Everlasting Luck

I got home from camp yesterday night. The entire week, I was thinking about how lucky I am. Sure, my life gets confusing and hard at times, but these kids at camp stories are so much more.
     A girl whose sister has a brain tumor, and had to learn how to walk, talk and communicate again. A girl whose sister is 6,000 miles away, and is not allowed to come back to the US, the US embassy in Moscow wont let her. And those are only two of them.
    It makes me excedingly angry. And, I just want my little sister home. She might not even be available for adoption. 
     My birthday is in 5 days. I'll be 13. In three years, if I lived in the orphanage, I'd be kicked out. Just gone. No longer adoptable. Like so many others. Every single Russian orphan has that same fate. Let that sink in. All of them. Unless they get adopted, which isn't likely for most of them.
     America: Sweet Sixteen. Big party. Lots of presents and friends.
     Russian Orphans: Scared to death. Packing their small belongings. Leaving all of thier friends and safety.
     The kids don't have everlasting luck, they have almost no luck. When we were there, Keri asked a little boy what he wanted to be when he grows up. He replied "A coal miner". "Think big"
"A Taxi driver!"
Where are they to turn when they reach 16? When they get too old for the orphanage? When they get thrown out onto the streets? 
Think about that. Where do they go?
Prostitution? Maybe. Drug Dealing? Sure. Suicide? It's possible.
The out aged ones are scrounging for money. They'll do anything for it. They need homes. Now. Before they're too old.

Heading off

The main entrance at camp

Later today, I will be heading off to camp. This means I will not have access to this blog while I am there. But it's so amazingly fun! Here are some of the activities:

• Horse back ride
• Arts and Crafts
• Cooking
• Swimming
• Amusement parks
• Campfires

     It's so insanely fun!!! When I get home, I can post pictures from the 2 weeks. But until then, Ta-Ta for now!!!

Someday, Somewhere,

The world will have,

Some peace to share.

There will be peace one day,

when all is well,

All together,

We can tell.



"And the world,

Will live as one"

Love, Love,Love,

Bridget

3rd hint to my sisters name:

15-1=?

And all the pretty little horses...

Blacks and bays, dapples and greys, Coach and six white horses.
     Written circa 1884, by an enslaved mother singing to her baby girl who she couldn't take care of, because her owner needed their baby taken care of.




     Now, her baby had a mother. That baby will get taken care of, when the mother escapes (which she did, and the baby was 4). She gets fed, and is a normal height and weight for her age. Look at the kids at Detski Dom #5. Little G, who is 8 years old, really could pass off for being 5. These orphans don't need horses (though, they would love them!). They need enough food and CLEAN water to have adequate care. It just scares me to see an almost 9 year old be so tiny. I don't know how they survive. They all need loving families in a not-so-poverty-stricken country.

     I'm heading off to camp on Sunday, for two weeks. My camp is filled with horses, rock climbing, swimming and loads of fun. In about two weeks, all the kids at the orphanage get deported to camp so the orphanage can get cleaned. I have no idea what its like there, but it can't be fun.

     Everyone reading this, you can comment with a letter to one of the kids. I'll translate and print it. Then sent it to the child.

     And, the second hint to my little sister's name:

6-1=?

A few things that make me cheer up!

Because I'm really down lately, and want to stay away from the computer, I've discovered some really favorite things! Such as:

• Reeses Peanut butter cups
• A very funny blog, Hyperbole and A half, By Allie.
• Coloring
• Baking
• Shiny things covered in glitter
• Walking my dog, he was almost unwalkable.

     My dog never walked normaly before. It would be "Hey DOG you want to go for a walk!"
DOG "Of course I do!!!! *pant*lick*arf*
ME "Okay, lets go!
Dog oh-so-not-gently rips arm out of socket and we end with a crying Bridget running home to mom to punish the dog and get an ice-pack. BTW the dogs acctual name is DOG, pronounced dee-oh-gee.
     But, he walks now. We got him a be-good collar, and it works! Hallelujah!
     Hyperbole and a half is a very funny blog in which a 25 year old Allie takes her everyday situations and turns them into very dramatic scenes. Her "simple dog" and "helper dog" are there to comfort. She does not post very often, but just look around. She's hilarious.
     AND! For all who have been waiting, all of those pointless snow days have come to a close, and the frantic school year of 2010-2011 is coming to a close tomorrow. That means no more teachers who put their foot up on the black board to show you the bunion that they're getting removed on monday. No more walking up and down 4 flights of stairs everyday. No more waking up at 7am. Sadly, no more Ms. Rosenzweig. She's possibly the best teacher ever. And, the shocking reality hits me, I'll be in high school next year. Not next school year, but next year-year. 2012. Graduating class of 2016. I'll be in college in 5 years! Boy, does that put things into perspective.
     And, I'll possibly be going to Russia even sooner to see my Gorgeous little sister (soul) I'm giving you a puzzle and on the 5th post starting now, comment with what you think is her name. :)

8 minus 1... thats your first hint.

Being Home.

     Have you ever heard the saying "Home is where the heart is."? Its a lie. Siberia is where the heart is. In the filthy coal mining region of Kemerovo. In the little, unknown town of Prokop'yvsk.

     Ever since last Monday, I've been in a thick, gloomy fog. I don't want anyone around me. I'm ready to go back to Russia. Even though the people are unpleasant and frowny, they don't fake anything. Americans just smile, even if they're actually not happy, and if you don't have a cheery look on your face, you get asked by millions of people "Whats wrong?". Fact is, if anyone told someone how they were actually feeling, the person who asked in the first place, wouldn't listen!

     I just want to be reconnected with my heart, back in Siberia. Then I can sleep soundly, breath deeply, and let go. But Massachusetts ain't what it used to be, sure, its the same place, with the same Governor and the same people. But, it's lost that comfort that home offers. It doesn't feel the same. Home isn't home anymore. The house that turned into a home, is just back to where it began, a house.

a small village in rural Siberia, where I want to go back.

      There's a feeling coming around with me saying that this is not where I belong. And I agree with it. This is not where I belong. Most nights I've been waking up at about 3-4 am. I can't fall back to sleep. Why? Because when I look t my right, I see a window. Out side of the window is a car, so that I don't walk to school, 2 miles. When I look to my left, I see a bottle of water from the sink, that doesn't have parasites in it. I see a closet full of shoes and clothes that fit. I can't fall back to sleep, because I feel too greedy looking at all of this stuff, that is exclusively mine. I know what you're thinking, be grateful for you have yadda yadda yadda. I am grateful for what I have, and I want less. But, Truth is, the thought that has been occurring to me the most," If I sell all of my stuff that I don't need, I'll be able to go back there in no time.". So for now, anybody want a small bookshelf? $5. lol.

      I guess I'm just saying, I want to go back. The shirt that I wore for most of the trip couldn't have said it better "Home sweet Siberia".

Orphanage visit #2

First off, let me apolgize for not posting in a while, after we went to the orphanage, it was sleep, then travel. Sorry!
    Anyway, orphanage visit #2 was amazing! I want to adopt them all! Of course, I'm not old enough to adopt, so, I've just been begging my mom! There's just so many sweet kids! I love all of them! I'll post pictures later. I ended up walking to the "Magazeena" at least four times, buying candy and ice cream for all of them. I want to find them all homes! 
     I spent most of my time there running around with at least 13 kids following me. I felt like a celebrity! I find each and every one of them special and amazing.  I would go to the bathroom, and come out to see 10 kids waiting for me to come out.
     When I got the chance to sit down on one of the couches, I was immedeadtly seated with  9 kids! 
     The swing in the back yard is beyond broken, its just two poles with "Foot holders" on the bottom, but they continue to use it! Their playground is the most depressing thing I have  ever seen! The slide has spilnters all over it, and the soccer field has no grass on it, just hard, packed in dirt. Oh my!
      When we got back from the orphanage, to Kemerovo, we fell right asleep, for we needed to get up early for the plane. It was 42 hours of no sleep, in a plane or an airport, just waiting for the sad reality of going home to hit us.
     But now that we are home, it feels good, unlimited toilet paper, hot showers, a comfy bed for myself. Milk that's cold and drinkable,water that you can drink from the tap. You don't realize how much you have, until it's taken away. Thats another post for another day, differences from Russia to America. Oh! And I get to tell you about the $12 cokes!
     When we were at the Shermat'evo airport, in Moscow, We saw an italian restaurant, and we were craving it! We went and when we got the check, we discovered they had charged is $32 for four cokes! Thats $12 each! Their excuse "You ordered the big ones, and they have 3 cokes in each one, its not our fault!", But they never told us that we were going to pay that much! Oh, Russia, what are we going to do with you!
     And to all of you who donated... THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! You don't know how much I  appreciate every single one of your donations, whether it be by thought, or by money. What matters is I got there and I couldn't have done it without you guys!!!! You sent me to the orphanage and back again, and it's the best thing that ever happened to me! All of you have enormous hearts and they will never go to waste! Everyone at the orphanage was elated when I got there, and you guys made that happen! Thank you!!!!