Hey, everyone,

I'm Anastasiya, aka Nastia. My story starts in a little town by the Black Sea: I was born in the Crimea (Ukraine) and it was until relatively recently that I couldn't imagine my life outside my home country.  Exemplary student at high school, I used to practice choreography and piano, dreaming to become a ballet dancer. After graduation , however, I decided to study languages, because our little province school provided me with only basic English. So, I finished high school when I was 17 and entered University in the nearest city, Sevastopol, to study English and Spanish. Why Spanish? Cause I've always been in love with Latin-American culture. In Sevastopol, I started living separately from my parents and here my student life began. 5 years in Sevastopol University were filled with trying out different activities (mountaineering, theatre, singing, playing guitar, dancing) and travelling in my home country. I was a member of the world's largest student organization AIESEC and participated in a number of development projects in Sevastopol.
I performed a leading role in the university's hip-hop dance group "Flash". We had several performances every month, and used to make some money from dancing at night clubs.  Apart form dancing, which has always been an integral part of my life, I can't imagine myself without travelling: I couldn't stay in the city for 2 weeks without getting itchy feet. I was a member of a tourist club and used to go hiking once every month. Even the severe weather conditions could not prevent me and my friends from spending several days in the mountains, sometimes sleeping in the caves with below zero temperatures. Although I didn't travel a lot outside the Ukraine (because for a Ukrainian student the chances to get Schengen visa are dance_groupalmost the same as chances to win a lottery!), I explored my home country and especially my beloved peninsula, the loveliest place on Earth! If you  need a guide on your visit to the Crimea (a guide who can speak English, Spanish, Russian, Ukrainian and hopefully in a couple of years German and French), there is Mercatorian girl from Ukraine, who would love to show you around. Besides, My home town is becoming well-known among people who like electronic music, because it's been almost 10 years since Popovka started to host Kazantip festival (www.kazantip.com) every summer. Being a permanent resident of Kazantip republic I got to know barmen and dj-s from Moscow and St. Petersberg and worked as a bartender  myself in the summer of 2008.

Studying foreign languages made me more and more excited about travelling abroad. But while for the majority of Jacobs students travelling to foreign countries is not an extraordinary experience, for me, whose parents have never been outside ex-Soviet Union, raised in a family of modest earnings, even a short trip to EU was as exciting as a trip to Mars! That's why when I went to the US after my junior year at the university on "Work and Travel" program, I couldn't believe I was going to leave my home for almost 4 months to work somewhere overseas. I spent 4 months working in Florida, the experience which irrevocably changed my plans for life. Not only  did I decide to study abroad, but I also realised that nothing is impossible.

This is how I found myself in Jacobs, studying for another BA, though this time in logistics. My new home, Mercator college, is both the place where I enjoy procrastinating with my friends and the "academic advising center" where I can always find people who can help me with my homework! There hasn't been a single moment since I arrived here that I didn't know what to occupy myself with. Movies, parties, CIDs, cheer-ups in the college office and just chilling with people from my floor - this is what Mercatorian life is all about. What I love about Jacobs is that even when you stay on campus the entire week-end it's never boring, there are always activities you can expose yourself to. Every single weekend I do something new. Apart from rowing practices on Sunday, there is always a new party, a new sport or cultural event I  participate in: International fair, Olympix, Jacobs run... and yeah, OLEYA-CHIKI-TANGA, Mercator has a very contagious spirit!!!!!!

Since I've never been to any international school before Jacobs, the experience from the very first day proved to be extremely overwhelming, exciting and challenging, but calm seas never make skillful sailors (William Shedd ) and I'm prety determined to become one!