Continued

          Do you ever think about your heritage and are proud of where you were born? I do not know many people who were born in Russia, do you.. I feel like Russians are definitely a minority in the United States. It is nice to be surrounded by the people that understand you the most and have the same background as you. I love learning about different cultures, I have friends who are African American, Black, White, Asian, Hispanic etc. I love all of them for their unique stories that they tell about their lives, I have learned a lot from people who are different than me. It is taking me a while to figure out what I want from my life and to feel comfortable in that endeavor. Most of the time I am self conscious of my height and I had to battle through people making fun of me while I was growing up. I am only 4'11" and I do not understand why, my brother is 6' tall. Nick and I had different fathers and we were malnourished when we came to the United States. I could be this height genetically, or because I did not have the proper nutrition, also doing gymnastics could have helped to stunt my growth. I realized that I had a heart problem several years ago, I am not sure why I have this condition but it is good that we caught it early on so it would not get worse. I think about when I may have children and I do not know my families medical history to see what I may be giving that child. I have had a good day though, I feel loved and accepted. I am excited to go home for Christmas break and get these exams over with.