fish

Over the past couple weeks, the spa has become a frequent in my life. When I say spa, facials and massages might first come to mind, but what I am actually referring to is the classic European spa. (Remember the big outdoor spa I went to in Budapest? They are like that but smaller and indoor.) They consist of steam saunas, dry saunas, a large hot pool, and hot tubs galore. My host family knows how to make the most of cold weather days and has taken us to two different spas the past two weekends. I could go everyday, it's just the best.

 

all snug in the van on our way to the spa!

Some other simply significant moment were:

Pazookie night. You know, a pazookie..half baked chocolate chip cookie with ice cream on top..more deliciousness then anything you'll ever eat...Well, one night I made a giant Pazookie for the family and I don't think I will ever forget their reaction. Chocolate chip cookies aren't really a thing here, so I am pretty sure their minds were literally blown when they tried this sweet combination. They loved it. (and that might be an understatement) Since then we have made it once again and I'm sure there will be many times to come.

The fish frenzy. I haven't eaten a single bite of seafood the entire time I have been here up until two weeks ago.
The first helping of fish happened when helping with dinner one night, my host mom pulled out some raw, salted, fish that I really didn't want to eat. It started out as bread with butter and a little bit of fish on top. I told myself it was like eating sushi, (which I am not a fan of) and it honestly wasn't half bad. Almost good. Then we began to make the casserole of all casseroles. The first layer was the fish, second was beets..a lot of beets, third was mayonnaise, and fourth was hard boiled egg. (Who comes up with this stuff?)  It is not a meal I would ever request for anyone..but I figured this is why I came to Lithuania. I wanted to have a new experience, in a new culture, and do things outside my comfort zone. Besides, they eat it and are alive and happy and I'm in no ways better then them... so I had even had seconds! With the potatoes on the side, it honestly was pretty good.

The event above is nothing compared to this next dinner. Their Grandmother's birthday was on Sunday, so we celebrated at our house. It was a very fun time full of lots of food, magic tricks, and some live entertainment. But what started this night off was something no one could have prepared me for. I knew that someone was bringing fish..but I had no idea that it was a monster fish, straight from the lake, with eyes, and teeth and everything still in tact. It was all a blur. We sat down, they started cutting away at the fish, and before I knew it, a big slice was sitting on my plate in front of me. I didn't even have the opportunity to say no, but like I said before, it was a moment where I thought, I'm here, this is happening, might as well embrace it. This time the fish had been cooked. It was quite tasty really. It had been gutted, cooked, made into a casserole of sorts and re stuffed. I will say I didn't eat the skin, but I reached a whole new level of brave that night. I guess you could say that eating that monster fish made me a whole new person. I never thought I'd be eating anything like that. But, life is all about the experiences we have, and that was definitely one to add to the list.

this guy is always making me laugh

my sistas...cup song practice

So there really aren't many dull moments here. Teaching has become harder to make myself do each day, but at the same time, I've grown a lot more attached to the kids. They really can drive me crazy, but they are also hilarious. Toma and Maya always make me feel like an artist when they ask if they can take my crafts home. Nikita is impossible and runs out of the class at least 3 times every 25 minute rotation, but he makes the funniest faces. Artiom is the biggest jokester I have ever encountered and his laugh kills me. Nikole loves Kung Fu and could tell you stories for days and days... I wish I could fast forward to the future and see what happens in all of their lives, but I'm grateful that I get to be apart of it for the small time that I am.

Only one month left and time is, for the most part, flying. I am excited to be back with friends and family for the holiday's but I sure will miss Europe and my family here.
Eat something weird this week! I love you all.