to clear things up...

I love Russia and everything about it and in no way did I want to make it sound terrible. I just miss American food... alot.. but I am going to eat fast food today! SCORE!

It's bad when my dreams are about cheesburgers.

Okay seriously, all I want is a good cheesburger, but it is impossible here. I have been trapped in my apartment for three and a half days now... they are saying I'm being quarantined. great. I have been sick ever since I got to Russia. I think it's just the change in surroundings... different air, more pollution, not alot of regular water to drink. Regardless of what I think is wrong with me, my host mom knows best... she is a doctor. So I have been on two different kinds of ear drops, two nose sprays, a throat spray, cough syrup, cough pills, cold pills, tylenol, vitamins, etc. I am feeling alot better now though! I don't have any appetite and I have a constant headache, but at least I can breath and I'm not nausous all the time. I have found that while you are anywhere you're not fimilair with you have to look for the positives. So for the past basically four days, I have been sleeping alot and practicing Russian alot... but at least I'm not that sick anymore! I think I will go back to school tomorrow... hopefully.

Since my last post I have started school. School in Russia is very... interesting, to say the least. Sometimes I go to school at 8:30, other times 10:30. Each class is one hour and twenty-five minutes long and somedays we have two classes, otherdays we have four. It just depends. It reminds me of a college schedual. So far I have had a literature class, a Russian language class, two English language classes, a physics class, a math class, a biology class, a psychology class, a social class, and a class they call "oh-bee-jay". I have no idea what it is and they don't know how to describe it in English... so I will just have to wait until I know more and figue out what it is. I don't understand anything in my classes... excpet the English classes. I was deemed a fluent speaker by the teacher haha.

I will be 18 soon and am sooo stoked! I don't know why, it doesn't really matter here, but I really want to turn 18.

The first week of October the other exchange studets and I will fly to Irkusk in Siberia for four days. I am really excited, because I would like to spend a month or two there... if I am nice to the right people maybe they will let me come back and stay for awhile.

I really miss everyone alot... especailly my mom, my kitten and McDonalds. It sucks not having American food here... like pizza and hotdogs and cheeseburgers. I mean they have them, but they aren't the same. I am getting really sick of having soup, chicken, and potatoes for every meal. I want some beef!

First post on Russan soil

First off I MISS EVERYONE SO MUCH and second I'm sorry it took so long to get a post up.

These past 5 days have been so so busy for me! I have barely any down time, but it's been so much fun.... I have seen alot of things so far. When I arrived in Vladivostok my host family took me to a summer camp in the woods where my school was having orientation. I stayed there for two days before going to Nakhodka.

When my family dropped me off at the camp called Shmar, I was told I had to only take enough clothes that would fit into my carry on. Well if you know me you know I like to overpack and always have lots of clothes with me. My carry on is small though and only fit two pairs of jeans, four or five t-shirts, a long-sleeve shirt, two sweaters, a pair of boots, a scarf, and two pairs of shorts. I later realized I forgot pajamas, underwear, and socks along with other basic toiletries like razors. Some of the kids at the camp spoke english and others didn't, but they all were really nice. I had the worst case of jetlag though and they thought that I was bored with them, but really I was so tired I could barely move. On the third day I was there they told us in a half an hour we were leaving to go to Nakhodka... a city about 4 hours away. We took a taxi and then a bus with a Russian women who spoke no english... it was terrible. I found out the hard way that men in Russia smell because they do not wear deoderant and the ride was super bumpy. The roads here are terrible and everyone drives like maniacs. When we got to Nakhodka we ate at a chinese restureant where we met Tatiana... the most amazing women I have ever met (besides my mom). Tatiana can make anyhing happen at anytime, she has so many connections and is liked by alot of people. So while we were in Nakhodka we were fed often and always were doing something.

Nakhodka is beautiful! It's right on the bay and I just love it there. We got to do so many things because Tatiana is simply amazing. We went to a diferent resturante for every meal and we went sight seeing alot and got a tour of Diamond... which is one of the best clubs in this part of Russia. To go to Diamond we needed "nice clothes", which I didn't have. So we had to go shopping for dresses and heels. The fashion in Russia is very "special".... Everything is super tight, super short, and very shiny and in your face. So shopping was verrry interesting.

Already I feel like I am learning alot of Russian, but not enough. I still don't understand alot, but I can get by for now. The Russian language is a body lanuguage for sure and everyone talks with there hands. It is so complicated though! Everyword get smooshed together when they talk. Russian people are very nice and have lots of "Russian Energy". The kids I have met so far are crazy. They are just so full of energy and always excited and happy and laughing.

The food here is so so so good. I love everything I had tried. They eat alot of cabages and meats and breads, but everything is so tasty... I have a feeling I will gain alot of weight. Russians love tea. They drink tea with every meal and they hardley ever drink water... when they do it's carbonated. You have to search very hard to find regular water in stores.

So today was my first full day at my host family's apartment. It's soo nice! I share a room with my host sister Masha, but she sleeps on the couch. I told her I could sleep there, but she sad no. The have a little dog whose name is "Doo-sa", which is spelled completely wrong but that's how it is prnounced. My host mom used to be a pediatrician but now just helps outher husband in the store they own. Currently I have a terrible cold and Lena is giving me lots of medication and vitamins. I also have internet in my house!!! Which I am so so so happy about. Tomorrow is the firstday of school and I am really nervous.... Eleonora (my principal) is very intimitdaing. I hope everything goes okay. Masha also informed me ater school we were taking a bus to the cinima with her friends from scool for Vikka's birthday. Margaux and I will have a fun time trying to listen to the english in the backround haha.

If you would like to see pictures of my trip go to my facebook www.facebook.com/gabiran and they are under the album "from Russia with love".

Once again so sorry it took so long to update.... I will try to do one every three or four days. Oh and Betz, email me how many push-ups I owe :P Alexa told me you were bugging her for a update haha.

T-Minus 3 Days

So Yesterday something happen... I FINALLY GOT MY VISA. Which means I can now finally go to Russia:D

My first flight leaves out of Dulles Airport in D.C. at 4:50 pm and takes me alll the way to Moscow. I will be flying overnight, which I think is totally cool, but I am not sure about eating breakfast on the plane. The total time to get from D.C. to Moscow is approx. 9 hours and 55 min. Then I will leave Moscow at 7:15 pm and fly overnight again to Vladivostok. I should get there around 10:50 am.... just hope my luggage doesn't get lost. That flight will be about 8 hours. So the total airtime is 17 hours and 55 min... not tooooo bad. I am just super glad I don't have to transfer planes a bunch of times.... but I am afraid I will have a long layover in Moscow. ehh, oh well, I am just super glad I am going finally... and I'm not going alone, HUGE plus.

Right now I am fully packed and ready to go!