Post by Yulia Malakova on Feb 17, 2017 16:28:16 GMT
YULIA'S DIARY
26 September 2016 - DAY 1, 1630 GMT
My name is Yulia...and this is my story.
In my own words.
The city of Grozny, the region of Chechnya...it was supposed to be a place of peace, where life teemed freely about, showcasing a cultural awareness unlike anything in the world.
Yet when I was born, Christmas 1989, to a wealthy family...our Motherland started falling apart.
Despite the aura of "glasnost"--openness to the West--which had been permeating throughout the region, the economy was collapsing. The Communist regime, to which my parents were some of its strongest and most loyal supporters, was breaking apart as its once-mighty grip had begun to slip away. Here I was...destined to become part of the winds of change which had begun to blow from all sides.
Then...war came about, creating a level of chaos that I could never hope to imagine--nor do I wish to do so.
We were forced to flee to Germany when I was a small child, our home scorched by the Chechan rebels who never wanted to adapt to a new way of thinking. It was not easy growing up, for I had constantly dreamed about returning to the Motherland and resuming my parents' work. Yet when I realised it wasn't going to be possible, I had to learn to live with it.
I had to live my life on my own, yet deep down...I wanted to better myself in all things, making my family proud no matter how things turned out. I, thus, became an explorer--one that seeks out new lands and new peoples.
Yet someday...my wish is to settle down and learn what it takes to live a fruitful, honest life.
In the meantime, I found myself getting acquainted with this massive floating city, this MS Harmony of the Seas. As I stepped onto its Royal Promenade for the very first time, I becamed awed by its sense of scope and complexity, watching as a small group of passengers took in its various shops and restaurants that lined both sides. I couldn't help but smile at the scene, not even realising that the next fourteen days were going to change my life in more ways than one.
The Harmony was truly the ship where dreams came to life, where people from all walks of life could mingle together freely without fear from the outside world. I was destined to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, hand-in-hand, with 5478 other souls. Yet within this mass of humanity, I was looking for a person whom I could truly share this story with, who could fully appreciate and respect me for who I was and what I wanted to become.
The person would become...the one.
In my own words.
The city of Grozny, the region of Chechnya...it was supposed to be a place of peace, where life teemed freely about, showcasing a cultural awareness unlike anything in the world.
Yet when I was born, Christmas 1989, to a wealthy family...our Motherland started falling apart.
Despite the aura of "glasnost"--openness to the West--which had been permeating throughout the region, the economy was collapsing. The Communist regime, to which my parents were some of its strongest and most loyal supporters, was breaking apart as its once-mighty grip had begun to slip away. Here I was...destined to become part of the winds of change which had begun to blow from all sides.
Then...war came about, creating a level of chaos that I could never hope to imagine--nor do I wish to do so.
We were forced to flee to Germany when I was a small child, our home scorched by the Chechan rebels who never wanted to adapt to a new way of thinking. It was not easy growing up, for I had constantly dreamed about returning to the Motherland and resuming my parents' work. Yet when I realised it wasn't going to be possible, I had to learn to live with it.
I had to live my life on my own, yet deep down...I wanted to better myself in all things, making my family proud no matter how things turned out. I, thus, became an explorer--one that seeks out new lands and new peoples.
Yet someday...my wish is to settle down and learn what it takes to live a fruitful, honest life.
In the meantime, I found myself getting acquainted with this massive floating city, this MS Harmony of the Seas. As I stepped onto its Royal Promenade for the very first time, I becamed awed by its sense of scope and complexity, watching as a small group of passengers took in its various shops and restaurants that lined both sides. I couldn't help but smile at the scene, not even realising that the next fourteen days were going to change my life in more ways than one.
The Harmony was truly the ship where dreams came to life, where people from all walks of life could mingle together freely without fear from the outside world. I was destined to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, hand-in-hand, with 5478 other souls. Yet within this mass of humanity, I was looking for a person whom I could truly share this story with, who could fully appreciate and respect me for who I was and what I wanted to become.
The person would become...the one.
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Well howdy there pardner.