Half empty or half full?

Labas :)

The past several weeks have been busy. I feel like my trip to Riga and Tallinn was so long ago, and my feelings of this place have fluctuated quite a bit. After I got back, things were a little weird. The honeymoon stage of just getting here, the excitement, the newness of Lithuania and being at LCC, was at the end of it's route. I was sitting in my TEIL Methodology class and my teacher was telling us the general phases of what it's like being in another country for a lengthy amount of time: honeymoon, hostility, humor, and home. I realized as soon as she said it that I was definitely in the hostility stage. I missed home and compared everything here to home; many of my thoughts were "I'm sick of going to the store every few days; I'm sick of 2-hole punch binders instead of 3; I miss Messiah's campus life; I miss my old roommates; I miss Eric; I miss Messiah soccer games; I miss getting to go to the gym for free; I miss the computer labs being open 24/7."

I also had my first Tri-S group... Soup, Sustenance, and Spirituality. This is designed for the study abroads to go to a North American home to have some good food and talk. I am with a Canadian couple, Andrew and Alene, who have two adorable little girls, Charlotte (3 years) and Paige (1 1/2 years). It was a good time, and we actually had beans, chicken and mashed potatoes. We got to talk about what we like and don't like, what our strengths and weaknesses are in being in a foreign country, etc. I realized that one of my weaknesses is the ability to fail -- being okay with not meeting my standards.

I realized this this week. I just finished midterms and next week is Fall Break. I had a couple midterms (in Linguistics and Conflict Analysis) as well as a 5-minute presentation in Lithuanian, talking about mano šeima (my family). Besides midterms, every week I teach at Green Hill. I am up to 2 lessons observing and 2 lessons teaching. This week was the second time I felt stressed out here (which is so wonderful compared to at home when I feel like it's more frequently). I felt sick a bit and mainly it was nerves about my midterms. Now that they're over, I realized I can't do anything about it. I did what I could, and I know I need to work a little bit harder to get the grades that I want.

Vilma and I are getting along better and better. I absolutely love rooming with her. We go to the gym a lot together, and during the weekday there are people from Klaipeda who come work out, most of the time being really macho men, so it's really funny for us to be working out next to them. On Wednesday night I had a really bad headache and we weren't too interested in studying (while Laura and Benita were in the other room very focused). We decided to take a walk, and opened up a little more to each other. It was really nice. We even had some fun and banged on Laura and Benita's window (since we are on the first floor) just to scare them. They didn't like it too much though. ;) Also, Vilma and I are going to Brussels, Belgium November 20-22. :)

In other news, teaching is going really well. I observe/teach 2 classes in 9B and 2 for 9C. It's about 25-30 students, and I know all their names now. :) Inga and I are very different from each other, which is a challenge but we are working at it. There is always positive and negative things, but our strengths balance each other out. I can tolerate the boys much better, and she can tolerate the girls. The past two weeks we started a new unit in weather conditions, landmarks, and places. This week went really well.

Digital Photography is going MUCH better also. A couple weekends ago I traveled to Šiauliai for an all-day photography excursion. I was not in the least bit excited... I was pretty much dreading it. However, the day was a success, and I got to know some of the students in my class, as well as my professor better. We went to the Hill of Crosses which was SO amazing. Back in Soviet times, it was bulldozed over, but Lithuanians still put up their crosses. We also went to Vilius Orvidu's old house, which is a farmland but he died; there are a lot of statues of Mary there, and actually his mom still lives there and I got to see her! I got some great shots of a wedding, too... very beautiful. That Monday, I talked to Dalius (the study abroad director) about my photography class, and he gave me some great advice not to take some of the comments so personally. Ever since then I have enjoyed the class so much more.

Oh, the Phillies are going to the World Series. I hate missing all the games and I can't even watch the games online because I'm not in the U.S. The games are next weeks... right when I'll be in Russia.

So. Russia. We leave tomorrow at 9am. We will go to Riga and eat there, and in the evening catch the train to Moscow. It takes 19 hours, so it's an overnight train with bunk beds! My first thought-- Harry Potter. I'm really excited. We'll arrive Sunday afternoon. We're going to the circus, and other museums. We're staying in Moscow until Tuesday afternoon, where we'll take a 5 hour train to St. Petersburg and stay until Saturday night. We'll be going to St. Basils, as well as see a ballet and opera (to see Swan Lake and The Barber of Seville)!!! I am really excited. It will be good to be off from school. When I first looked up the dates to this trip, we would've been there during my birthday, but we get back on November 1. The next weekend I'm planning on being with my roommates, and I think having a potluck in my pod kitchen. :) I've already gotten 3 cards (from Mom, Soren, and the N.C. Honeys) as well as a package from Granny. :)

The play is coming along nicely... I don't have too many lines, and I'm realizing that now as I go to practice and I watch for 3/4 if not all of the time. It can be frustrating because I do have work to do on those nights, but it is great getting to know the other actors. We open 2 weeks after I get back from Russia.

Thanks if you've been praying for me... it really has been a blessing being here, especially because I haven't been worried or stressed out so much. Making friends is getting better, although Vilma is probably my closest European friend. Tonight we are having dinner with another friend, Sheban. I've started to think of my time when I get home... I've moved on from that hostility stage and am enjoying my time again. I am trying to think of the glass half full in that I've had 2 amazing months here, and I want to live it up to the fullest because I have less than 2 months left.