Siberia Comes to Indiana

This past week the Northern half of the United States experienced an Arctic chill. One of my friends texted me that I didn't need to go to Siberia anymore...Siberia had come to me. It was actually colder in Indianapolis last Friday (-13 F..without factoring in windchill) than it was in Irkutsk that same day. Needless to say, I've been checking the weather compulsively each day, comparing the winter weather I am experiencing here to the weather I will fly into February 1st.

Currently, I am sitting at home in Indiana. Back home again after a week in Baltimore, with two more weeks to go until I am sitting at my new home in a dormitory in Irkutsk. I am glad to have the extra-long winter break to prepare, but part of me just wants to go already. But I still I have doctors appointments to go to, packing lists to make, emails to write, and people to spend time with.

Somewhat news-worthy, I know much more about where I am going, with whom I will be living, and which classes I will be taking. I have a long layover in Moscow, so I will get to tour the city with the SRAS Moscow site director before continuing on to Irkutsk. Once in Irkutsk, I will be in the international dormitory with three other students, one American and two students from Asia (probably Mongolia/China/Korea...I'm not sure yet). I have already made a friend at the university, the niece of the assistant director of the LRC at Wesleyan. We've been emailing back and forth (in Russian, of course!), and she is living in the dorms, too. In terms of classes, there are two environmental science-related courses being offered this semester, a general course on Ecology and another on the Ecology of Wildlife Management. If these both work into my schedule, I will be so very happy.

I have enjoyed being able to read about all the other adventures being shared on this blog. I am just surprised how behind I am. When you are all back in the 'States, I will still be chilling in Siberia. Yeah, chilling. Although, by June it'll be in the 70s--again, I've been checking the weather too much.

I will surely write again in two weeks. Until then, I'll be living vicariously in Rabat, Cork, London, and Jerusalem while I strategically pack my life into a 44lb. suitcase at home in Indianapolis.