Randianne Leyshon is currently wading through icy puddles in Syktyvkar, the capital of the Komi Republic, a region in the northern reaches of Russia. She's a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, which, in addition to her regular teaching duties, allows her to discuss subjects like mail-order brides, the lack of a Russian word for "efficiency," and how much fast food Americans really eat. She dreams of living in St. Petersburg, eating pickled mushrooms, and writing for a Russophile publication.