Preparing for Moscow

So today my family and I decided to postpone our trip to DC (because of the predicted hurricane) and instead stay in Colorado until Monday morning. This will give me more time at home to pack, see friends, etc. so that will definitely be good. Over the past few weeks I've been thinking about things that I'd like to do in Moscow. As many of you know I always keep a very busy schedule (and yes, I do love it that way) but I am excited to take my time in Moscow to 'relax' (in relative terms) and really reconnect with myself as a person, as opposed to as an overachieving college senior incessantly researching grad school. So I have decided that, for the most part, I am going to take the month of September to adjust, learn my way around the city, and just live in the moment. I'm seeing my study abroad experience as a time where I can be content in knowing that 'I am where I should be' and take the opportunity to focus less on the future-oriented aspects that tend to dominate my life but instead to get to know and appreciate a new culture and experience.

One of the main things that I plan to work on during my time abroad is my faith and my relationship with God. I've always been a believer and have felt comfortable and secure in my faith but I feel that I've become more passive in this way of life. I really want to get involved in a faith community so that I can be on the road towards not only having a PhD but also having an active and enriching spiritual life outside of the classroom.

That's all for now. I'm still horrible at this 'blogging' thing...my apologies <3.

Welcome to my Blog!

Hello! 

So as many of you know I am going to Moscow, Russia for study abroad on September 1st. Because of this, and my family's request to 'keep in touch', I decided to make a blog. Now, I have never really liked the idea of blogs. I quite frankly feel no reason to share every shopping escapade, restaurant outing, and small utterance with all of the general public, however I thought that documenting my time in Russia may be a good enough reason. I hope all of you enjoy reading about my experiences (just as a warning, most of them will probably be about me 'nerding out' about something) and I would love to hear your thoughts!

до свидания

Laurel