puppy love

First things first, meet my new best friend.

Real time. He's sitting with me now as I write this blog post.

We got a dog! Meet Pinkis. Also known as, pinky. (Sometimes we just get stuck with awful names I guess) This Wednesday I found out my host family was taking in a dog for a couple of months, and I just knew my life was changed forever. Pinky is such a chill dog, with the cutest ears and most hilarious teeth. We're already the best of friends, so really now how am I ever supposed to leave Lithuania?

the two cutest things you'll ever see

It was a slower week than usual which was a nice little break from all the adventuring. The weather was also pretty nice, a solid 55 sometimes close to 60 F. I spent one afternoon reading a book by this beautiful lake behind our apartment. I just have to recommend this book to everyone real quick. It's called Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer. I have already read all of the books that I brought out here, but one of the previous teachers left it here so I thought I'd give it a look. Seriously, haven't been able to put it down. There's a movie too that I have yet to watch, but the book is written so beautifully and has some rad thought. Check it out. Anyways, this lake is full of swans and lily pads and it is also the lake that I run around every morning with my host sister, host dad, and the newest runner, Pinky! Beautiful for real.

 

Teaching's been alright. Some kids drive me crazy, but they also make me laugh a lot. They love listening to music on my phone, and every time we do an activity involving food. so I guess you could say we all relate quite easily.

Yes, that IS a mop on her head

Helping me with lesson plans

This weekend we went to The Republic of Uzupis with our Lithuanian friend Luiza. Uzupis is a tiny Republic within Vilnius. It is the coolest little artsy, bohemian, area with sculptures and street art all around, complete with it's very own constitution. The constitution says things like, "Everyone has the right to love and take care of a cat." "Everyone has the right to realize his negligibility and magnificence." "Everyone has the right to cry." "Everyone has the right to understand." "Everyone has the right to understand nothing." (If you want to read the whole thing click here http://www.vug.lt/comenius-projektas/99-uupis-is-republic-in-republic- ) It's just all too great. We also climbed Gediminas tower, which is the last remaining part of the upper tower in Vilnius. It is basically the trademark of Vilnius, and at the top you can see all of Old Town on one side, and all of New Town on the other. So pretty, especially with the all of the changing trees.

My future home

Fall is pretty pretty

I live here.

So all is well in good old Lith. I'll leave you with the most prime picture of Pinkis' face, which also just about sums up how I constantly feel about my European life.

addict

Last weekend was one giant gateway drug into what I can already see being a lifelong addiction to travel. A four day weekend allowed us to explore the Baltic States, which are extremely underrated. Thursday night, after teaching, we caught a night bus to Tallinn Estonia. I must have slept a majority of the almost 9 hour bus ride because time flew by. We arrived in Tallinn around 7 am, trekked to our hostel, dropped off our packs, freshened ourselves right up, and made our way into town. When I say "into town," I mean we just stepped outside our door because our hostel was in prime location of Tallinn's breathtaking Old Town. A breif shout out to our hostel real quick, it was a dream. It's called, The Munk's Bunk, and it has a cool staff from all over the world, a great vibe, and a chill common room that made meeting people so easy.
I don't really know how to put my experience of Tallinn into words. It was the coolest, most unreal place I have ever had the pleasure of being. I know I will probably say that about someplace else in the near future (more travel plans are in the works) but at this point, Tallinn is the winner. First of all, the city itself possessed a perfect little European fairytale atmosphere, while maintaining an incredibly hip and trendy vibe at the same time. Tallinn attracts people from all over Europe who are learning (or know) English, and all anyone wants to do is meet people. (and drink) I guess coming from Lithuania, where eye contact gets you death glares and a casual hello between strangers is not a thing, helped in making Estonia seem like the nicest place on Earth. But I actually really do think it might be in the running anyways. I think I could walk the streets of Old Town Tallinn for the rest of my life. We rode a Ferris wheel, climbed Olav's Tower, (which was at one point the tallest building in the world) and went into a zillion cool shops. I fell more in love with the buildings, colors, and history with every turn.

Ferries wheel was a great idea

Met back up with the Baltic Sea

There was an antique store on every other street, I must've entered 10 of them...my dream.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral--the most beautiful church I've been in yet

 

Tallinn, Estonia

So the buildings and physical features of Tallinn still haunt my daydreams, but it is all of the people I was able to encounter and friends I had the pleasure of making that made the whole trip something that I had been waiting my whole life for. I became friends with a hilarious Slovenian, a chill German, some hip Spaniards, the drunkest of Australians, and the coolest Greeks. Despite all our differences, I was able to find so many similarities and connections. I obviously can't shut up about this kind of thing, but honestly finding universal characteristics in human beings, regardless of race, language, religion, culture, etc., is the most wonderful thing in my world. I loved getting to know new friends from all over the world. The hostel scene is my paradise.

 

We left Tallinn on Sunday morning and caught a bus to Riga, Latvia. Also on the Baltic Sea, also full of so much beauty. I have to be honest though, it did not live up to Tallinn for me. We spent half of Sunday and half of Monday wandering Riga. I kept hearing the best music in cafe's, and antique shops we stopped at. I just hope Europe realizes how cool it is. ha. So we made the journey home Monday night and it's safe to say we were all dead tired. Worth it.

The view from my bed at the hostel in Riga

Riga, Latvia

Going back to teaching was rough after the vacation, but the kids were excited to see us which was kind of a surprise, and completely an awesome thing. I think I feel confident enough to say that I might actual be doing okay with this teaching business...maybe. Props to all the teachers out there, it is so much work for real. Oh, one of the cool things about coming back to Lith was that I kept saying, we're going home, or we're almost home. Who would've ever thought I'd call little Vilnius, Lithuania home?! (For the record, I still have not found a better cook than my own mama, and I have not replaced my home, I simply added another to my world) 

So time is doing what it does best...flying by. I am so happy, and so in love with travel.

I love all y'all back in the States so much. Keep it fresh

 

The Ferris wheel was one big, freak out/laugh fest.

Don't let his face fool you, the guy seriously LOVED us.