2 days of travel, finally in Russia.

RUSSAI! 

I finally made it ! for some reason I didn't realize how long it would take to get here, but here is the adventure I had getting here. 

On Monday night I headed to Vegas with my family to stay in hotel because my flight on Tuesday morning was at 6am (which actually made it so I had to be there around 4. I had many family members text me to tell me good luck, it was so nice to hear from all of them, since family is so important to me. I also got a special text from one of my favorite people who I haven't seen in about 6 months which made me tear up a little cause I miss him lots. Anyway So I got to pick my last meal which of course was Mexican food. It was delicious, we then went to the hotel were I almost immediately fell asleep. We got up went the the airport and said our goodbyes. Going through airports is one of my favorite things so it was easy to find the plane and get comfortable. 

I knew there was one girl would was going to be traveling with me, I also knew that she was quite worried about all the flying because of her daily novels on the facebook page we had for our group. The flight was just about to push off from the gates and this girl gets on dripping with sweat, dropping stuff, and breathing heavily. She sat down and seemed very stressed, I asked if she had just gotten to the airport and she informed me she had been there since 3. We headed from Vegas to LAX. We had an hour to catch our next flight that went to DC which is plenty of time as long as you don't daddle. I showed her how to read the departure board and then told her I needed to head to the bath room and said I would be right back. As you may be able to guess I came out and she had disappeared, awesome. So I looked around then figured she headed to the gate, but no where to be found. I felt really bad thinking I had lost her, but I needed to make the flight so I got in line to board and she showed up with a security guard about 3 minutes before boarding.

 This flight was about 6 hours and I attempted to sleep but got little. We got off and I told her if we got lost I would meet her at the gate and to get on the flight whether I was there or not.  I went to the bathroom and changed into some leggings and a tshirt so I could maybe sleep on this flight. I came out and she was getting talked into buying a $100  back up battery it was an off brand and didn't have the cord to connect to her phone. I walked over and talked her out of it, thinking about it now maybe I should have just let her get it? Anyway so then I walked over to the gate and they had boarded early, so I motioned to her and got on the plane. I sat down and was informed there was tons of extra room, meaning I got a whole row to myself (Heaven sent). They were just about the close the doors and the girl shows up. She wanted to sit by me, but then I convinced her that it was silly, and so she sat with the man in front of me instead of the empty row to the side of me. The seats had screens on the back of them that were full of music, movies, and tv shows. I found Beyonce in Concert and she serenaded me to sleep, it was simply magical. 

We got off the plane in Germany by this time it was Wednesday morning in Europe. We had a couple of hours so I got some gummy bears with the euros my dad ingeniously gave to me while the girl went to exchange some money. 

We met up with our group,

as we were about to board the plane we couldn't find the girl I had been traveling with, seriously I think she was doing it on purpose. I held our supervisors bags and she ran to go find her. We made the flight, barely. This flight was okay, I sat by a Chinese man  who read all this meditation looking books. 

We got off this flight and we were in RUSSIA! YAY RIGHT? kinda, it ended up being us in the airport for 4 hours waiting for a train. I talked to the other girls two of which were really cute and nice. 

It was time to go to the train, I grabbed my 3 bags, the others grabbed their 4+ bags. We walked down stairs, got on the train that was only 30 minutes, then we waited for an hour then walked about 4 blocks to our bus. This was a 10 hour bus ride, to my town of Voronezh. It was painful to say the least, especially when our bus broke down for about an hour.

We made it to Voronezh and I was so excited to sleep. We stopped at the station, as the host families came and picked up everyone. My host family was just the dad, he carried my stuff and informed me he spoke no English. We drove in a car that was small so my bags filled it. We pulled up to a tall apartment and got into a 4X4 elevator to the 10th floor (seriously sounded like the small thing was going to fall). We walked to the door and I was greeted by a young girl who sounded like an american she had such good english, Jane she is 17. I met her mother Natasha, and her younger brother 8, named Autiom (i think). They invited me into their kitchen and offered me food (It is around 4 am in russia) I declined, but made small talk with the daughter and son who spoke almost perfect english. They offered me a shower, I rapidly accepted and headed to the shower. My shampoo has never smelt so good to me. I got into bed and talked with my mom and Gav for a little bit which was really soothing. I was quite emotional which I am sure was because I had no sleep and this was all so new. I went to get my adapter so I could charge my phone, but the adapter did not fit :(. I took a sleeping pill after about an hour of rolling around and then didn't wake up until Jane came in and expressed how she knew it was hard but that I needed to get up to get used to the time it was around 4pm. I got up and she and her brother watched as I put on my make up. We then ate the candy I brought and popped some of the popcorn (lime salt, and kettle corn) which they loved, we had to pop some more so we could watch a movie. The boy chose The Nightmare Before Christmas. 

 I now sit here trying to finish writing before the computer dies:) I am hoping to go out tomorrow and find a cord that will fit so I can continue to communicate. I am exited to be here but it is a very weird feeling. 

Oh they also have this hairless cat

It was quite the journey but I am so glad to not be traveling anymore. American airports are way more fun to be in than Foreign ones because I can understand everything. 

Nerves, Crazy Dreams, and Russia.

Okay, so I am officially going to Voronezh Russia on the 28th of January! Yes that is only 7 days from now. I am beyond excited to finally be doing something. I have know since Novemberish that I was going to be headed out of the country to teach English in the elementary schools but what I didn't know is how sad the wait to leave was going to be. 

It wasn't bad over Christmas break because I saw friends who were home for the break, and had things to do with family in town. However when we got back from a great week in Wyoming everything went back to normal, no more extravaganzas and everyone went back to normal life but me.

 I am a very social person, being alone is my least favorite part of any day. All of my friends headed back up to school which made it that much harder because I felt as though I was being left behind. Why was I not doing something? I felt like I was the girl who dropped out of school and it's been sad probably because I have had a lot of down time. This seems so silly considering I was going to do something really cool, an experience most people never in their life get to experience. I wanted to go to Russia, and I CHOSE to put off a semester of college. The fact that I even got the choice of going is incredible, hearing these words come out of my mouth they sound very spoiled. I worked very hard to earn money to go and this is what I wanted to happen or it wouldn't have.  While I have been struggling feeling sad about not being in Logan (never thought I would say that).  I am sure this crazy feeling is coming about because of my nerves for doing something completely new, in a country that I don't know that language. 

 I thought about when one of my best friends left on his mission I was happy for him, but very sad he was leaving especially considering I saw him almost every other weekend when I was at school. This guy had been a huge impact on my life and had helped me through some of my biggest trials so far. It was very hard to say goodbye to him. Following the weeks after he left I had dreams about the world ending, and Nick still being in Columbia. My whole family was frantic trying to make it to my Uncle Matt's house which he had conveniently converted into a bullet and zombie proof safe house (if you knew my uncle matt you would know this would not shock you that he could engineer something like that) and my Uncle Todd was desperately trying to get Nick, cause he was still in Columbia. Super scary, Likewise I have had many dreams the past couple nights about the world ending and me being in Russia. Totally beside the point I was trying to make here, lets see back on track...

Oh yeah so  I had to remember that he wanted to go on a mission, and that he CHOSE to go. I was scared of his trek to Columbia, likewise I am beginning to feel the same about my trek to Russia. I will be in a different country, away from what is familiar to me. I will be in a second world country, that does not have the rights, privileges, and accessibility to as much as we do here in the states. Crazy!  Through this whole time of telling people where I am going they have all asked me if i am nervous yet, and I am not completely nervous but it's starting to come about. 

Don't get me wrong I am INCREDIBLY grateful for the opportunity that I have to go to Russia. The fact that I even get to go is so magical, and would not be possible without the support I have gotten from my parents and extended family. I am so nervous, excited and ecstatic about this trip. I know it's going to change the way I look at the world. I know that I am going to come back a more well rounded person.  But boy I am going to miss my family like crazy. I grew up in a home where anything was possible, and I am so grateful at how much I have been blessed.

 I am so beyond excited and hope to be updating my blog quite frequently with experiences I have abroad. Thank you all so much for the love and support. I am so excited, and I know that this is what I am supposed to be doing right now. I am supposed to go to Russia, and the kids I am going to be teaching are going to change me. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Love you all!



P.S Um how about them BRONCOS BABY!!! WOOO! I am now just praying that ill be able to watch the game in Russia! I am so proud to be a broncos fan!