Home. (A little about Yekat, Russia, and homesickness. Plus an announcement!)
Hello lovelies! It has been a minute since I last blogged, but I'm back, so welcome! :)
As you can tell by the title, in this blog I'm basically going to write about where I grew up (Russia, specifically, Yekaterinburg) and why I love it so much.
Little general info about us (Yekat, as I will refer to it): we're the fourth largest city in Russia (after Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Novosibirsk); Yekat was founded in 1723 and ever since then was one of the industrial centers of Russia (we have a lot of metal, lots of factories, etc); we stand on a river called Iset; lastly, we are the capital of the Ural Region (cause naturally we had to be a capital of something, right?). And yes, I pretty much knew all this by heart because one of my wonderful teachers in school taught us all this and much more, I just looked in Wikipedia once to double-check myself.
But before I bore the crap out of you guys, let me just say I LOVE my home city. I mean, look at these pics! :) We have pretty rich history (a lot of which I should have totally payed more attention to while in school); we're developing faster and faster and attracting more and more people from foreign countries; we're getting more and more cool things (like new fancy shopping malls, restaurants, new little coffee places and such); we have tons of beautiful churches and cathedrals; our parks are getting cleaner and more pleasant to be in; we have amazing theaters with lots of talent in them; tons of beautiful landscapes and nature surround us; and I can continue on and on.
If I were completely honest with you, though (which I always am, I'm Russian for Pete's sake), I was never able to appreciate any of what my home city had to it until I left for another country. Sadly, I do think it's in out human nature to never value things until we lose them, for whatever reason it may happen. In fact, a lot of people at home kind of struggle to understand why I want to be back home now that I've graduated. I totally understand that and do not mean to criticize any of them at all (just so they know and so everyone else knows), I know that one can never be fully relate to me until they lived what I lived, just like I will never be able to fully relate to them unless I go through what they go through. That is perfectly normal and human, but can I get real real with you all for a sec? Guys, may you never know what intense homesickness feels like. May you never know what it's like to not be able to look at planes because it makes the desire to jump on them and fly home unbearable. May you never know what it's like to be walking around Chicago (beautiful city that is very near and dear to my heart) and still seeing the streets of your hometown/ city in your head. All that plus missing family, not being able to spend holidays with them, having to leave in the midsts of celebrating one of the most important holidays for us, Russians (if not THE most important)- New Year- yeah it was terrible and left me quite depressed at times, especially during my second year of college. But this is not meant to be a pity party for Elina, I promise. I was and still am a very happy person and do not regret my decision to move to the US one.bit. Homesickness does very much have beauty to it, as crazy as it might sound, and I will write all about it it in a separate blog. I'll also include tips on how to deal with being homesick in that blog. For now, though, let's move on, shall we?
After that long-ass rant (sorry guys, I just had to I guess), let me bring it all back to talking about Yekat. This time, I want to add another layer and talk a little about not only my city, but my country in general. Russia. A place so messed up it's actually unbelievable at times, but so beautiful, rich (culturally, historically, nature-wise, natural resource-wise, and such), and free spirited at the same time. Lately, when I come back home for a visit, I need to go through at least a week-long period of readjusting. In the four years that I have been away, I have changed. A lot. (Shocker, I know. Like it isn't natural for people to change as they grow up and get to know themselves and who they are better. Especially when you freakin move to a different country) And because I am so different now, it takes a minute for me to learn how to live with a mentality, cultural traits, and views of your average Russian. (Notice how I don't say "all Russians", I know we all are different and what I am saying does not apply to every single Russian out there. Same can be said about any other people from any other country) For a while, I was actually pretty irritated about the whole readjusting thing. As much as I love my people, I did get comments here and there that were not the nicest, let me just say. But now that I have thought it through back and fourth, I am able to realize that it is not my job to change who people are, what their culture is, and what they believe in. Also, I know now that even though many people at home disagree with me and who I am might seem a little odd to them, very few (almost none) of them are actually out there to get me. It's just their way of communicating how surprised they are may be, or may be how taken aback they are seeing who I have become. Just like I have to get used to them all over again, they have to get used to a totally new me, and knowing that helps me have a lot more grace for them. (Again, just as a disclaimer, I am talking about my general experience and no particular person or group of people is mean to be attacked here. Not at all.)
And really, despite me being different now and having views that are sometimes not at all popular in Russia, just turn on some Russian song; just speak to me in my own language; just give me my bortsh, pelmeny, blini, or a good cup of tea; just show me a good old Soviet movie; just take me out in the countryside and show me my quiet, cold as heck, snowy Russia with wooden houses (refer to the pics below) and churches and I'll feel right at home.
Before this blog gets too long, let me just finish up by updating you guys on my life a little bit. I have graduated college in June and had a few options to chose from as far as what to do. I have been granted a work authorization that gives me the right to stay in the US until August of 2018. I could have gotten a music-related job, it was my major and is the only field I am allowed to seek employment in. For example, the ministry that I have been pretty heavily involved with for the past two summers could have been one of the ways since music is a big part of it. OR I could have chosen to stay here in the US for a shorter time (no longer than November 29th, which is when my student visa, aka my only way to entry the country legally, expires) All throughout my decision-making process I had a very strong yearning to come back home and a very clear understanding that my heart had just about enough and could use a little break. It was not easy, but I can finally say that on Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd, your girl is off to her beloved homeland! Not only that, but she has not one week to spend there, not two, not even three, but about three whole months! For the first time in four years, I will finally not have to fly out the day after New Years, I will have a decent amount of time at home, and possibly be home for my birthday! (I'll actually try to be there for my mom's, my dad's, my sister's, and my grandma's birthdays this time. YAY!!!!!) Words cannot express how happy, excited, and to an extent even relieved I am to be coming home. Now. While I am home, I will try my best to start working and making my own money (finally!!) and I will actually be getting ready for and working towards yet another crazy move. I haven't told many people about it yet and I will not until I know for sure it is happening. For now, I am coming home on the 23rd of November and could not be happier! It will, of course, be excruciatingly painful and difficult to leave behind my friends, my mentors, and all the people I have met here in the US who made me who I am and who continuously love me like I was always their own. But I know that I will make every effort possible to keep connected with them and trust me when I say, the bigger the distance, the happier the reunion.
Alright y'all, can we all just accept that no matter how hard I try to keep my blogs all neat and concise, they always turn out to be freaking novels. I hope you still love me and aren't annoyed! :)
That's all for now.
As usual, you are absolute CHAMPS if you kept reading until the end!
Much love to you all and till next time,
E.
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