I was born in the Russian Far East, on a controversial island of Sakhalin. The island belongs to the island chain on Russia's east coast which is disputed by Japan as theirs. Around 1950, the USSR colonized the second half of Sakhalin Island, as a result, many young people were sent or came to develop the island's economy. My parents were among these settlers. With training in music and railway engineering, they end up serving in the police and the military intelligence division – the KGB. Their career defined my early childhood. The Soviet army took our family across the mainland USSR and stationed us in many parts of the country, such as in the Ural Mountains and finally in central Russia, in the city of Ivanovo. All this taught me how to travel and adapt to a new environment early in my life. Historically, Russian intelligence and military officers are often the most educated people in Russia. For hundreds of years, they were part of the Russian elite – the Intelligentsia. My family was no exception. My parents taught me to love and respect books, science, technology and nature. Growing up, I spent sleepless nights reading books. My face was well known in local libraries. Eventually, local libraries weren't enough and I became the youngest reader to frequent the City Science library at age 9. I read everything I could get my hands on in the library reading room. To this day, I keep a large library of books in the house which I read daily with my daughter. The books helped me develop my interest in electronics and radio technology. During my studies, I developed practical knowledge of making a variety of electronic devices, from amplifiers to magnetic reel-to-reel tape recorders. O...... middle of paper ...... after a week, I was flying a plane to different locations while enjoying a bird's eye view and the freedom to go anywhere. I'm always amazed at how well developed civil aviation is in the United States and how addictive flying was for me. My work took me to California. Unfortunately, the carrier path I took has prevented me from flying for the last 2 years. Yet interest in aerospace technology is expressed through volunteering at events at air shows and aviation museums. During all these years, I have never lost contact with nature. Hiking and backpacking help me relax and overcome work-related stress. Here in California, I have hiked with my daughter in almost every park around here. So what's next? I think it would be scuba diving, ultralight flying, and volunteering with local/state parks to help with park maintenance after big cuts to the national parks budget..