Family
I am married and am a proud mother of two beautiful girls, ages 11 and 13. They both graduated elementary school with Golden Presidential Awards. They both play piano and are involved in extracurricular activities, which keeps me busy. I enjoy spending time with my family. Together we play board games and sports, travel, cook, watch TV and visit concerts and museums.
Traveling
I love traveling. My husband and I have traveled to more than 30 countries; my kids have visited 15 countries.
Before traveling, I research about the country, especially about its customs, culture and food. I read books to my kids to make sure they know more about the country they are about to visit. We also try to learn at least few words in a foreign language – just enough be polite and to ask for directions. Often I prepare my own travel guides with pictures and the history of the places we plan to visit.
Cooking/Baking
My passion for cooking came from my mother. She was an excellent cook and almost never cooked anything twice. She always tried to find new and exciting recipes. I particularly enjoy cooking as a family, especially if it’s recipe from a country we have just visited.
Cross-country skiing
Being born and raised in Siberia, Russia, my favorite winter pastime and sport is cross-country skiing. Unfortunately, my hometown of Westchester, New York does not always get enough snow to make cross-country skiing possible. But whenever we get the gift of deep snow, we go to Fahnestock park to ski until the park closes.
Knitting
Knitting is a craft that I love to do while watching TV. It gives me the feeling of doing something useful while watching a not-so-useful TV show. Sometimes my friends ask me to knit something for them. My recent creation was a sweater for a cute little dog. My daughters and my husband enjoy my hand-made sweaters, hats and scarfs.