Orientation has been a great experience. Although my original flight from SJC to JFK was cancelled due to bad weather, JetBlue arranged me with seats on a Boston to NY connection. The seats had extra leg room, and the TVs/radio were great during the travel. Having an extra hour to hang with family and friends was also a plus, but time at my hometown airport moved fast. Before I knew it, I was sleeping in a plane to Boston, then to New York, then I was at orientation.

The other students with NSLI-Y were extremely nice people. I felt more comfortable being here. Before, I was extremely anxious about leaving 10 months to Russia, a country that seems very foreign and strange. However, during the months in Russia, I hope that I gain enough language skills to read magazines in Russian and maintain simple conversations. I also hope that I will have a better understanding of Russian culture, and finally find an explanation for why smiles aren’t that popular in public.