Introduction

If you had asked me in my freshman year at Mansfield University what my plans were for my college career, going to Russia wouldn’t have been in the equation. It is almost serendipitous as to how the initial idea was planted. It all started with communications professor, Dr. Chuck Hoy. He came into the multi-media room where I work in January of 2008 because he needed some help with faulty video links. The video clips and photos sparked my interest, so I went to his informational meeting and signed up.
I think that the underlying causes that drove me to do this once the initial seed was planted were that I wanted change. I had been going through a rough time with breakup with my boyfriend in December of 2007, and the death of a close friend the previous year. I was at a point in my life where the timing was right for something big. I had never been off the Eastern seaboard, let alone out of the country. I also had no knowledge of the Russian language, culture, or anything else. I’m usually one who is very cautious and well-informed when making choices. This was the first time in my life that I was taking a “ride by the seat of my pants” approach, and the adventure turned out to be much more than I had anticipated.