ABOUT ME

A Soviet historian, I love traveling and have extensive experience in the former Soviet Union. Admittedly a bit nerdy, I've spent many of the past few years trying to better understand the societies and cultures of the former Soviet Union, with a particular focus on Central Asia. To date, I've spent significant time in Germany, Russia, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, although I've traveled widely in Europe and (mostly Central) Asia, as well as the US.

Interests

I'm fascinated by the ways people interact with their own history and the way history leaves traces on a society. I also love spending time in nature, particularly mountains, and miss the days when I lived two and a half hours from the Alps. My camera is my constant companion.

• traveling
• history
• mountains

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

In the summer of 2016, my husband and I spent a few days living with a semi-nomadic Kazakh family in Western Mongolia. We adapted to their lives pretty quickly: helped them heard the goats, played with the children, chatted (in Kazakh) with their grandfather, and even attended a joint wedding and local Naadam celebration. One afternoon, we even stumbled upon another family moving their yurt, and we stayed for a couple hours to help them reassemble their living space.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Panama, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, South Korea, Tajikistan, United States