The next big hurdle overcome with a hologram-graced visa installed in my passport.

Well, the next big hurdle has been overcome. My Russian visa has been granted and my passport has been returned to me from the visa service with a lovely hologram-graced official looking visa embedded within my passport. Next is to finally break down and buy my airline ticket. At a pricetag of around $1600-1700, I’ve been reluctant to pay for it without having this visa in hand. No excuses anymore… except for not having that much money to spare.

So, on to the next challenge… digging up some empty space on a credit card so I can buy the airline ticket!

And, of course, addressing all of the other to-do’s that have little to do with my travel to Russia for this Fulbright, but that must be addressed before I leave so I that I don’t leave a mess behind for the 3+ weeks that I am gone.

Just the short list:

  • Keep up with grading my student’s work so that I can get their grades submitted on time and with something meaningful behind them!
  • Prepare some final reports for several grants and/or awards.
  • Design and arrange printing for invitations for a non-profit’s fundraising event that occurs in June.
  • Keep up with my Doctoral program coursework that has weekly homework, readings, and discussions. The final assignment for my Qualitative Research course will be due after I’m in Russia. So, needless to say, it will be finished BEFORE I leave!
  • Design and print recruitment poster for summer course on Conceptual Book Design.
  • Continue my research on Yekaterinburg and region so that I may be somewhat prepared – including learning a few more words in Russian!
  • Finish Syllabus and Course Outline/presentation for Yekaterinburg course in Russia.
  • Attend and celebrate my younger daughter’s BFA thesis exhibition and graduation from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor! (I really wish I could have brought one of my girls with me to Russia. But the cost and time were too much of a hardship for all involved.)
  • Oh yea… start packing!

Phew!

guess I better get some sleep tonight!

mjf