We built robots that played sports like soccer and basketball. They were really big, usually about five feet tall. I loved learning how to build robots, so I decided to study engineering in college and become a professional robot builder. Because I was interested in both engineering and languages, I decided to study both in college. This was my dream come true!
During my last year in college, I decided that I wanted to go back to Russia. The other three times that I lived in Russia, I focused only on studying language. So, this time, I wanted to try to use it! I came up with an idea for a research project about the Soviet Union. That’s the country that Russia used to be a part of. Now, what used to be the Soviet Union is 15 different countries! (If you’re curious: Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia). I've been to five of them. One third of the way done!
For my research project, I am interviewing people about how their lives how gotten better or worse since the Soviet Union broke up into separate countries. This event is called the “collapse” of the Soviet Union and it happened in 1989. The best part about my research is that I get to spend most of my time talking to people and learning about their lives! It’s the most fun job that I’ve ever had.
I can’t wait to share my travels with you as you embark on this journey with me!
Until next time!
Anna
