The Eternal and the Ephemeral

I'm leaving the country soon, and I've been trying to find the perfect way to phrase my feelings. However, this seemingly simple feat is proving to be much more complex than I anticipated. I'm a roller coaster of various, sometimes fleeting, emotions. At first I was so focused on planning my trip that I wasn't feeling much of anything -- think amateur travel agent. Then, when my countdown got to <24 days... I freaked. Scared, I suppose, about being on my own for the first time.

Now, I'm back in "busy" mode; savoring my last weeks. It's down to less than 13 days - soon I'll be on my way to St. Petersburg, Russia. Amidst my alternating fits of terror and jubilant cries of "Huzzah!" for this trip, I dwell in a surreal state of jittery anticipation.

Why Russia? My heritage is Russian, and I've spoken conversational Russian since I was little. Thus, this trip will allow me to harness my existing abilities to further my goals for my career and community; it's also about personal interest in Russian culture, traditions, and politics. I'll speak in much more detail of classes and my goals in upcoming posts.

As for this blog... I proposed this as part of my project for the Gilman Scholarship. I'll keep unintentional verbosity to a minimum by inserting pictures and videos of the places I visit. Truly, this blog will be a wonderful outlet for me; I can inform my peers of how my study abroad experience is going and keep you updated on certain scholarships/opportunities in the "If You Want To Travel" tab.

Enough words....

This is where I'll be in a week or so!