Michelle Kwan blogs for the U.S. Department of State 

I'm visiting three cities in Crimea now, I've got to say, I've had the warmest possible welcome wherever I've gone. This is pretty terrific, as there's not even an ice skating rink in this region! Last night we all went out for dinner (I'm traveling with a couple of people from the Embassy, my interpreter Sasha, and my manager Shep). The people at the restaurant heard us speaking in English, and the DJ played "America the Beautiful" over the sound system in our honor. I don't think they had any idea who was in the restaurant, just knew that it was a bunch of Americans. I've got to say, it both choked me up and made me a little homesick.

One thing that has really impressed me during my time in Crimea is the amount of diversity I'm finding. Yesterday we saw Livadiya Palace - home to the tsars, and site of the World War II Yalta Conference. Today I was at the home of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, as well as the Ukrainian fleet. I also got to tour the amazing Greek ruins at Khersones and the Tatar Khan's Palace at Bakhchsiray. The diversity of the places I'm visiting is reflected as well in the people that I'm meeting.

Michelle Kwan with students at School #3

Today I visited schools in Sevastopol and Bakhchiseray, in the heart of Tatar Crimea. School #3 is housed in a marvelous old building that has been a school for over 130 years. The kids in the auditorium gave me a truly raucous welcome. As usual, I was impressed by their level of English - they asked good questions and weren't the least bit shy.

Courtney, my Embassy colleague, thought the students in Bakhchiseray might be timid - she was wrong, they were among the most outgoing we've seen so far. The students here participate in a special English language program funded by the Embassy, and it's the really dedicated teachers and staff that have made the program work. What's especially interesting is that this afterschool program brings together children who speak Russian and Tatar at home, uniting them in their efforts to learn a foreign language.

Speaking of new experiences, which believe me, this trip has been full of, in Bakhchiseray I got to try Tatar cuisine. The school offered to feed us lunch today, and I'm glad we said yes. I had the tastiest salad (a crunchy cabbage salad), and a delicious soup. They also tried to get me to eat a rice dish called P'lov, but the first two courses filled me up.

Tomorrow we head to Odesa/Odessa (depending on which spelling you prefer).

Content was made available to the USOC by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Read more about Michelle's adventures in her role as an American Public Diplomacy Envoy.