Memories of Learning Russian with Rita

My favorite memories of living as an American in Russia in the late 1990s include the early evenings I spent in the kitchen, sharing in Russian conversation with Rita, the mother of the family I lived with. All these years later, I remember it like it was yesterday. Rita spoke a little English and aContinueContinue reading “Memories of Learning Russian with Rita”

The Beauty of an Ordinary Moment in Belarus

I crossed the border between Russia and Belarus at a tumultuous time in the late 1990s. I had a lot to worry about—and to be excited about. I’m amazed at how, so many years later, what stands out in my memory isn’t the dramatic backdrop. It’s an ordinary moment with a student whose name IContinueContinue reading “The Beauty of an Ordinary Moment in Belarus”