A fated encounter, and reality begins to set in

Some of you know that in preparation for Russia I have been acclimating myself to being more superstitious, fatalism, eating chickens, and serendipity. Well today, providence showed her face, and I met a fascinating woman, at Planned Parenthood. If that isn't fate, I really don't know what is.

I went in to get tested for the HIV (pronounced as a word not an acronym of course), I met Tamara. She just happened to be the nurse called in to take my blood, and she was from Ukraine! She spoke Russian and Ukrainian, obviously, and we exchanged a little Russian, but I was so nervous we switched to English. We started talking and she was so insightful. She told me about traveling there, and what people where like. I explained to her that I was learning Russian because I am interested in specializing in Russo-Ukrainian relations, and that I cant wait to go to both places. But I also told her I was nervous, some people native to both countries wonder how I think I could understand their situation better than natives. She totally calmed me though, and said that motivation and an inexplicable love for a place could get you just as far or father than being merely born there. Tamara was FANTASTIC, and I can't believe I met her. She was a sign! I am on the right track!!! Russia here I come, watch out.

This weekend, I went to the Minneapolis Gay Pride Festival and it was fantastic. So, I had to pick up a Pride shot glass to take over to the Motherland in order to encourage the more, and sadly, closeted community over there.

I ALSO received my letter of invitation! It looks so official and weirdly still Soviet. No contemporary, modern styles for them. Still workin' through that stationary commissioned by Khrushchev I guess.

AND biggest of all I got my plane ticket!!!!!! It is a lovely one-way, flying on SAS. I'll fortunately be traveling with three of my trip members, so that is handy. AND I have a 5 hr layover in Stockholm so hopefully I can grab coffee in the same place that Stephmoney did when she was there! I think that would be sooooo neat. MIND MELD in a physical sense. LIFE meld.

What else, I get my visa soon. And my lovely Aunt Sara, gave me my 21st birthday present! Even though  its not till fall, she wanted to give it to me so I could use it because its a CAMERA!!! AND she didn't even know that I had been shopping for one and had picked one out! Sooo I ordered it the other night! It's an Olympus Stylus 9000 and I can't wait, its got 12 MP and 10x wide angle zoom and like 10000000 features. I can't wait! It was a perfect gift idea. I like this getting my birthday presents in July thing ;) Russia's the BEST!

I'm going home this weekend, so pumped, hopefully I will get a bit tanner so I don't go over and blend in too much! Gotta have me a true American summer! Gays, tans, lakes, and materialism already done, so I'm workin' on. Watch out Russia, I'm almost ready. Almost...

Chmok chmok,
TaanTaan