an extended period of time, questions enevitably aris - I think it might have something to do with the whole Communism-Cold War thing. Some of the more common questions I've received are "Why would you go to Russia...What will you do there...What about your job?" and my favorite.." Wait - you're doing what?!"

Now by my own admission, I am not a spontaneous person - to me, spontanaity is not looking at the online menu before going to a restaurant - and make no mistake that I have given this decision alot of thought over the past few months. This is not something that I could take lightly - I will be leaving my friends, my family, my job, spending most of my life savings all to go to a country I've never been to, whose language and customs I don't understand to work, unpaid, for 2 months. Why would I do this? For the simple fact that if I don't do it now, then I never will.

I have only been in the "real world" for two years and although I have a great life in Chicago, a loving family, wonderful friends, a fun city to explore, I have come to realize that it would be very easy to get caught up with the routines with which it comes with... sitting in my cubicle day after day, thinking of something better, something different and not doing anything about it. I do not want to look back when I am older and have a family and wish I had done something different. So I will go to Russia. I have quit my job and will move out of my apartment and say good bye to everyone and go on a trip across the world to see these things and work with the children and hope that my short time will make a difference for them...because I know without a doubt they will make all the difference for me.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.