A final note

My loyal readers, I'm afraid our time is almost at an end. Tis a sad day, but do not shed tears for me. I have one last thought to share. Perhaps you wonder why I chose to learn Russian in the first place, or why I am fascinated by the culture. Allow me to explain.

In my personal world, I believe in knowledge. I also believe that complacency breeds ignorance. It is my goal in life to never stop learning. My biggest fear is living, as so many do, by going to work, eating, sitting in front of the television, then sleeping to repeat the cycle. To me, that is not living.

I find that after 21 years in this country, I was becoming trapped in the repetitive routine of daily life. When I woke up in the morning, I knew what the day would hold - life had lost it's mystery and the anticipation of something new. That is when I began researching other cultures. For in the US, we experience things in pretty much the same way. If I wanted new, I would need to branch out into new cultures, explore new horizons.

I started with languages. Growing up, I always had a knack for learning languages quickly and effectively. I have cycled through spanish, french, italian, german and chinese, but I was not impressed and did not pursue my studies to completion. I wanted a challenge (but not so challenging as chinese) and I feel there is no more beautiful language than Russian. As I studied the language and learned the culture I was enchanted.

The cities and people are so immersed in culture - their customs are so intricate and large in number. This was something I could learn for many years to come. It is my hope to one day move from this country to another. It may not be Russia, but I am sure that it will give me the sense of excitement and anticipation that makes life worth living!

It is not all money and problems, you must experience new things, push yourself out of your comfort zone an into the world. I guarantee you will like who you find inside as you become more involved in the outside world. I'm not saying you need to learn a foreign language or move to a new country, you can start small - start a conversation with a stranger, learn to ride a motorcycle, whatever it is just keep living and do what makes you happy.

Live each day for the mystery and surprise,
learn to live
and never die.

My work with the Crescent News has taken me to places I've never imagined, pictured is a mutton busting at the henry county fairgrounds in September 2013. (photo/Jenny Reolfi)