I'm a first-year grad student at UNC, where I'm working on my masters in Russian and East European Studies. I'm not sure what I want to do for a career, but I know I want it to involve Russia, so getting an MA in Russian studies was an obvious choice. It's a small department and it's tough to meet new people as a grad student, though, so I'm turning to the internet for help.

So, about me. I'm obsessed with Russia. I'm perfectly capable of talking about other things, but it'll probably come up once in awhile. I'm kinda weird...not in a socially uncomfortable way, but in that I get excited about things no one else does (Russia, for example). I thrive on spending time with friends, and my life is pretty much me biding my time until I can hang out with the people whose company I enjoy. I have a good sense of humor, and I believe that the secret to life is not taking anything, especially myself, too seriously. I'm still kind of new to Chapel Hill and haven't really explored everything there is to do around here, especially since I usually lack the people to do it with.

Music. My all-time favorite band is Flogging Molly. My tastes consist of the stuff everyone (or a lot of people, at least) likes (Clapton, the Ramones, Rolling Stones, etc) along with the stuff my other weird friends have turned me on to that no one else listens to (Decemberists and Gogol Bordello, for example). I'm looking through my iTunes playlist to try and find a common theme, but really, I like a lot of different stuff.

Personality is pretty much mandatory, so a first date would have to be something where I could get to know you. That would probably mean talking over either coffee or beer...both are good.