From Russia with love

I've been in Moscow for a few days now, and it's been lovely. I've been hitting the streets and spending copious amounts of time getting lost.
The Russian language has been quite a struggle for me, and English speakers are few and far between. There is also something that happens to me, an adjustment period if you will, where I become extremely introverted. After hours or days of forced silence I forget that I am capable of emanating grunts and clicks that convey a certain meaning to others. Then after the remembrance to try and speak arises there is the searching for the words and the making of the sounds. This is weighted down so heavily by the fact that I become timed and fearful of the strange noises I am trying to emulate. To the Russian I sound like a golden retriever growling and yapping sporadically and they don't know whether to pet me or put me out of my misery.
After several failed attempts at connection I curl further into my ball of introversion. The thought of needing anything, or being asked anything by anyone is enough to make me burrow deeper into my Russian hat and giant jacket and move into the crowed. This period of time doesn't last forever. I eventually have to grunt and click and yap and point my way into a meal.

 

All in all it is just another day in growing. A healthy reminder that this is life and this is travel and I've just dedicated myself to this for the next several years. I've always been a irl that enjoyed a challenge.