[insert your life here]

You know what I did today!?

Ha! I went swimming in the Baltic Sea!!!

You would think after complaining about the cold all the time I wouldn't submerse myself in such torture but after the 120 degree celsius sauna... the ice bound waters of the Baltic are a blessing. So there I sat in bathing suit and board shorts making friends with the sweaty Lithuanian man in the speedo next to me. The sauna reeks of burnt salt and well baked human flesh. I would say I was well done; I was sweating on the inside. The run from the sauna across sand and ice was no challenge... submersing myself head to toe in the Baltic took some courage... and running back to the sauna after the dip was painful! Your feet turn to glass and shatter with each step! Then it's a few moments rest in the locker area and back into the sauna. Such good times!

Janis (pronounced Yawniss), one of the LCC students who hangs out with us study abroad kids to help us out and be our friend, told us that this was as close to Lithuanian culture as we could get! I believe him.

One more day till classes start!

Labas!

After a little craziness in Kobenhavn, Danmark, I made it to Vilnius with only minor injuries and all of my luggage. Since I have no regular sleep schedule, jet lag hardly affected me. That was quite the treat, I think.

After one day in Lithuania's capital city of Vilnius we (the study abroad studs) left for Klaipeda, our new home. We made a quick pitstop at Lithuania's original capitol city, Trakai. Here we got to check out this rad, old school castle that dates all the way back to the 13th and 14th centuries! I even saw the flooring from the 16th century. (mmm, nice dirt!). The castle of Trakai is on a little island surrounded by five beautiful lakes that just happened to be completely frozen today. After I got over the giddiness of seeing my first ever fully frozen body of water Adrianne took me for a walk on it. She jumped around a bit trying to freak me out... it worked.. and now I can say I have walked on a frozen lake! (2 points!)

oh! and I completed one of my pseudo-life-goals of meeting someone from Rhoade Island! My friend Dan (a fellow study abroad stud) is from the smallest united state which I did a report on with my lovely friend Bish in the fifth grade. He was quite impressed that we chose his home state, even though I didn't remember anything I learned about it except for the fact that you can cover it with several thousand metres of carpet.

And now we are finally in Klaipeda: my home for the next four months. It's freakin' cold and I wish I knew how to turn the heater up... hmm, in time.

The food (and fanta [just for you, fist-sa!]) have been great. I won't have to starve myself on bread. Yay! Though I may anyway just to save money for thrift stores and traveling. mmm hmmm!

Labanakt!