Hello everybody! My name is Ali Plucinski and I am a junior who just returned from my semester abroad in Saint Petersburg, Russia! Having spent this time abroad, I was certainly able to put a lot in perspective. Life was much harder there. Our everyday comforts were luxuries. Financially, the country is far less affluent, a fact that opened my awareness to the value of the American dollar. In addition to becoming more culturally aware, I was blessed with a wonderful host family consisting of a grandmother, mother, father, and two younger brothers who were 5 and 7. They were truly special boys–we often played soccer in the hallway, hide and seek in the bedroom, and card games in the kitchen. They had no problem making fun of me for my poor Russian which was probably for the best. My favorite experience was probably the mushroom hunting excursion that my host family took me on. Apparently, it’s quite the activity in Russia and we explored forests from sun up till midday, scavenging amongst all sorts of mushrooms (many of which were poisonous). It was especially interesting as a student of political science to see a new country and gain perspectives so different from our own. To find so many commonalities in a people that we identify as nothing like us was surprising and amusing at times. I am still contemplating the best way to integrate my new world view back into Connecticut College, to keep that open perspective and help others open their world views too. Here are some pictures of my time there!
