Privet ... Hello
Kak dela?  ...  How are you?
Wednesday mornings are my Russian language lessons.  I was able to find a tutor that lives nearby through Craigslist that teaches and translates for Russian and Ukrainian.  I feel that being bilingual or trilingual is important.  Why shouldn't we learn other languages?  Why should everyone else speak English? (or "American")  Our family currently knows 3 languages: English, Spanish and ASL.  I am fluent in English, my Spanish is good enough to get my point across or to follow a conversation but it is woefully lacking in grammatical accuracy!  My ASL would allow me to converse with a 2-3 year old LOL. 

I LOVE diversity.  I relish it.  I come from a German/Czech/Austria-Hungary/English/Cherokee background that has been terribly Americanized.  My husband is Mexican-American with all the flair and flavor of that culture - Ole!  Our family celebrates every local cultural event and festival that takes place near us with our kids.  Ethnic food festivals are our absolute favorites: German, Lebanese, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Indian, Thai, and Celtic to name just a few.  Our anniversary tradition ties into this too.  Every year we pick a new restaurant or new type of food to enjoy.  Last year we went to a Caribbean restaurant ... we had conch fritters and oxtail stew.  It really was pretty good!  The conch was a sweet meat, like lobster or crab but with a very chewy texture.  The oxtail was divine.  Absolutely mouth watering ... stewed for hours and just fell off the bone... very tender and flavorful.  I always tell my kids that they can't say they don't like something if they have never tried it.  You might hate it and never eat it again, or it could be something that takes a more mature taste bud and you try again 10 years later and love.  You will never know what you are missing if you don't try it.

Life is a bit like that.  Some things take us out of our comfort zones.  Public speaking is a big one for many of us.  Adoption is another.  Is it a comfortable process to go through?  No.  It is scary, exciting, nerve wracking and awesome.  It makes you question who you are, what type of person you are or that you want to become and if there are things you want to change about your parenting ... whether it is the time spent together or just making the most of every moment.  It also gives you the opportunity to broaden yourself; open your heart and mind, meet new people and go to new places.  I have never traveled abroad.  It is a scary prospect, yet I will be traveling far away.  I am not good at mingling and small talk with strangers, yet I will be meeting other adoptive families, our facilitator, driver, translator and various public officials all throughout this process.  Sometimes it is good to challenge yourself and step outside of your comfort zone.  Take lessons for something that interests you.  Volunteer your time.  Try a new food.  Go back to school.  Foster or Adopt.  We are taking a new route and it is the scenic one... not the expressway.  I am going to try and slow down and enjoy the journey and not just the destination.