So three weeks from tomorrow I'll be leaving for Russia... I am beginning to become absolutely terrified. There are so many what-ifs... Many of which I'm sure I'd have at the beginning of any trip, but this time there are oh so many more because of the language difference. I've never been anywhere by myself where the main language being spoken wasn't English. I've been to a Spanish speaking country before but always had an adult (when I was a child) or friends to help bear the burden of communication. This time it's all just on me.

My Russian is coming along slowly. I know all the basics I think. The social niceties (hello, goodbye, thank you, excuse me, sorry, please, etc.), some verbs (understand, speak, know, love/like, live, want, buy and probably some more I'm not thinking of as well as some that I *sort of* know), some question words (where, what, who, when), some basic words (this, that, there, here), a beginning knowledge of time and numbers and a variety of other nouns and adjectives. I'm still working with some different materials - I try to do at least a half hour of *something* every day, so hopefully I'll know more in 3 weeks... I'm sure I'll know more, but will it be enough? How am I going to get by myself from the airport at like 6 am to the train station at like 6 pm and what the hell am I going to do in Moscow for all that time in between?? If they spoke English, I'd be viewing it as much more a fun day than this day of complete and terrifying unknowns.

So yeah, I think mostly I'm scared about the language difference. That's definitely the primary concern. There are of course other things... like who am I going to end up living with? I hope I know *something* about them before I go... Will I get along with them? Will my patience hold out? That's probably the other main concern. I am not the most patient person. Not by a long shot. This is definitely going to be a trial at some points I'm sure. I hope I can pass it otherwise I'll be leaving Russia in September with a lot of people happy to see me going. And that's not a fun thought.

Either way I guess, if it's a horrible trip or a wonderful trip, it will be something I'll remember and will likely change me. I hope for the better. I honestly can't imagine I'll come back totally embittered about foreigners... that seems highly unlikely. So if that's the case, then things will probably turn out ok, and maybe even more than ok. Here's hoping.