Passion

          As the title of my blog hints at, I'm a geek for everything Russian. This is a descriptor I've only recently applied to myself. It was this semester that I came to realization and appreciation that I am more than willing to make the study of Russia my life's work. Sure I'm 20 and sure I haven't even been to Russia yet, but the thrill I get speaking Russian and being around Russian culture and the language tells me that this isn't just an idle hobby. 

    Signs and symptoms that I am a Russian geek:  

          I enjoy reading about Russia's foreign policy (nerd alert!). In two research projects this past semester (one on the Soviet Union's involvement in the Spanish Civil War and the other was a start-up research proposal for research on Russia's foreign policy in relation to the post-Soviet space) I realized how much I enjoy reading about Russia and her role in the world.

        My ears perk up whenever I hear anything that remotely sounds Russian/Eastern European. For example, when I was in Vail, Colorado for spring break this past semester, I was out to eat with my aunt and uncle and our waitress had an accent (but not just any accent, an Eastern European accent!!). So I said "спасибо" (thank you) after she handed me my drink. She responded in Russian. Turns out she was from Belarus. Totally cool!!! And two weeks ago, I was out to eat with friends at a local Mexican joint (local in St. Peter, Mn; El Agave). This isn't the typical place to find Russian speakers, but our waitress was no other then  a native of Ukraine! Booyah! My friends can attest that I totally freaked out and talked about it the whole way home (much to there annoyance I'm sure; sorry!).

     Thirdly/fourthly, I'm currently working at a Russian language camp in northern Minnesota where we're speaking Russian all day! It's so wonderful and fun! Right now as a matter of fact, I'm listening to one of the other counselors play the guitar while others sing along to various Russian songs. I'll write more about this place (Лесное Озеро) in a later post. After camp, I'll be heading off to St. Petersburg (Russian, NOT Florida) from August 2011 until June 2012. I'm so pumped!

         What do I want to do with this? For sure, I want to go to grad school and continue learning and studying. I also have my eye on the Foreign Service, someday working in Russia at an embassy or consulate or even in the one of the former Soviet republics. Who knows exactly, but I do know that I enjoy every word I speak and hear in Russian and I don't want to stop learning about Russia and all it has to offer.

   So yeah, I'm a Russia geek. And I'm proud!