Hey everyone and welcome to my new blog! Here is where I will aim to keep all of you updated on my latest exploits in the Motherland. ;)
It's Monday night tonight and on Thursday morning at 6 AM I board a plane from Chicago to San Francisco. Once in Cali, I'll meet up with my group and board a British Airways jetliner for London/Heathrow airport. After a relatively long layover, I'll get on yet another plane to Moscow/Domodedovo airport, haul my crap through customs, endure vacant stares and the usual rude "customer service" from some state employees, and then hopefully board some sort of transportation to my dormitory at International University of Moscow. (Yes, to clarify, I was originally going to study at MGU, but plans changed due to a pricing issue).
Needless to say, I am going out of my mind right now trying to pack. I now have two suitcases and one is ridiculously overweight, which will cost me a bundle ($175 each way!). But if I am going to a European capital full of beautiful and well-dressed women, there is no chance in hell I am leaving behind ANY nice piece of clothing I own so- so be it.
There are so many questions still unanswered. I don't know who my roommate will be yet. I don't know who my host mother/family will be, or how they will be. I hope they/she are/is nice. A good cook wouldn't be too bad either. ;) I just don't want to be stuck with someone who demands I be home at 11 PM promptly each night simply because I am a young woman. I have resigned myself to the fact that I WILL be told to not walk in bare feet, not to sit on cold surfaces, to put on a jacket, to EAT MORE MORE MORE at every meal and... well, the list goes on.
I've also got to find ways of having fun. There is no way in hell I'll make it past the notorious face control anywhere posh, but I'm determined to find a decent night club that I can frequent. I hope that in my group of fellow students there will be another girl or two with whom I can make friends. And it wouldn't be too bad to meet a cute guy who speaks English, either... ;)
Anyway, watch for my updates. Although I am DETERMINED not to be a stereotypical dumb American slob, I will be spending some time every week or two at McDonald's where there is free wireless internet.
Til then,
Illiana
