Hello
my name is Reilly Lawrence.
I came to Severodvinsk on the 7th of April. I love it here.
The people are very kind to us all the time. They care about
how we are doing and if we are having a good time. Everyone
seems to look after each other in this city. The children
help each other out and the teachers work hard for their students.
It is very refreshing to see teachers that are so involved
in their work and care about every student. In my country
many people are not so caring. I have yet to meet someone
here who is not accomidating and welcoming. I have enjoyed
my stay very much so far and look foward to the rest of my
time here. I have learned a lot about Russian culture and
tradition and I am very impressed with how knowledgeable everyone
is about their heritage. The students at school 14 are also
very skilled in the English language. They do not give themselves
enough credit. Many of the people I have met here speak with
better grammar then my classmates and I. All in all this trip
has been an extremely rewarding experiance and I hope to be
able to visit again and host students who plan to visit the
United States this fall.
Thank you so much everyone!
Coming
to Severodvinsk I really had no idea what to expect. I knew
the brief history of the city through the Portsmouth Severodvinsk
Connection. I also knew it would be cold. What I have discovered
here in just five days is that Severodvinsk is a very warm
city, rich with culture, intellect, and compassion. The half
melted dirty snow on the sides of the street reminds me of
winter in my hometown, Lee, New Hampshire. The trash on the
ground is unpleasant but the concern our hosts have for it
is the opposite. I am very lucky to meet my wonderful host
family, the inspirational teachers and students at the school,
and the lovely people of Severodvinsk. Everyone I meet puts
up with my lack of Russian language skills as well as my personal
quirks. As a vegetarian I expected to be eating only little
amounts of bland food here. Between my host mother Natasha
and the staff of School Number 14’s canteen, I am being incredibly
well fed with delicious meals. I don’t know if I will be able
to go home next week (I really do love being here) but I do.
know that I will return to Severodvinsk. Hopefully my next
trip will be in the summer and I will seу the White Nights.
To everyone in Severodvinsk and especially those involved
with the Exchange Program through School Number 14, thank
you for your generous hospitality and delightful company.
Ellen Cole Legard .
Severodvinsk School #14,
I would like to start off by saying I feel very privileged
to be able to come to such a city. Severodvinsk is an amazing
place on so many different levels. In the few days I have
been here I have seen enough for a lifetime. So many monuments,
beautiful sites, and schools have taught me many things and
I will remember them forever. Without a doubt, if I ever get
the chance to return to this city I would take it in a heartbeat.
I think one main difference between our nations is the reactions
of the people. Our hosts and guides care so much about us.
Always asking if we are hungry, if we need anything, and making
us as comfortable as possible is what they strive for. I also
like how Severodvinsk is working on solving its economical
problems.
Overall I have really enjoyed my stay in this city. I live
each day here with a smile on my face that never goes away.
I know I will be sad when I end up leaving this amazing place,
I can only hope to get another chance to visit it again.
Eric Mulligan
The first thing that comes
to mind about the trip to Russia so far is how welcoming the
atmosphere is. Good meals are served to us almost everywhere
we go it seems (the food in Russia is of great quality), and
the people seem very enthusiastic about giving us presentations
and leading us in activities. My host is extremely friendly
and does a fantastic job hosting, and the impression I get
from the rest of the exchange students is that this is true
for all of them.
The field trips have all been enjoyable, and very diverse
from each other. We have taken a tour of Arkhangelsk and a
tour of Severodvinsk both of which were very interesting and
informative, and we have visited 3 different schools and have
done different activities in each of them. These activities
include crafts, dances, games, and watching performances.
We have also visited two museums, one of which was a large
outdoor museum. We did different activities in each of these
museums, which were enjoyable.
One of my favorite things about this trip so far is that there
are not chaperones around at all times telling us what to
do. After trips and activities, we are mostly left on our
own with our hosts to figure out ways to spend the evenings.
This is a welcome change from chaperones that are constantly
around directing our days.
The Russian Exchange trip so far has been a very rewarding
experience for all of us. If it continues the way that it
has been going so far, it is promising to be one of the most
rewarding experiences that I’ve had. I hope it continues on
like this for the rest of the trip, and I hope that these
trips do not stop happening for future exchange students.
Logan Miller
Ariana's
impressions. When we first arrived
in Severodivinsk I was overwhelmed with the warm welcome we
received. It was really nice to get out of the taxi after a
long day of traveling and be greeted by friendly people. It
must have been about ten o’clock at night but when we got back
to the flat, I was given a tour of the flat and then food. The
people I have met in this city have been nothing but kind and
concerned about me .They have gone above
and beyond to make sure I was absoutly happy all the time.
They made sure I had enough food, I was enjoying
the activities they had planned and was always happy.