52.

52. That's the number of hours I spent on buses in 9 days. I have become a pro at riding them. And after all that time on buses with my butt continually going numb, my flights home in 6 weeks are going to be a piece of cake. 

Prague. 

I love you. 

You stole my heart last year and you haven't given it back. I think you'll hold it captive forever. 

We got to Prague, Czech Republic Sunday morning at 3:45 AM. We weren't really thinking about how early we would be getting in when we got our tickets so we didn't have a place to go. We hadn't slept in an actual bed since Thursday night and we just wanted to sleep. So, at 4 AM, we wandered around Prague trying to find a lace to sleep. Luckily, we found a place that had 5 open beds and we got to shower and sleep for a few hours. I was put in a room with two other random girls and I never actually met them. That's a strange thought to me. 

We checked out of that hostel and went to the hostel we had originally booked. We had called a taxi to take us there since it was a couple of miles away, and the taxi driver was so cute! There were five of us and only four seats, so he had Hayden put her head down so no one would see. At one point Hayden put her head up, and of course when she did that, there happened to be a police officer behind us. He didn't see her thank heavens, but our cute driver pointed out that the police were behind us and then turned a corner and he just laughed and laughed. He was such a funny guy! 

We wandered around Prague all afternoon, only going back to the hostel for food. It was so nice being able to walk around a city I was familiar with. So many memories came flooding back to me. 

We walked up to Prague castle and happened to stumble upon some sort of military thing that was happening. The soldiers were all marching and it was really neat to see. Not to mention all the guys in uniform did not look bad at all. 

There were also some big military trucks and tanks that were on display so we got to take a look at those. We were passing by one and there was a guy inside and we communicated with him using gestures with our hands and he used the gun thing to talk to us. It was hilarious! 

Most of our time in Prague was spent walking around and exploring places. It is such a beautiful city. I don't think I could ever get enough of it. 

While walking around we saw quite a few street performers. Two of them were named Chicken Joe and Salsa Sarah. They were definitely the most colorful. He was wearing a kilt and had pierced nipples. He also laid on a bed of glass while Salsa Sarah hula hooped on him. Along with them we also saw a band that was playing and they were so great! It was mostly bagpipes and drums, but I loved the music. 

Oh, I can't forget Charles Bridge! It has great views and always has so many vendors with amazing art and jewelry. 

We went on a ferry boat tour so we got to see the view from the river which was really neat, too. 

Overall, Prague was a great trip. I never thought I would be going there twice in my life. I thought one time would be it. I'm so grateful I had the chance to go again. The only thing I wish could be different would be for my family to be there with me. And no, that's not just a suck up comment. That's an honest statement. Hopefully one day we can all come back together. 

Budapest.

We left Prague early in the morning and headed for Budapest. It was a pretty long bus ride, but since it was during the day I got to see all the beautiful landscape of the countries. We drove through Slovakia to get there, so despite not actually staying there for a substantial amount of time, I am still going to say that I have been to Slovakia. I mean, after all, I did drive across the country so I got to see many different parts of it. 

Budapest was HOT. I could not believe it. Last year when I was there at the same time of year, it was freezing. We always said that nothing will ever be Budapest cold. Luckily since it was warm, we got to enjoy it more. 

After finding and checking in to our hostel we walked around for awhile. We found a mall and just kept turning down random streets wandering. We walked past one store and I looked in and saw a man wearing a shirt that said South Alabama on it. I had a mini freak out because we were in HUNGARY and this guy had on a shirt that said Alabama on it. Just a little cool. No big deal. Anyway, we ended up finding a little park that had a mini zip line in it. And of course, we had to try it. So we all took a few turns, trying not to let our butts hit the ground because it was meant for kids, and we weigh just a little more than kids. I ended up getting a massive bruise on my leg from the chain. But that's okay. I don't regret it. 

We had met some people at our hostel when we arrived, and when we were cooking dinner we met some more. We all decided to go to a bar to listen to some jazz later. The music was awesome! Although it kind of lulled me to sleep. It was a good time.

The next day I wasn't feeling too well so I stayed at the hostel while the other girls went to the thermal baths and walked around the city. I hung out with the people at the hostel the whole day. At one point I tried to go find the girls with another girl I met in the hostel from Indiana, who just moved to Budapest, named Kathryn. We walked along the river to the Parliament building, then crossed the river and made a loop back. It was such a gorgeous walk! Budapest really is a gorgeous city. Then I just stayed in the hostel the rest of the night talking with all of the people that were there. There were people from the US, Australia, England, Scotland, Singapore, and Norway. I seriously laughed until I cried hanging out with all of them. That was the first time I have truly laughed since I left home. It felt fantastic!

Vienna.

The next morning we left for Vienna. It was a little sad to be leaving all those fantastic people behind, but I couldn't be too sad because it was Halloween and we were going to Vienna, Austria!

We got to Vienna early in the day. We checked in to our hostel, had some lunch, and explored the city. I had only spent an afternoon there the last time I was there, so I wasn't too familiar with everything, but then when we got to the places I had seen before it brought back the great time I had last year. Almost getting left in Vienna last year was hilarious. Mostly because we didn't get left. But the memories of that city are some of the best. It really made me miss some of my best friends that were there with me last year.

Anyway, we took a little rest before we hit the city for Halloween night. Then we were off to see if we could find anything fun to do. We ended up walking around for a long time seeing if there was anything that caught our eye. At one point we walked down a street and I heard "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock playing in a bar. Well, really all I heard was the line "Singing sweet home Alabama all summer long" and after that I made a bee line for the door. All five of us walked right in and that bar was poppinnn. Well, kinda. There were mostly old people there. And it was pretty small. But people were dancing and singing so we just jumped right in. We all started singing and dancing too! We eventually made it to some stairs and they became our stage. At the end of the song we were applauded by everyone and then we left. It was definitely the highlight of the night. 

The next morning when we went to checkout, I saw someone I recognized. One of the Australians, Cuan, who I had become friends with in Budapest was also at our hostel! It was such a random coincidence. I was so glad I was able to talk to him for a little while. I thought it was good-bye for good in Budapest. I love it when things like that happen.

Turns out that the day after Halloween is All Saints Day. So everything in Vienna was closed. Seriously, everything. Only a few souvenir shops and some restaurants were open. That gave us the chance to go see all the beautiful buildings, though, without being distracted with shopping. It was really a great day. The city is gorgeous! I really had a great time taking it all in. 

We ended up having gelato and brautwurst for lunch. Which is something I will never complain about. They were both delicious!! 

We eventually made it back to our hostel to have dinner and get our luggage to head on back home. 

Of course, since we had some time between dinner and the time our bus left, we made one last "into the city" run. We ended up stopping at McDonald's, of course, and getting ice cream. I don't even want to think about the amount of ice cream I ate on this trip. Most of it coming from McDonald's. But that's okay.

This was a fun vacation. I'm glad I had the chance to go. I never ever would have thought a year ago while visiting these cities that I would be back in just a year. It's fantastic that I was given this opportunity again. 

I will make it back to these cities again someday.

I'm determined.

And one thing that I have learned, is that when I put my mind to something and decide I want it to happen, it happens. 

i can't believe it.

I turned 20.

I guess it was inevitable. That's what happens. People grow up. Get older. Die. Maybe I went a little too far with the dying comment. But it does happen. No one can live forever in this mortal state. 

I was pretty much dreading turning 20. I was terrified to leave my teenage years. They were so great. I could be responsible yet still be able to get away with screwing up because I was still a teen. Turning 20 changes everything. I can't get away with nearly as much any more because I am now in my twenties. I'm expected to be responsible and not make dumb decisions. Not to mention all the things that typically happen in your twenties. Like graduating college. Graduating graduate school. Finding a real job. Getting married. Having babies. Oh my goodness brain overload. It's insane for me to think that a lot of this will happen in the next 10 years. 

Being a teenager was so simple. I'm going to miss it. I had my moment of silence for all those great years. 

I will survive.

It's a new chapter in my life.

I'm ready to embrace my twenties. 

Moving on, teaching is going great still! I seriously love that I get to interact with all the kids. I care about all of them so much! I had a dream that I had to leave Lithuania six weeks early for some reason and I was just crying and crying because I missed the kids so much. That's pretty much what happened when I left Ukraine and I didn't have nearly as many kids to miss there. So I know leaving here is going to be extremely difficult. 

I think the elementary kids are the most entertaining to engage in conversation. They speak the best out of all the kids because they have been in the program the longest. I love spending time with them even though some of them drive me up the wall. They're still hilarious and I have become pretty good friends with a few of them. And they take great pleasure in ganging up on me and tickling me. But what can I say, when I leave here I am really going to miss
that. 

The primary and basic reading kids are so fun to be around! They always have a ton of energy and most of them want to learn. Sometimes it is hard to get them speaking, but when they do speak most of the time it is very clear. It's so great to see how much they have all progressed in the past few weeks. It's crazy to think that we have seen most of them every weekday since we have been here.

The pre-k kids are definitely the most adorable. They don't re
ally speak English at all, but it is so fun to watch them. They try to sing our songs and they do all the motions. Their parents help them say the words in English that we want them to say and when they do speak, they do it so clearly! Not to mention they are all awesome high fivers and there is one boy who always runs to give all of us a hug whenever he sees us. They're just so precious. 

I really do love being a a part of the International Language Program. It's such a great way to experience different cultures and see different countries while teaching adorable kids that might drive you insane, but you find a way to love them anyway. 

Oh, and if you want to see a fantastic video made by one of my best friends for my birthday, click here! You will not regret it. I promise. I laughed and cried and laughed some more.

taken 3.

Last week was full of teaching. As always. I don't think anything too exciting or different happened. Except that one of my teachers got sick, so I had to teach for her. It was actually really nice to teach again after not teaching for 10 months. I've missed that interaction with the kids. 

 My time here has been so different than Ukraine. It's been a lot harder for me for many different reasons. I love this country and everything that it offers, and I will never regret the decision of coming here. It has taught me a lot. Lessons that I might not have ever learned if I hadn't come here. So I will always be grateful for that. But Ukraine will forever have my heart.

Saturday we got to go to Uzupis. It is a country within Vilnius. It a tiny little place, but they have their own constitution and everything! It's actually pretty funny. It was such a neat experience to go there. They had some very interesting art in the gallery that they have there. Some of the paintings I really liked, but then there were some that disturbed me enough that I could have cried. But I can't really judge art that I don't understand. To someone it could be beautiful.

After we walked around Uzupis for awhile, we walked down this tiny street that had walls covered in graffiti that lead us to the end of Uzupis and to a beautiful park in Vilnius. We cut through the park to get to a tower that used to be part of a castle. The castle had been built on a huge hill so that it would be hard for enemies to reach it. This hill basically went straight up. It would be pretty hard to climb. When we got to the top we had a gorgeous view of the city. I had never seen the skyline of Vilnius but I loved it! I could see all the colors  of fall, the red roofs of Old Town, and the vibrant people who make this city exciting. 

Our friend, Luiza, was the one taking us on this tour of Uzupis and up to the tower. Luckily for us, Luiza is not only awesome because she is Luiza and so much fun, but she also has connections. We were able to get free Mexican food from our favorite Mexican restaurant because of her! It was fantastic! After the Mexican food, Luiza, Hayden, and I all went to Coffee Inn and got some hot chocolate and a treat and we headed out to the terrace at Swedbank. I had never been to this area of Vilnius before, so it was great to get to see everything that I hadn't before. 

When we finally got to the terrace it was absolutely perfect. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it was just this area with a few lights in the ground and some cool chairs spread out in twos and threes all over the place near bushes so that you could be separate from other people. I'm not really doing a good job of explaining it, but it was just perfect. We spent a good amount of time there just talking and having a good time. 

Sunday Luiza took Hayden and me to Trakai. It's a small little town that is surrounded by a lake, and in the middle of that lake there is a castle! The walk down to the lake was beautiful! All of the buildings and houses were colorful. I think I could live there. I'm pretty sure I said "This is beautiful!" and "This is gorgeous!" at least 50 times while we were there. The sun was setting, and the water and the castle just looked stunning. 

The castle was closed by the time we got there, but that didn't stop us from wandering around the outside. Hayden and I ended up having a little photo shoot. It was a fun time. Then as we were leaving the sun was setting. That was seriously the best ending to wandering the castle on this amazing lake that I could ask for. 

We then went to eat some traditional Lithuanian food called kabinai. They kind of taste like mini pot pies. Except they look more like a pastry and all that is inside is meat and onions. I think.  

On our way back to the bus station we saw a man in the grass. My first thought was that it was a statue man like the ones we see in Vilnius. Then as we passed him we realized that it was actually a person. And we had no idea if he was alive or not. He was in a position that looked totally unnatural for any person to be in. Not to mention he was face down in the grass. We seriously thought that he could have been dead or injured, so Luiza called the emergency number to let them know where he was. Once we let them know, the man in the grass moved his head a little so at least we knew he was alive. After that we left, so we could make our bus. Hopefully that man is okay.

We wanted to find the train station instead of taking the bus, but we didn't really know where it was. We came upon the bus station and there were two guys in a car. As we passed the front of the bus station the one guy in the passenger seat leaned out of the car and spoke to us in Lithuanian. Luiza said they were asking if we wanted a ride so we kind of just ignored him and kept walking considering it's not exactly the smartest idea to get in the car with two strangers driving a car with completely blacked out windows. The guys in the car then left the bus station and drove over to where we were walking and started talking to us again. Luiza told them that we didn't speak Lithuanian (even though she speaks it) and that we spoke English. Then the guys started to try to speak to us in English asking if we wanted a ride to where we were going. I told them that we were just walking home. They asked again if we wanted a ride. I told them that my house was just ahead so we didn't need a ride. After that they drove off, as fast as they could of course because that's what guys do, and that's when we decided it would probably be safer for us to ride the bus back rather than trying to find the train station. Plus, we did not really want to become the story that Taken 3 was based off of. 

Overall, this weekend was great. It wasn't too fast paced and the company was nice. It was a good precursor to the stressful week that I am about to have. Heaven help me as I go into this week. I'm already feeling the affects of it.

Oh, and this fall is the most gorgeous fall I have ever seen.

no regrets.

We had our first vacation.

And it was well worth the wait.

We left Vilnius for Tallinn, Estonia at 10:30 PM on Thursday night, which meant we had to sleep on the bus. Luckily, we all had two seats to ourselves and the long row of seats in the back was open, so Shelbi and I shared those so we could lay down. The 8 1/2 hour bus ride went pretty quickly so that was good. 

Tallinn was absolutely amazing. People always talk about going to Italy, France, Germany, and England, but they don't realize how beautiful the smaller cities are in countries that are not talked about. We were able to drop off our stuff at our hostel early in the morning and then we headed out to explore the city. Actually, we explored the city every day. We just walked all over Old Town, and every time we did we would see something that we hadn't seen before. It's pretty safe to say that we now know the streets of Old Town Tallinn very, very well. 

I absolutely loved seeing all of the old buildings, walking on cobblestone, and eating at little cafes. It' all a big part of the European experience. Along with going inside all of the cathedrals! Seeing all the intricate details and the artwork. It just blows your mind.

 

Along with walking around Old Town, we also rode on a ferris wheel (the operators were just a little sketch, but it made for a good laugh), walked to the Baltic Sea, and walked around a mall.

Oh and I almost forgot! When we walked inside a little antique shop we heard someone else speaking English. I don't remember who asked who, but turns out the guy was from Georgia! I don't remember where exactly, but his name is Justin Gray. So if anyone knows him, let me know. 

Along with seeing the beauty of Tallinn, we also had a fabulous time at our hostel. The Monk's Bunk is by far the funnest hostel I have stayed at. First of all, we were in a shared 10-bed dorm. So in our room along with us we had a German guy, a Slovenian guy, a Japanese guy, and a Ukrainian guy. The Japanese guy didn't speak much English and the Ukrainian didn't either, so we didn't talk to them much. But we became good friends with the German, Felix, and the Slovenian, Nejc. We talked to them for awhile in the common room the first night, along with a Grecian, Giorgos. It was so neat getting to talk to all of them! 

Then after that conversation ended, I somehow ended up playing cards with 4 Australians, 1 Spaniard, 1 Russian, and 2 other Americans, one of them being another girl in my group. It was so much fun! I had no idea how to play the game so one of the Johnny's helped me (there were three playing). After playing that a few times, the rest of my girls joined while others left. We stayed up until 2:30 am playing cards and talking. It was so much fun! 

Saturday night Shelbi and I played pool with some of the Australians. We had been playing earlier so we had warmed up a little bit. Hobsy and I were a team, while Shelbi and someone else were a team...I can't remember who. But Hobsy and I won! So that's all that matters. Then I ended up playing again, but I don't remember who or what happened. But I do know, that I ended up having to get on the table to try to get the 8 ball in. That was quite the site. I spent most of the rest of the night hanging out with them. Then towards the end of the night I ended up hanging out with some Grecians with the rest of the girls. And come to find out, some of the people in our hostel also live in Vilnius studying at the university here! So now we have friends in Vilnius!

It was just so neat meeting people from all over the world and being able to walk around the hostel and saying hey to random people you met the night before but they are just as excited as you are to see them and talk to them. It was such a great experience. 

Sunday morning we left Tallinn to go to Riga, Latvia. That was a tough goodbye. We checked into our hostel and then hit the streets of Old Town. It seemed a lot smaller than Tallinn but it was still beautiful! I honestly never get tired of seeing Old Towns and their buildings. I could do it forever. 

 

That night at the hostel I met a guy from Bangladesh, who lives in Canada, and another guy from Singapore. It was so cool getting to talk to them and hear all about their travels and what they do with their lives. 

Monday I got a message from Felix saying he was coming to Riga and he asked if we wanted to meet up for lunch. How awesome is that?! The German we met in Estonia wanted to me for lunch in Latvia. I still can't get over it. International friends for life. We walked around for awhile and then met up with him for lunch. Then it was finally time to head home. 

It was hard heading back to reality, but it felt so nice walking into my little apartment and into my room. 

Overall, it was an amazing vacation. I have no regrets. 

Andrew and I obviously can't take pictures. Unless they're selfies.

Johnny and Hobs! 

Giorgis from Greece.