I was both pumped and terrified when I realized that I would have to make a collage about this year. I was dreading going into my camera roll and looking at all the pics I’ve taken this year. I’m still wistful about every moment but it gives me hope that many more exciting memories lie ahead. Also, this assignment made me realize that I take WAY too many photos of my cats, they take up 90% of my camera roll.
For the sake of convenience, I decided to make three different collages, 4 months each. There are many photos, so sit tight!
January was especially hard on me. There were few highlights, and all the days were pretty much miserable. Reverse culture shock contributed to my depression, I got COVID and could not leave the apartment, and on my 22nd birthday, I was wallowing in self-pity (not fun). But!
- I made it to the President’s List at WVU
- participated in the Winter School of Translation organized by St. Petersburg State University, which lasted two weeks, and I learned a lot from there
- started taking a Geneva University course on International Organizations (not yet knowing that I would see most of them in the summer)
- traveled to Nizhny and saw my best friends for the first time since June
February was not easier. The war killed everything in me and exacerbated my depression. I also got a nice insurance bill, which made me regret my decision to go shooting even more. Apart from that, I got accepted to a translation internship at an art school in Italy and at an office at Trinity College in Ireland, but I never went there in light of the war. On the bright side, though, I…
- went on little trips to nearby cities with my dad (love some good quality time)
- completed this International Organizations course
- received some really heartwarming presents from my long-distance friends
- helped my friend receive a nice scholarship for his graduate studies in the States
March gave me a glimpse of hope for a better future.
- landed an editing job abroad (my first full-time job ever) which paid in USD
- started actively preparing for graduate applications (GSAp course by EducationUSA)
- received my YEAR Finalist certificate and officially became a part of the USG alumni network with all the benefits :)
In April, I was thriving…
- spent much time with my family
- got promoted
- won a couple of translation contests
- started playing the piano again
- took part in some leadership events held by AIESEC, Erasmus+, and the like
Here comes the most eventful part of my year. This is the time when I’m finally moving on and gaining back the energy to meet new people and be actively present.
May. I’m elated because the gloomy days and the snow that were weighing on me are finally over.
- a few more trips to Kazan with my dad
- started teaching (boy was it stressful)
- ate the last sour patch bag I had (it broke my heart into million pieces, not gonna lie)
- went to Moscow (as a layover of course, but I saw my friend who I went to WVU with, saw her guinea pig, and instantly fell in love with it. We also went to the theater and I saw Juno and Avos for the first time — was not impressed)
June was all about going out of my comfort zone. Though I had some pretty traumatic experiences here and there, it was mostly positive.
- volunteered at an international forum for two (sleepless) weeks, saw the plains in real life for the first time, traveled to Ufa, met a famous Italian TikToker, worked as an attache/translator for a VIP guest
- had my blond hair cut and dyed back into my natural color
- spent two weeks at Sandy’s place, we went on picnics, had movie nights, and enjoyed our life to the fullest
- came to my group’s graduation ceremony (that was heartbreaking!) and gave flowers to my two best friends
July was all about planning and traveling to and from Moscow.
- went to Moscow with Sandy
- applied for a Schengen visa and got it approved four days later
- participated in the USG Alumni workshop which was kindly funded by the US Embassy in Moscow
- met up with friends I made during the Eurasia Global forum
- moved into my apartment (no more dorm for me, yay): this moment is especially significant for me because it marked the moment I was officially financially independent from dad
- embarked on a very exciting journey, and the first stop was Minsk
August is hands down the best month of the year. It contributed a lot to my realization that life doesn’t end when you leave the US. It really helped me grow as a person and make the necessary steps for my future.
- I spent a whole month living in Germany for free! I didn’t like the exchange program and most people there, but I truly am blessed to have been given such a rare chance.
- visited 8 countries for the first time (which was a shock for me, a person who had never been to Europe before): Belarus, Lithuania, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and Denmark.
- realized that my French is not as rusty as I thought it was
- made many new friends
- met up with my best friend, who was my roommate in the US (she flew all the way from North Macedonia just to see me!) + reconnected with my ex/friend who studies in Switzerland
- spent the whole month preparing for TOEFL here and there and nailed the first two parts
Next up is the school year, and you can see how boring my life became once I flew back to Russia…
September became the month of adjustment (just like January). I had to get used to my new group. I remember what it’s like to study in Russia and finally started taking the most important steps in my application process.
- survived the first month of studying! I was extremely happy to get back to studying English in-depth, it made my brain hurt and I missed this feeling
- started seeing my friends more often
- landed a translation job in an industry I knew little of and doubled my income
October was mostly about the stress of writing the article and studying. It definitely wasn’t easy but I’m glad I had wonderful people around me to support me.
- wrote an article about translation (still need to publish it though) and gave a speech at the university conference
- met up with my previous group (they are terribly missed)
- read a short story by Sherwood Anderson “Death in the Woods” and analyzed it
- got in touch with all of my amazing recommenders and had inspirational conversations with them
November was mostly teaching and writing unnecessary papers. I had to squeeze in some essay drafting here and there, all the while being pressured by my parents that I’m not doing enough.
- taught over 50 classes (including classes about Thanksgiving) to grades 2–9 and realized I am now officially invincible
- watched Hamilton with my group and our teacher :)
- finished all the paperwork necessary for my grad apps
- passed a translation exam for one of the universities
December still hasn’t come to an end, yet I can already say that this is the second-best month of the year. Despite a severe lack of sleep, I’m doing a lot every day and surpassing myself and my own expectations (which is hard)
- had an interview with two American professors from the admission committee, and we definitely hit it off
- cooked fantastic burritos that tasted even better than the Chipotle ones
- went ice skating and remembered my athletic childhood
- received a pass in one of the classes
- performed at the Christmas Party
- passed one more language and skills exam for translation
- and, most importantly, achieved my #1 goal for this year (which has been around since 2019, if I’m being honest) :)
In hindsight, this year wasn’t among the easiest ones, and I can’t imagine what the next one holds, but one thing I know for sure: it’s just the beginning. Initially, I was going into 2022 with a huge fear of failure. Every day of my gap semester I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that I was wasting my time and that all my peers had already graduated and therefore were inherently better. However, doing this collage was somewhat therapeutic — maybe I was not idling my days away, and maybe my path, though crooked, is exactly what I need.
