nun's shake their booty's?

So, today was fun, but we not as fun as last night to be honest! It was still great though. For some strange reason, Annie and I woke up at SIX AM. We didn't go to sleep till about 1 something so we got 5 hours of sleep. It was probably because the sun was shining right in our eyes through the window cause we forgot to close the blinds... haha ooooops! So, we just kept trying to go back to sleep but did that work out? NO.

Annie and I aren't the only ones who live in the apartment, up until today it was us two, and then two other teachers from spring semester. But they left today! ANd our Head Teacher and two other girls moved into the apartment with us. Its a little complicated to explain but basically Annie and I finally got to unpack today and move into our room we share. The other girls came, unpacked and then we met up with two of the other teachers who live in Host Families! We all went to Maxima, the local grocery store just a 5 min walk from our apartment, to get lunch. On Saturday's and Sunday's the kindergarten doesn't feed us, and so we get to decide our own meals! Annie and I weren't really hungry cause for breakfast we had left over mac n' cheese and hot dogs... hahahaha sounds so gross, but it wasn't, we promise. We aren't even sure if they were actually hot dogs...I mean you gotta deal with what you get! Anyways, we got this bomb garlic bread, some fruit, and milka chocolate. If you have never had milka chocolate, I will bring you some home. JUST TELL ME AND I WILL. Seriously. Your life will be changed forever. Please tell me cause I want to change your life and make you the happiest person in the world.

After lunch we all talked and got to know each other a bit more. Then we moved onto the boring, yet fun stuff in a weird way... Lesson Planning! We don't start teaching till Monday but we need to plan everything and make sure we are ready to go Monday at 3:30! We teach Monday-Friday 3:30-7:30! I teach Elementary Level kids. There's actually 3 levels that I'm going to teach... oh boy. Level 1, 2, 3! I actually am teaching them spelling, math, science, grammar, writing, language arts, the whole big bang. It's a lot. It's easier than I thought, but it's just a lot to take in. The first week will be a little crazy and overwhelming but once we actually get into it, it'll be fine. We did that for a while cause our awesome sweet head teacher Shelbi, met with each girl and helped them learn how to make a lesson plan. She is honestly the best. I got soooo incredibly lucky with her being my head teacher! After all the lesson planning, two of the girls who live in Host Families hadn't been to Old Town yet so we decided to go there again, explore and grab some dinner too.

We literally ride the bus every where and its very nice and cheap too! Well, everything's cheap here. We got dinner at this thai "fast food" restaurant. It was THE BOMB. They thankfully spoke english there. Then, we walked some more and Annie and I got the best sorbet in the world. Oh my lanta. Apple and Mango flavor makes my taste buds do the happy dance. Also, I realize that I got this already yesterday but since its sorbet, it makes it healthier....right? Speaking of eating ice cream/sorbet, apparently american's eat very weird according to our friend Edgar, so watch how you eat people. You probably look disgusting. I'm kidding you're probably great looking. I mean who doesn't look beautiful while eating???? After we walked some more, Annie saw these girls selling cotton candy for 2 euros. So of course, she got some! I mean, it was HUGE cotton candy too! We then walked around this park and sat down to watch a water fountain show and guess what I saw... NUNS. I have never seen them before in real life... I got so stoked. Then, music started playing and one of them started dancing and shaking her booty!!!!!!! uhm, excuse me is that allowed?!?!? I get excited about the weirdest things...like seeing Nun's in real life. After that we were all so tired and ready to just relax. We have walked every where today and we're all still adjusting to the time difference. Tomorrow, we get to go to a Lithuanian branch and I am so so sooo stoked!

aren't we the cutest?

"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!