CURRENT MISSION

This question makes me nervous. I'm not sure that every person has a mission all the time. But at the risk of over-defining myself, I'd say my mission is to experience what life has to offer in the fullest measure I can.

ABOUT ME

Born and raised in the howling wasteland of North-central Pennsylvania, my friends and I had to drive 45 minutes to get to a movie theater. Going to see a movie, then, became almost epic, a Grail quest uniting four or five happy warriors.

After graduating high school, I moved three hours south to Pennsylvania's second city. Pittsburgh has a lot of charm, despite what you may have heard, and besides, what has Philadelphia ever produced? Ben Franklin? American independence? Please.

Now I am taking a semi-gap year between undergrad and what will hopefully be a graduate program in political science.

I've been nursing a pretty deep love affair with Russia, ever since I lived a month there as a freshman in high school. I returned in the spring of 2007 for a semester of language study there.

PHILOSOPHY

Tolerance and moderation are big deals with me, but that doesn't mean I'm boring!

Interests

I'm really excited about learning stuff. Any stuff, really. I've spent a lot of time in the past two years doing research on the political systems of France and Russia, but I also spend a lot of time mindlessly wikipedia-ing things, and casting half an eye toward celebrity gossip (I can't help it! Yahoo is my homepage!)

Meeting people from diverse walks of life is a tremendously enriching experience. It's partially what inspired me to study abroad twice, and is probably the most attractive part of travel.

Generally speaking, though, I'm interested in Russia and Eastern Europe, history, armchair philosophy, good conversation at night, parks, lakes, American folk music, and relatively cheap wine.

• theater
• wine
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• folk music
• emergency services
• history
• nursing
• political science
• science
• study abroad
• parks
• lakes

Music, Movies, and Books

My beloved Joanna Newsom; more recently Hello Saferide, Brett Dennan, Tilly and the Wall, Beirut, the Decemberists.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I participated in a 'Dissenters' March' in downtown Moscow in April 2007, a protest against the Putin government that drew around 2500 protesters--and 9,000 riot police.

And by "participated" I mean "watched." Please don't blacklist me, Vladimir Vladimirovich.

Countries I’ve Visited

Mexico

Countries I’ve Lived In

Russian Federation, United States