As my departure to Georgia draws nearer, my time in this beautiful country inches closer and closer to the front of my mind! My courses at Notre Dame have taught me how to read and write in Russian fairly well, and while I am nervous about my speaking skills in this exciting language, I hope that my proficiency in conversation will grow a great amount while spending time in Batumi! Along with this, I am excited to learn about Georgian culture through this immersive program and have even started looking into basic Georgian phrases and customs. While I had originally planned to travel to St. Petersburg, Russia, Batumi looks absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to soak up some sun with the locals, and hopefully will grow close to my host family!
Having never traveled outside of the United States before (except for Victoria, B.C. near my home in Washington state), this will be a great test for me as an individual and an exciting new experience! I can’t wait to experience a different language, culture, and country, and learn about and engage with the Georgian people in Batumi. I am also excited to see how the dynamics of speaking Russian in Georgia play out, and how the Russian tourists interact with Georgian locals. I have been trying to improve some of my listening and reading skills in Russian by watching “Servant of the People” on Netflix, and cannot wait to hear this amazing language in person! I have a little more than a month of waiting to do before lift off: Georgia, I will see you soon!