Partly due to my own insecurities, it was a difficult two years to be a public person. I dealt with severe depression, divorce, the rather violent death of a friend, coming out of the closet (while afraid to be "out" in Russia - a notoriously horrible location for LGBT folk), and several rounds of discriminatory actions against me that left me quite helpless to address. All the while, I had a brutal international performance schedule, trips to the Emmy's and Grammy's, being offered a professorship (at the age of 27!), the Olympic experience, and other accolades like being named Distinguished Kansan of the Year last year by the Topeka Capital Journal. It was a difficult time to describe and live, and I was terrified of dealing with some of these issues in the public light, and it was impossible to avoid being a public person.
So, having settled into a "new normal" I want to take you through some of the moments that have dotted the last few months.
These balloons greeted me upon my arrival back at K-State on my office door - "Welcome Home Dr. Pinkall"
My new boyfriend Patrick and I visit the Varsity Donut food truck in Manhattan, KS (a foodie's dream!)
Patrick and I take little vacations nearly every week. Here we are at the top of the Liberty Memorial at the National World War I Museum overlooking Kansas City.
A visit to Kansas City's Union Station
My rather successful attempt at making my Volga German family's favorite dessert - Kuchen - pronounced by them as "Kooguh"
An hilarious hate mail letter sent to me from a pro-Russian person obviously angry that I commented on my poor treatment while in Sochi
A day in the park in Kansas City
On a trip to Western Kansas to teach a masterclass, I stopped in Victoria, KS at the Basilica of the Plains
A purple evening sky in Spring overlooking Anderson Hall at K-State