So, here we are. I leave for PDO (pre-departure orientation) in 43 days. A lot has happened since I submitted my application in the fall. That first incredible email with the invitation to an interview, and then nerve-wracking weeks of waiting. And finally, finally, on a windy day in March standing on a street corner, I got an email that began "We are pleased to inform you."
I can't believe it. I still can't believe I'm going. We got our homework last week, and now I can talk about the weather, and I'm reading Russian. It's slow, but I'm doing it! My local orientation is in two weeks. It still all feels like a dream. But it's real, and I'm so glad.
Here's the dealio, family members: I'm leaving mid-June, coming back early August. We're flying to Moscow (probably) and then we take the Trans-Siberian railway to Kirov. Once in Kirov, we spend about four hours every day in class. For the first three weeks, 23 other Americans and I are in a dorm with Russian high school students. For the second three weeks, we live with host families. It's super intense language learning, and it will be an amazing experience.
I can't believe it. I still can't believe I'm going. We got our homework last week, and now I can talk about the weather, and I'm reading Russian. It's slow, but I'm doing it! My local orientation is in two weeks. It still all feels like a dream. But it's real, and I'm so glad.
Here's the dealio, family members: I'm leaving mid-June, coming back early August. We're flying to Moscow (probably) and then we take the Trans-Siberian railway to Kirov. Once in Kirov, we spend about four hours every day in class. For the first three weeks, 23 other Americans and I are in a dorm with Russian high school students. For the second three weeks, we live with host families. It's super intense language learning, and it will be an amazing experience.