"Laba Dienna"

Well, I've officially been here for two days! Today we had our welcome meeting, orientation and more training. It was a lot of information to take in, but I'm excited! We start teaching the kids on Monday! I will be working with the "elementary" level kids which is about 2nd-3rd grade ages but they could also be up to age 11. It honestly all depends on their level, not their age.

The food I had today was good, but I mean not the greatest. It was definitely different. Very small portion sizes and loooooots of butter on food. We eat food at the kindergarten school and the cooks don't speak a lick of english. They're very scary Russian women. Annie and I walked in, and say "Laba Dienna" which means good day. They just stare at us.... we grab the food and its bland oatmeal, a banana and these coconut croissants (which are actually the BOMB. SO GOOD!!!) We ate it cause we were starving but, honestly it wasn't bad. 

Then, we went to the school and had a bunch of information given to us about training, lesson plans, the kids, everything. We got to meet the other girls in my group too! They're the sweetest. Dima, our local coordinator is the best. He is SOOOO funny and so incredibly sweet too. He was showing us where the bathrooms were, to Annie and I, and he goes "do you have medicine?" and we were confused and said "what?" and he says, "you know, for stress medication, shock, you know, cause the bathrooms are very ugly. If you don't come back in 30 minutes we will go find your bodies"..The bathrooms were scary, but it was totally fine! It was better than our apartment bathroom with the fact that you could flush the toilet paper down the toilet!!! Yes, in my apartment I live in, the pluming is so bad that we cannot flush ANYTHING down the toilet. Yuck, I know. But, hey, you gotta live with what you are given! I am just grateful I am here!! We also learned more about the culture here and everyone basically hates you unless you say hi to them first. So we have to say Hi, or "Laba Dienna" to everyone or they'll think we are stuck-up and rude. It is a very different culture here that is for sure! 

Then it was lunch time and we went to the kindergarten again to get food. Annie and I were so nervous to see the women again after our experience at breakfast. I especially was so awkward that I just kept saying "Laba Dienna" "Laba Dienna" "Laba Dienna" and forgot to say thank you which is pronounced like "achoo". So, the cooks just kept saying it back and laughing at me. I basically just kept saying "Hi hi hi hi". Then our friend goes "say thank you!!!!" So for lunch, we had this soup that was just straight up butter and potato shavings. I didn't eat any soup. Then we also had potatoes and meatballs which were delicious!!!! After that we had a break so we went back to our apartment and just hung out. Later on we went to the school and watched the concert they were putting on from the previous semester, it was so adorable and fun! They sang all these different "american songs". After that we met up with these kids who's parents are friends with Dima, our local coordinator. They took us around to city center and old town.

City Center and Old Town is soooooo beautiful! We just walked around and all the buildings and colors are just so pretty! I love it. We got dinner at this pizza cafe place which was, THE BOMB. Also, everything is incredibly cheap here. I got a pizza that had peaches on it... weird I know but, it was so delicious!!!!! Then we got ice cream at this ice cream shop and it was so good too. I got apple and mango sorbet. It was the bomb. My mouth was in heaven. All we did was walk around, talk and take pictures  It was just a fun day and I loved it :) I can't wait to see what we do today!

I'm alive and exhausted but I'm alive!!!

So, I made it to Lithuania!!!!! I'm here in this beautiful country! It was definitely different trying to figure out where to go in the airport. Culture shock hasn't really hit me seeing how I've only been here for 3 hours. But, I know it will.

My plane rides were okay! My first one was terrible. I get horrible motion sickness and didn't take dramamine till later on cause I completely forgot (my fault) and I ended up puking 3 different times the first flight.... yippie! But, once I got off the plane, walked a bit, ate something, drank fluids and took more dramamine ON TIME, I felt a million times better.

I ended up meeting up with another one of the girls in my group at JFK! That was really comforting for me to have someone else with me on my long flight from JFK to Helsinki. Also, that plane was HUGE! It was super nice too. I had an isle seat all three plane rides which I like cause I can stretch my legs out when I need to. Also, I swear that airplane leg room is getting smaller. Anyways, we got dinner served to us, there were a bunch of movies we could watch, blanket, pillow and headphones. I slept for a lot of it, but of course I'm still exhausted and look like I got hit by a bus. For dinner we had teriyaki chicken, rice and veggies. Then, a small salad, roll and some water! Then in the morning, we got served breakfast which was just this little small breakfast sandwich. The plane ride was great though! I sat next to the sweetest old lady. She talked a lot especially when I was trying to watch my movie....sometimes I hate when people do that on planes (never stop talking) but she was too sweet that I couldn't be rude!

My last plane ride was good, short and I had no one sitting next to me!!!! Yes!!!!! It was 1 1/2 hours long so I took another nap. I am going to fall asleep soooooooo early tonight. Its hard adjusting to a 10 hour time difference! I didn't realize how jetlag can really hit you hard. This is my first time every flying out of the country. So, I'm doing a lot of "first's" which is fun :)

Once we arrived at the airport, our local coordinator Dima picked me and the other girl, at the airport. I swear, people smoke cigarettes a lot more here than they do in Washington!! We stepped outside of the airport and everywhere we looked at least 5 people were smoking. That's something that's different. Anyways... off topic... hahaha Dima is so sweet! He bought me ice cream, a candy bar and a big water bottle to have. He definitely makes us feel so welcomed and wants us to know that we can contact him whenever we need to.

While we were driving to my apartment where I'll be living I noticed how beautifully green it is here. Everything is very compact and tiny parking spaces. This country is very much more on the "poor" side. Theres graffiti on the walls of some buildings but I guess they don't mean anything (gangs, ect.) People drive really fast here too! They're crazy! It is also very hot and veryyyyy humid here. I've already been here 3 hours and I just wanna go explore! Even though I feel like I could fall asleep any minute. I cannot wait to experience new things these next 4 months :) I'm grateful I had a safe flight and that I have this amazing opportunity to give back. I can't wait to share everything with all of you as well!

Stay tuned ;)

TAYOR SWIFT: 1989 WORLD TOUR SEATTLE, WA

Natalie and I are obsessed with Taylor Swift, especially her new album, 1989. We literally listened to it all the time fall semester and especially winter semester when we lived together. Just ask any one of our friends. We LOVE her. So, when we heard she was coming to Seattle, we kept telling each other we had to go. It was a must, there was no way we can miss it, and every thing in between. Well... the concert was sold out. We said, we still had to find a way to go. We couldn't miss it, it would be perfect to go right before I leave for Lithuania (3 DAYS AHHHH!)

Well, we would look online and tickets were expensive. The concert was sold out so people were raising the prices of their tickets trying to make some money. We kept putting it off and putting it off, thinking prices would go down. They kind of were, but not really. So, then I decided I should try to win some! I entered as many contests as I could, but I didn't end up winning. Its Monday the week of the concert, and still no tickets. But... a friend of mine on facebook (THANK YOU AGAIN!), was selling six tickets, I only needed two. I messaged her as fast as I could, I bought them for an amazing price and they were FLOOR SEATS. I called Natalie and we literally went nuts. We did it, we were going to see Taylor Swift and have amazing seats, be able to see her so well and just have the best time ever. This was both Natalie and I's first time seeing Taylor live in concert, and we were so excited. 

I've always loved Taylor Swift, but, after seeing her live, my love grew 100000x more! She is so funny, real, honest, and an amazing performer! If anyone ever talks bad about her, you know I will back her up. hahahah Natalie and I had the TIME OF OUR LIVES. We kept saying 

"oh my gosh, she's flawless."

"she is fearless. "

"Oh, she's so funny."

" Oh, I want to be her" 

We probably annoyed everyone around us, but we could care less. Her opening acts were Shawn Mendes and Vance Joy! So amazing. THEN, she had Ciara and Russel Wilson come and surprise everyone too!!!! We had the best time ever and that's all that matters. It was a dream and I am so so sooo grateful I got to go with my best friend. 

Taylor, you are amazing and put on a fantastic show. THANK YOU FOR THE BEST NIGHT EVER!

WAITING IN LINE FOR TSHIRTS

Ragnar 2015: CHECK!

Well, last weekend I finished my second year of Ragnar and LOVED it! It was so deadly hot though compared to last year, but it was still worth every mile ran, every tear shed and every hour of sleep lost. This year, I did the same exact legs as I did last year. I ran a total of 22 miles again and I'm glad I did. I pushed myself, and had an amazing time. It was hard because I felt a little dehydrated on my first run, and realized that I should've drank a lot more water before it than I did. But, you make mistakes and you learn from them! My second leg had the most amazing sunset for the first mile-second mile. Then, the rest was in the dark! I wasn't as scared as I was last year thank goodness! It's probably because I knew what was coming. My last leg was HARD! Those hills are killer man, but the view is worth it. Overall, it was hard but I cannot wait for next year! I love my team and I love running! Ragnar 2016, I'm coming for you!!!! .... Training starts now right? ;)

Sunset on my second run!

EIGHTEEN DAYS.

You're probably wondering what's in 18 days. Well, I leave for LITHUANIA IN 18 DAYS!!! I cannot believe how fast its coming. I'm scared, nervous, excited, worried, happy, and everything in between!!! I feel like before I know it, I'll be getting on the plane bright and early heading out to a new adventure, living in a different country with girls I've never met for 4 months!!!! It's exciting and new, but I know this is something I need to do, and something I'll never forget or regret.

I've been working on my online training, and its a lot to taken in but so exciting! The way I'll be teaching is not like traditional teaching. I'll be teaching more by actions and objects and having the kids repeat things, describe them and really help them learn the language in a more natural way. I've also gotten my flight plan it makes everything else seem more real. 

I know before I know it I'll be starting to pack and then I'm gone. Heck, the next time I post on here, I'll probably be IN the country! I can't wait, and I'll keep this blog updated more than I have this summer. I can't wait for the experience, memories, and friends I'll make! 

Rexburg: my home away from home

If you were to ask me if I loved Rexburg, I'd tell you no. Most of the time when I'm at school, I complain about it a lot.. maybe its the terrible weather, or even the fact that I hate how small it is. But if you were to ask me tonight if I miss it.. I'd say heck yeah!

I think, I don't miss the town itself... I miss the things about it. It's funny how true the statement is, you don't realize how important something is until you don't have it anymore, or something along those lines. I'm really trying to be more appreciative of the things I have in my life and one of those things, is my lovely tiny home away from home: Rexburg, ID

I think the things I miss most are:

-The school

Now you're probably thinking I miss the school work, heck no I don't! But I miss the atmosphere of the campus. The feeling of safety I have as I walk to and from my classes. The importance of intertwining the gospel and our education. The religion classes. The small class sizes. Whenever you walk past someone, I can guarantee that 8 times out of 10 someone will either: smile, wave, or say hello to you. Now, if that does not make your day a tiny bit better, you need to wake up on the right side of the bed. However, don't get me wrong, sometimes it really caught me off guard or annoyed me when someone said "HELLO" at 8 am in the morning when I'm still half asleep walking to class. I really miss how beautiful the campus is during Fall. The colors of the trees and just everything.. so breath taking! Not only that, but YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE THE TEMPLE FROM ANYWHERE ON CAMPUS. Oh, and the school gym, it was free and who doesn't love that?

-my roommates/friends:

I got insanely lucky with my roommates Winter semester. How is it not fun to live with some of your best friends? You always have someone to hang out with. Granted, I was taking killer classes last semester so I really didn't socialize as much as I could've but, I still had a good time. I loved living with Natalie in the Willows. I loved all of my roommates and I miss them every day. Also, how great is it that you live so close to all your friends? I mean, all our guy friends lived a 5 min drive away and 15 min walk! We literally went to Zeek's so much, ate way too many fries, had too much ice cream, drive in movies, friday dates with Natalie, donated plasma, random photoshoots, and one time, we literally order 4 PIZZAS ON ACCIDENT! Ok, lemme tell you how it was on accident. So, I was walking home from giving plasma and of course I was starving. So I ordered Natalie and I a pizza. I called her and she told me she ordered a pizza. Then, I found out Taxx and Zander each ordered a pizza. We had four flipping pizzas. It was so funny.


Now, I still don't really LOVE Rexburg, but I had a great year there last year. I think I'm slowly starting to like it more. I am trying to really appreciate it and love it for what it has to offer! Sometimes you got to make the best out of what you have. Be grateful. It really is an amazing school, and place if you have the right mindset. Be appreciative for the little things in life, even the little town of Rexburg, ID.

ROOMMATES FALL 2014

BEST ROOMMATES EVER (WINTER 2015)