Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Julia and I am currently attending Chico State as an English major. I am originally from Russia, where I grew up in a big beautiful city called Voronezh, which is about a 7 hour drive south from Moscow.  I came to the United States two and half years ago to stay with my boyfriend, who I met online, but never had a chance to use my return ticket as he proposed to me that summer and we found ourselves exchanging rings on the bank of the Yuba River in the tiny charming town of Downieville.  My husband and I live in Magalia (yes, I have a 35-minute commute to Chico everyday!) and I absolutely love it here. California is the most wonderful place in the world that has all the things you could dream about – from the sandy beaches and lanky palm trees of San-Diego to the mighty snow mountains and giant pine trees of Tahoe. 

Sometimes I miss the crisp cold air of long Russian nights and the hectic streets of Voronezh filled with rushing people, noisy cars and silent old red-brick buildings. I usually go there once a year to visit my parents and friends and I am already excited to fly there this summer. (I look forward to the trip, but not too thrilled about the never ending 18-hour flight!) In general, I am a happy, curious and energetic person that enjoys reading (my favorite book is “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky), cooking (my husband claims there is nothing better than my fried potatoes mixed with mushrooms and onions served with chops!), skiing (I finally learnt how to ski after a number of painful fall downs and “I will never ski again!”) and playing the violin. I am very excited about this class and look forward to writing my blogs as well as reading everybody else’s.