Last Day in Moscow & Beginning of Week 2

My last day in Moscow began with Skyping with K and talking on the phone with Mom (gotta take advantage of the free WiFi!). After breakfast the group took the metro back to Red Square where we split up for 2 hours for each to do their own thing. I went with a few kids to the "largest underground mall" to get Sabarro (once again) and then went on the hunt for a USB cord. One of the majors of the ROTC group came with me so I wouldn't be wandering around the Russian mall by myself and (yay!) I found a card reader that lets me put pictures on my computer!! So in the next post you'll see a bunch of pictures I've taken since I've been here!!! The rest of my 2 hours was spent wandering around the souvenir stands again, walking through Red Square (you could walk all the way through it today) and through GUM - just to get in a little AC. The thing I've learned in Russia is that not many places have AC… apparently they don't really need it but for whatever reason, I seem to be here in the middle of a heat wave! As I understand it, 90 degrees is not usual in the summer in Russia :)

The group made it's way back to the hotel to grab the luggage and back on the metro to the train station for the 4:35pm train to Yaroslavl. As we arrived at the train station at 3:30, the hour was spent sitting in the sun, sweating profusely. Once the track number was listed, we all ran to the train, hoping to get out of the heat and into air conditioning. Nyet. After asking the train attendant (a train stewardess essentially) she informed me through whatever Russian words she was speaking and pointing at my ticket that my train car did not in fact have AC. To say the least it was a LONG, HOT 4 hour train ride back! I think I lost 5 lbs sitting on the train alone!

Didn't make it back to the home base in Yaroslavl until almost 9pm and then went into town with some kids to get McDonalds (I was more interested in the WiFi than a value meal) but alas, it was not working. I was feeling especially homesick for some reason that evening (not quite sure the cause) and not being able to call anyone back home just made it worse. Luckily, I was able to get my first real nights sleep on Sunday evening.

Monday, June 28: It's amazing what a good night's sleep can do to your attitude and outlook - Monday morning dawned bright and full of possibilities! Since porridge 5 days last week didn't go over too well with the ROTC group the cook made "eggs" for breakfast. I guess Russian eggs are a little different than American eggs… they were made in a casserole dish and were about and inch and a half thick. They were decent but not what you think of when you think "eggs". That morning my group and went to the Leninsky elderly center for their end of program party (because it's a State-funded program, seniors can only sign up for 3 week periods). They invited us to the party where we had a spread of tea, several varieties of cookies, candies and chocolates! Apparently desserts are really big in Russia and everything did look and taste very good but it was a little much for 10:30am :) In the afternoon my group and I went back to School # 45 where we finished plastering (with concrete) and began painting. It is shocking to see not only the dilapidated state of the school but also to be constantly reminded that they cannot afford any sort of decent product for the cafeteria remodel. I used water from the hose and old, dirty rags to "mop" the floor (with no disinfectant), the pieces of paint chips that we could not reach to sweep away will just be left (hopefully the kids won't eat them) and the paint I used honestly smelled like gasoline. It's easy to take simple things that are so accessible to us in America for advantage - I never experienced having my school fall apart or worrying about inhaling paint fumes or not having the floors and surfaces cleaned by a professional janitorial crew with Clorox. But the people who work there, and the children I've seen running around the school, don't complain about their situation. Sure they'd like to have the money to fix things up properly but they work within their limitations and they make the best of it. It's an admirable quality to see in people.

When the group returned from School #45 I decided to try and get into some of my regular routines again, so since I had an hour to kill I decided to go for a run for the first time in Russia. Taking my ipod full of songs put on there by K i ran across the bridge, down the street and to the McDonalds…. it's the only place I know how to get to, so I thought it best not to divert from my only known route. The rest of the night I spent some quality, relaxing time with my fellow volunteers - playing cards, looking at things online and watching 'Wedding Crashers' on someones laptop (there is a TV and DVD player here but apparently they cant play American DVDs - who knew they were different?!)

Tuesday, June 29: This morning my group and I returned to the Women's Hospital for the 3rd time. As we're the only all-female group, I believe that I will be returning to this placement at least twice a week for the remainder of my stay. The Women's Hospital is a unique place which I believe, deserves a dedicated posting - so look for that soon! We spend a few hours with the women, playing games like Uno, checkers, puzzles and Candy Land, making a craft and sometimes playing music and dancing! The placement this afternoon was a new one that I'd never been to before but was excited to go to. My group and I went to volunteer with the Leninsky Disabled group (which is actually in the same building as the Leninsky Elderly group). This is a group of about 10-15 disabled people, all in their 20's, who are able to come to the center once a week and participate in English lessons, hear guest speakers and play games and do crafts with CCS volunteers. After introductions we had an English lesson, where we prepared words for them to learn - this week it was household goods…. toaster, pot, pan, microwave, stove, etc. I was very surprised to find out that several of the individuals spoke very good English - they introduced themselves and gave a short speech about themselves in English and could answer questions in English as well. All of the people there were so kind and were very excited to have us there.

Tuesday night was one of the funnest times I've had in Russia so far. The homebase is very close to one of the rivers in Yaroslavl (can't remember which one) and pretty much all of the volunteers decided that we should go down to the riverbank and havea bonfire in one of the open pits that dot the shore. After stopping at Carousel (the "Walmart" of Yaroslavl) for a few snacks and beverages, we headed down towards the river. Thinking that it would be a short, easy walk, I wore leggings and flip flops - I was unprepared for the amount of dirt, mud, water and varieties of vegetation that I would have to trek through before we reached our destination! Also, thanks Dad for buying the bug spray! It was definitely a necessary purchase, since I was the ONLY person there (out of about 20) who had thought to bring any! Between dolling out my bug spray, hand sanitizer and tissues for girls who had to use the bathroom, I definitely felt like the "mom" of the group…. which is appropriate I guess since I'm about 3-5 years older than everyone else here. For about 2 hours we talked, one girl played the guitar and overall had a great time. Had to make the hazardous trek back around 10:15pm to make the 11pm curfew but it was all in all a great night - besides getting nearly eaten alive by misquotes and all of my clothing smelling like smoke, it was a success.

Wednesday, June 30: In my journal I number each new day…"Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc…." and it's amazing to me that this is my 11th day in Russia! The time really has gone by fast and to think that I only have about 5 more weeks to go is surprising. I already feel like I've been here forever, but I know that the rest of the time (now that I've gotten into the routine of my placements and making friends) will go by very quickly. The breakfast today was actually one that I really enjoyed…. regular oatmeal, dry cereal, yogurt (hopefully my stomach does ok with the dairy!) and an apple. Simple yet delicious. The placement this morning was a new one for my group and one that I really, REALLY hope we return to many times! (I've already told the person that does the scheduling that she should schedule my group to come back!). Around 9:30am we headed about 20 min away from the homebase, on the opposite side of Yaroslavl to the shelter for children. This is essentially a "holding place" for children - a place that they stay after they have been removed from their parents custody by the state, while the authorities decide what location is in the best interest of the child…. either returning to the parents (parental check-ups are performed by social services) or going on to an orphanage, in which case the parents completely lose their rights. The parents have anywhere from 6 months to 1 year to shape up, before the child's destination is decided; the parents are allowed to visit the children while they are at the shelter, however, unfortunately many of them do not.

I cannot imagine the emotional and psychological toll that these children go through- growing up in a dysfunctional household with parents that are (usually) alcoholics, leaving them alone for long periods of time, to being removed from that home (the only home you've ever known) and placed in a "house" with 15 or so other children, living there, playing there and then once they finally get used to that place - either being sent back to their parents or to an orphanage. I was imagining these kids to be depressed, sad and confused but it was it was the complete opposite when we arrived. We walked out into the playground where they were already playing and were welcomed by their smiles and hugs. We came equipped with a craft (egg crate bugs!), coloring books, barbies, toy cars, puzzles and all kinds of games - enough to keep everyone entertained for hours. While I do not speak Russian well at all (although I was able to understand when one child asked my name) it's amazing how far smiles and nodding your head can go. All the children really wanted was for us to play with them and I was more than happy to oblige. They were so happy playing on their old play ground (I was afraid the swing was going to break!), in their "sandbox" filled with dirt and with the used and slightly old toys we brought them… I remember growing up having tons of dolls and barbies and new toys all the time.. and here these children were, perfectly content with whatever little thing they could get their hand on. They're very inspiring.

It's also interesting to see that no matter where you go, how far you travel… kids will be kids! All they really want is to be loved and care for… and someone to play with them. They didn't care that I couldn't speak Russian - I would play barbies with them, let them style my hair and played 'house' in the sandbox. That's all they cared about. A few children in particular stood out to me - Aliana, Amalia, Vlatik and Larissa. Aliana is the oldest of the group at 10 years old and according to my translator, has not been there very long. I was coloring with her and a few other girls when she was showing me her English skills by saying the colors of the crayons and how old each of the children was. I was so surprised that at 10 years old and in a family that was not all together "happy" (as they call children from broken homes here) could speak English so well. Amelia started brushing my hair with a toy brush and all of the other girls followed in taking a turn and putting it up with my rubber band. Amalia had two of her siblings with her at the shelter and they had been taken away from their parents (alcoholics) and had been in the shelter for some time; their mother did not visit them but their father occasionally did. I do not know too much of Vlatik's background but he was an adorable little boy about 4 or 5 years old - he liked to look in the toy mirrors we brought (I don't think they have many mirrors in the shelter) and made the sandbox a house for him and I to have lunch in. Larissa was the other child who stole my heart - an adorable blonde haired little girl who liked to be spun around and pushed on the swing. Before we left, the translator told me and the others in my group that the people at the shelter informed her that today was Larissa's last day in the shelter; after a year living here, her parent's rights had been terminated and she was going to the orphanage on Thursday. While she would be eligible for adoption, Larissa is about 6 or 7 years old and the chances of her being adopted by a family are very slim. People prefer babies is what we were told.

The time at the shelter was completely eye-opening and I cannot wait to return. While it might seem like a small thing - coloring, playing with dolls and giving hugs - I do believe that I am doing something small (very small) to help these kids along their way. And if I make any kind of minuscule difference in a child's day, then this trip has been worth it.

Moscova

So I spent my first full weekend in Russia in Moscow and I can say it was a weekend well spent! Spending time in Moscow has been a really great experience... the whole time I was thinking to myself...."I'm in MOSCOW??! What??" It's been so interesting to see all of the historical places that you hear about in history class - I can't believe that I've actually been to Red Square, St. Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin, Lenin's tomb... it's incredible!

I arrived her on Friday evening with the ROTC group that is volunteering in Yaroslavl with me and two other "civilians", as we are called. The train from Yaroslavl was uneventful and I was actually very surprised by the niceness of the train. The seats were large, there was lots of legroom and each passanger had their own table and light (just like a plane). Unfortunately I was on the aisle seat with a nice, large Russian woman next to me, who liked the curtain to be closed on the train, so I did not see much of the countryside. Arrived in Moscow around 8:30pm and the group of 27 made it to our hotel without incident. I stayed in a really nice (Communist style) hotel about 5 metro stops from Red Square. And it has free WiFi, so even better! Yay!!

That night was pretty quiet, the big group got dinner at one of the restaurant hotels (waited 2 hrs for our food) so it was past midnight by the time we were done. Seeing as I wanted to be rested and refreshed for the busy day ahead, I didn't do a whole lot - just visited with the other

kids in the hotel bowling alley.

Saturday started with breakfast - a delicious Russian buffet of different kinds of meats, porridge, veggies and other things I couldn't identify. Then we were off to Red Square! Let me

tell you, it is a sight to see!! I couldn't believe I was actually walking through the gate and seeing the cathedral from Ivan the Terrible and where Lenin was buried, it was really spectacular. The picture below is of Red Square during the day,

they had most of it blocked off because there was some sort of motor cross event that day, but I still got a good shot of it.

Also, as you can imagine, there were a million vendors selling all sorts of Russian originals but these nesting dolls in particular were EVERYWHERE!

Another really interesting thing that I was able to participate in was a 2 hour city bus tour with a tour guide, all around Moscow. We went through all the main touristy sights again but then also went through the suburbs, saw Moscow State University, went on a hill overlooking the entire city, saw the Olympic stadium from the 1980 Olympics and saw a famous park and convent where women used to be placed by their rich husbands when they decided they didn't want to be married to them anymore (currently it still belongs to the Orthodox Church but all the inhabitants are voluntarily in the convent :) An interesting piece of trivia about Russian weddings, is that after the actual ceremony the newly married couple - and a few members of their family and bridal party - go around to the famous sights around the city to take pictures and also pay their respects and lay flowers on notable graves; such as the grave of the unknown solider outside the Kremlin (similar to what the U.S. has at Arlington) and Lenin's tomb. Needless to say that on a beautiful, sunny Saturday - I saw my fair share of brides walking around!

After the city tour did a little shopping (don't be surprised to see some of those nesting dolls! ;) and went back to the hotel to do a little showering, relaxing and Skyping. (I figure that since I'm not used to having this much internet access, I better take advantage of it!) The plan for the evening was originally supposed to be going with the ROTC group to a Russian dance show, however our wires were crossed (we thought we were leaving at 7, they thought 6:30...) and I got left behind and didn't make it to the show - don't worry! I wasn't by myself!! I was with the two other non-ROTC girls on my trip, one of whom has been to Moscow for about 6 days before and speaks Russian, so we were fine :) We met with the group after the show and walked around downtown. It was SUCH a nice night, I was wearing a dress and didn't need a sweater or anything to be comfortable! (Again, who knew it'd be so hot in Russia!??) but apparently I am reminded by my CCS staff that this is not the norm and to expect it to return to "normal" Russian summer temps soon (high 60's, 70's - fine with me! since no place has AC! Seriously though... literally no place has air conditioning, buses, the metro, stores... it's brutal!)

The building on the right is currently a history museum, although I have to imagine that it was used for some other purpose in the olden days...

The rest of the night was spent walking around Red Square - sooooo much different at night! Everything is lit up and there are obviously less people around and I was able to go right up to St. Basils, whereas it had been blocked off during the day! All I wanted to do was sit there in the square and take it all in - this was the heart of the city - this is is where it all happened! There's a large statue at the base of St. Basils and one of my friends explained that the statue is where all of the public executions used to take place during the time of the tsars. I was wondering if that is why it was called Red Square, due to all of the blood which was spilled there. However she explained that the name in Russian, literally translates to "beautiful square" .... and it is very beautiful. I had to save the best picture for last. I took this one last night, just before I left. Everyone tells me to take everything in; I'm only in Russia for a few weeks and I don't know if I'll ever be back. But I can saw with certainty that I took everything in last night - it was probably my favorite night that I've spent in Russia and certainly one that I will not forget for a long time.

Long Days & White Nights

One thing that I have noticed in the 4 or so days I've been here are that the days are loonngg!!! Right now, the northern part of Russia is experiencing 'White Nights', meaning that the sun doesn't set until about 11:30pm and then begins to rise again at 3:00am (and those 3 1/2 hrs are mostly twilight and not completely dark). The days usually start at 7 or 7:30am (sharing a room with 6 other girls usually means that you get woken up before you'd like to get up), breakfast at 8am, consisting usually of some sort of porridge or oatmeal-type food, coupled with LOTS of BREAD, butter and cheese. (I usually just try a little bit of oatmeal and have one of my Chewy bars :). We leave for placements around 9 or 9:30am and stay at our morning placements until about 12:30pm, come back for lunch (coleslaw sort of salad, soup and a meaty dish - again I usually just have some soup) and around 1:30pm we leave for afternoon placements, returning in time for dinner at 6pm (more soup and a meaty dish). After dinner we have free time, which is usually spent "going into town", as downtown Yaroslavl is about a 20-30 min walk or a 10 min bus ride away. Before I came I was concerned about walking down the street at night and how safe it was; not that I have ever walked down the street by myself, nor do I plan to but regardless, by the time I get back to my home base - usually around 10:30 or 11 - it's still light out!!! It can be really confusing for your body and quite honestly, I don't like it. It sounds like it'd be nice to have sunlight for so long but when you're trying to get yourself ready to go to sleep and it looks like it's 4 in the afternoon outside, it can be really difficult (maybe one of the reasons I can never fall asleep here!).

Once or twice a week (this week was a little different, just because it was the first week) we go on a cultural excursion in the afternoons. This Wednesday we went to the Yaroslavl Army Glory Museum, which was in honor of the men and women who fought int he "Great Patriotic War" aka World War II. It was quite interesting, especially to see the Soviet perspective before and during the war. Honestly for the most part I would have to say that the Russian people's experiences were (from what I've learned about American history) pretty similar to what American families went through; if not more tragic since the "Fascists"(as the Axis is always referred to here) actually came into their country and also set up a blockade on Leningrad, which lasted for several years. The tour lead us through all different aspects of the war - including women's role. Like in America, women left the home to work in factories, as nurses on the fronts and also - in the case of many Yaroslavl women - were sent on the road between Yaroslavl and Moscow to dig a huge ditch to be used as a trench to defend the towns. It was especially incredible that this ditch was dug in winter, when it was - 40! There were also many famous women spies, which I thought was very interesting. While I was very interested in the tour and learned a lot about what WWII was like for the Russians, one part that was omitted was Stalin's purges; I guess this is a part of their history they don't want to remind people about.

On Wednesday evening me and a few of my fellow volunteers decided to partake in a little cultural immersion.... we went to the Yaroslavl football game! It was interesting to see what sporting events are like here, compared the to the US. I know some people who have gone to Spanish or English football matches which are really intense, but as Yaroslavl isn't that large of a town the stadium was only about half full. Although reassuringly (or not), the police were ready for any kind of situation that might result from the game's outcome.... they had the Russian army (I think army at least), the regular police patrolled all around the perimeter of the stadium, PLUS the police with the shields! Luckily the game tied 1-1 so there were no riots after the game. After the game me we were able to find a restaurant serving pizza, so like any regular Americans would do, we went in for dinner. (and yes I did eat a pizza :).

Tomorrow around 4 I leave for Moscow for the weekend. There is a group of about 25 Army ROTC cadets who are volunteering at the same time and they were nice enough to invite me and 2 other non-ROTC girls along on the trip. Seeing as how Moscow is on my list of places to visit and I'd rather go with a big group rather than 1 or 2 other girls, I happily accepted their invitation.

It should be an interesting weekend so definitely check back to see what happened!! Miss everyone at home!

Dasvadania!

Russian Observations

I realized I was in such a rush to post my first blog that I never really described what Russia was like!

- First thing I noticed when I arrived is that it is green, green, GREEN!! From the plane ride to the 8hr drive from Moscow all I saw was rolling hills, trees, and tall green grasses. Who knew!!!?

- It was also HOT! I think it's been in the 80's the whole time I've been here. Which is nice but apparently air conditioning isn't so wide spread in Russia. So the home base can be a little toasty at night with 7 girls sleeping in the room and while it'd be nice to open the windows since there's no AC isn't in the house, the lack of window screens and abundance of mosquitos doesn't really work either.

- like the Czechs, the Russians seem to be "in the 80s". Their clothes and hairstyles (mainly the mullet) lean towards 1986, instead of 2010 but I know that this is due to Communism and the lack of exposure to the West and Western culture. They are also similar in their friendly attitude (or lack there of I should say). Although all of the Russian's that I've worked with and met so far are very nice - in general, your average Russian on the street looks disgruntled, angry and generally, unfriendly.

- I should note that while many Russians still dress 80s-like, the young women dress to IMPRESS! Especially at night! Here I am, your average American tourist walking down the street in my jeans and tennis shoes and I'm walking by these women who look like models, walking around in 3 inch stilettos and minidresses - just walking down the street! And - at MCDONALDS!! (which is obviously the first place me and my fellow volunteers headed on the first day… them for Big Macs and fries … me for the free Wifi :) You normally wouldn't see women dressed like they were going out in Vegas at a McDonalds in the U.S. (unless of course you were at a Vegas in McDonalds at 4am).

- Russian food. This is something I was concerned about before I left. As many of you may know, I mainly favor a diet of fruit, soy yogurt and cereal (aka "crunch" ;) and while it has served me well in the years past, I wasn't sure how the Russian cuisine would fit into that. Let me tell you, it does not. While all of the meals have been lovingly made by the cooks at CCS, Russian food is very heavy in butter, salt and all kinds of mystery meat. (Good thing I packed 3 boxes of Chewy granola bars in my suitcase!)

In general I have to say that Russia is somewhat similar to what I expected - I can read nothing, understand no one and life is tough! It really makes me realize how good I have it in the U.S. The everyday nuisances that drive us crazy and would generate an immediate call to the service provider- a bus being late, the Internet not working, a 3 hour traffic jam… "These things happen…" is what my program director told us on our first day. To them it is just part of their Russian life; they are used to struggle and while things may be a little better since the fall of Communism, life is still definitely a struggle

First Few Days...

So I've been in Russia for a few days now and so far, it's going alright….. the flight was obviously long (it was about 10 hrs I think) but all I wanted (besides a safe landing) was to be able to get through passport control, get my BAG and find my group! Got through passport control easily…. waited near the luggage pick up for a nerve-racking 10 minutes and teared up at the sight of my bag! You can never be too sure with the connections and the sheer fact that Russian airport employees would be handling my bag. Then went into the gate and found my group without issue. Waited for about 20 minutes for the ROTC cadets to come through the gate (apparently one of them was not so lucky in retrieving their bag) and we were off to Yaroslavl… or so we thought. The buses picked me and about 17 of my new friends (plus the 2 CCS translators) and we left the airport. As I settled in to nap about 45 min into the "4 hour bus ride" all of a sudden the bus started slowing (from the 50 mph it was going on the highway) and pulled off on the shoulder. The bus drivers got out "fixed" something and we started going slowly on the shoulder again… 5 min later, they got out again "fixed" something and again going slow on the shoulder… finally, they pulled up on the shoulder near an auto repair shop (on the side of the highway)- which also sold baby inflatable pools-and after about an hour of repairs (during which me and my fellow volunteers stood by the side of the highway as several Russians passed us (apparently walking on the side of the highway is normal? As is hitchhiking!).

We were on the road again and after setting in to a nap again, the bus stopped. This time when I opened my eyes I saw that we were in the middle of the biggest traffic jam! People were out of their cars, walking around and talking since the traffic was literally not moving. We sat in this traffic for another, ohhh, 2 1/2 hrs when we finally passed the cause of the jam, a car crash that hadn't been moved to the side of the road and each lane of traffic had to alternate driving. So the trip that was supposed to take 4 hrs, took over 8 hours…. oh and did I mention that Yaroslavl is only 175 MILES from Moscow??!?? I will be leaving about 8 hours before my flight on the way home.

Upon arriving, we were greeted with a hot meal of soup, chicken and rice by one of the cooks. Although the meal looked very good, I did not have much of an appetite. Despite all my preparations and research, I have to admit I am suffering a bit from culture shock (and I'm sure a little bit of homesickness). In an effort to feel better, I went out with some of my other volunteers last night to check out the city. This consisted of walking over a bridge and getting money at the ATM. We walked back to the home base around 10:45pm... and yet it was not dark. That's probably one of the biggest things to get used to. It's almost 8:30pm right now and it looks like it's noon! It never gets completely dark at night. The time it gets the darkest is around 1 or 2 am (and I would know since I couldn't fall asleep until 4:30am and then had to wake up at 6:45 to shower.

Needless to say, Saturday/Sunday was one of the longest days of my life.

Today was a little better. We had our orientation with the program manager, learned about our placements for the week (this week I will mostly be working with the women in the women's hospital, a place that we're really needed as they get no other visitors :( Also had a city tour with a tour guide - went to many historic sites in Yaroslavl.

Tomorrow we start our placements. I'm excited to be here but right now, the amount of time I'm here sounds really long... I'm sure that by the time I'm done I'll wish for more time but it's just tough the first few days.

Thank you for everyone's support! I definitely appreciate all of the emails and good wishes! It's really nice to hear from home when you're so far away.

Will post more when I can get online again.

OH! And the thing I realized I forgot.... my USB cord to bring the photos from my camera onto my computer!!! SOOO upset about that but am hopeful that I can find someone to borrow one from or maybe even buy one in Russia....? If not, there will be lots of pictures when I return. :)

In New York...

So I'm sitting here at the JFK international terminal food court (BK, Starbucks, Chilis, pizza....hmmm) waiting for my flight to Moscow. Since I have like a 5 hour layover I figured I'd splurge and spend the $8 for Internet access... especially considering I don't know when I'll be on the Internet again. And since I've told multiple people about my blog, I better keep up with it if I'm going to have readers!

My last day in Chicago was spent packing (obviously), running a few last minute errands, to Joann Fabric to hem my new maxi dress that is (obviously) too long for me and my favorite part, sitting in the sun by the pool with my roomie! :) I managed to get a little sun before I left for Eastern Europe - hopefully wont be the last sun I get this summer! Last night K and I met D & L for dinner (us)/drinks (them) at our fav little Mexican/Caribbean restaurant in Lincoln Park - followed by froyo and dodging the hurricane that came up with K's cousin - a world traveler herself, she was totally excited for me, which made my sadness disappear for a few mintues... Didn't get to "sleep" until midnight but of course... couldn't sleep. Had butterflies in my stomach all night.

Woke up at 3:30am and left for O'Hare at 4:45am. Thought for sure that there wouldn't be many people traveling that early in the morning. HA! Had legitimate nerves that I would miss my flight to New York but after a little maneuvering between the check-area, removing 3lbs from my "overweight bag" (what do you want from me, I'm going to be in Russia for 6 weeks!) and subtle cutting in line, I made it safe and sound to JFK on time. Unfortunately I don't have the time or energy to make it outside the airport, so my time in the city that never sleeps is confined to the lovely Delta Terminal in Queens.

I think that there are other volunteers on my flight (if I understood my conference call correctly) the entire ROTC group will be on my flight. Which would actually alleviate my concern of not finding my group at the Moscow airport. I'll just follow the group of 15 army cadets... we won't stand out at all.

I was able to sleep on my flight to JFK - at least I think I slept. It was one of those sleeps where you can still hear people talking and sort of go in and out of being awake. Needless to say, not the best sleep I ever had. Although my eye mask is turning out to be a great purchase; I try not to think about what I look like with a bright pink eye mask on, bundled in my North Face fleece (SUCH a good idea to take on board!). My grand plan is to take a "sleeping pill" (aka Nyquill) to put me to sleep on the flight to Russia. The flying time is 9hrs and 55min and if I don't get some sleep on the plane, I'll be messed up for days to come. (Learned from my mistake of falling right to sleep at noon when I arrived in London a few years ago...didn't get on a regular sleep schedule for about a week!). I should be picked up from the airport around 11am and then driven (for 5 hrs) to Yaroslavl.. orientation around the town on Monday and then work starts on Tuesday!! Sleep is essential but right now my eyes are stinging because they're so tired, so falling asleep hopefully won't be an issue.

I've been trying to make my last minute calls to friends and family...however at this time, very few of you are answering. Hello!!!?? Have to admit that the websites that I "had to check" in my last few hours in America included Facebook (obviously), People and US Weekly. Don't judge, I have to get my gossip in before I depart :) (I am planning on checking CNN, MSN and the Wall Street Journal before I get on the plane ;)

Wish I could post a pic of anything interesting I've seen in New York but unfortunately, no dice. Maybe I'll walk around a little bit ... see if I see anything blog-pic worthy.

Will try to post again before I get on the plane... it's 1pm here and I'm thinking I should probably get my last little taste of American food before I start my diet of borscht, potatoes, goulash and beets. (anyone who knows me will expect me to return at least 5 lbs lighter as none of those items are part of my diet. But I guess the Russians didn't survive those harsh winters on grapes and yogurt alone...

2 Days to go

I apologize to my readers ... well, lets be honest - my one reader in Denver... that I have been lax in updating my blog as of late. The past few weeks have been SO busy so here's a quick run down of everything that's been going on with my preparations....

-I have become a statistic. I am now officially part of the however many millions of Americans out of work - however my unemployement is by choice. June 15 was my last day at the Office and I have to admit I was a little sad to be leaving...

- I am still homeless (living with K in the studio in Chicago) - going much better than anticipated actually (not due to anything on his end... I can just be a difficult person to live with - I imagine :)

-I've been getting all the last minute details for my trip figured out and all my loose ends tied up. Getting all my banking stuff organized, emergency info, purchasing clothing and 'necessities' for the trip...

-Planning my post-program travel. Since I'll be in Europe anyway I figured why not do a little pleasure travel when I'm finished volunteering :) Still have to work out the details but I think it will include several days in Paris and Dublin!!

Today was my CCS conference call for all the participants who are arriving the same day I am. Discussing all the last minute details such as where in the Moscow airport we're meeting... what the homebase is like... what we'll do the first few days... all good info to have :)

Today also commenced my official 'packing'. While I have been gathering items for weeks now, today was the day that I actually started laying stuff out and organizing... luckily K doesn't mind my clothing taking up every surface in the bed and living room :)

While I admit that I have been procrastinating a little when it comes to packing (maybe because I really can't believe that I'm going?!?), having some amazing Chicago summer days these last few days doesn't make packing any easier! That being said, I'm heading out to enjoy some fun in the sun on my 2nd to last day in Chi-town (til August that is :)...