Spring Fever and a little Culture Shock

"As we grow in wisdom, we pardon more freely." -Madame de Stael

"May you come home rejoicing/at the wonders you have seen/may you come home rejoicing/once again to our doors." -For my Atlas community...

Hello my dear friends near and far,

Spring is upon us in Siauliai Lithuania! This is probably not news for you, whether you be in Colorado or in other parts of Europe, I think Lithuania is the last place to realize that is time to turn green. But the days are so long now (it stays light until 9:30 at least here!!) and it is getting warmer, almost too warm for a jacket. Lots of rain and plenty of beautiful flowers to look at as well. I hope wherever you are it is just as beautiful!

My Hungarian friend, Dora, and I returned from our epic H.A.N.G trip across Europe about two weeks ago...I wanted to blog about it earlier, but I had to jump right back into classes. This is the last month of school, so the projects are piled high! But words cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the trip (so I included pictures below, haha); it was once in a lifetime experience. It really warms every part of my heart to think that I got the chance to meet the families of some of my closest friends, see the places they lived and hug them one more time. I am truly thankful for every minute I had with Franci, Dora and Melanie. It was one of those times where I really understood how deep and unique my friends make our lives and experiences together. I am so absolutely grateful that I have friends loving enough to show me their lives and people they knew before I met them in Erasmus. And I am lucky enough to say that I got to spend time with locals, seeing real parts of countries that I truly love. It was absolutely indescribable. And to my friends Franci, Melanie and Dora...I cannot thank you girls enough for the kindness you show me. Whether it be this semester or last semester, you all have impacted me beyond any words I can write. Thank you for being open-hearts to me and thank you for being my friend. I am so blessed to know friends like each one of you. Thank you from every part of my heart...you make life so beautiful. I hope this trip will not be the last time I get to see each of you. And please, I look forward to the day that I get to return the favor to each one of you (meaning...get your butts on a plane and come visit me!!!)

So there are lots of pictures from the trip and lots of stories to each one. I feel bad because I would really love to tell you each and every story to the pictures, but I have decided to not tell you everything, just show you the places. I am sorry because I feel like I am not doing some favor to the grandeur and awesomeness of some of the places I got to see, but we all would be here for hours. So I hope you excuse me for a momentary laps into laziness... I just can't even begin to write every story down.

Now I am safely back home in Siauliai. It is crazy to think that the semester will end in about a month or so. I am working on a lot of final projects already! I hope to squeeze in a trip to Riga this month (I still am ashamed I haven't officially gone yet) and spending some time with my Erasmus buddies! Planning lots of traveling with my roommate Carolin for June and planning on traveling with Melanie in July. Very excited for what is to come next!

And a funny story I would like to mention...just when you think that you are adjusted to living life in another culture...they throw an Anthropology conference in your direction. Man, this was a culture shock, and I would like to say that it happens to a person even after 8 months. One of my teachers asked our anthropology class to help out in a conference to be held at the end of this month, and of course I eagerly agree (I need to learn to say the word NO). I meet with the women in charge and we agree on the presentation I would make. It had to be about education and my experiences, and though I thought it was a little off topic for me, I had no idea what was coming.

I struggle through coming up with something to present, education has never been my specialty. What I didn't prepare for was presenting in a Lithuanian high school, to all teachers who barely speak English, with no translator, and having to be toted around the school for half the day by a pudgy (but sweet) woman with a hair-do bigger than the state of Vermont (who also doesn't speak English). And my mother would have been delighted to know that every single woman in that building asked me if I cold that day because I was wearing a light summery dress. No, Lithuania, I am not cold. I promise. It ended up with a teacher forcefully draping her scarf on my shoulders and shaking her head saying: labai shalta (very cold) and walking away before I could give it back. I will wear a coat until the day I leave now because I was so embarrassed. But somehow we survived, somehow I found a way to communicate with my baby-sitter (and I think she really likes me), even though no one understood my presentation.


Oh it's still an adventure to this day!


I love you all and thank you for taking the time to read. Sending you my warm thoughts and I hope you enjoy the photos. Until next time (which I hope will be soon!) 

The first stop: Leipzig, Germany! Here Dora is with our dear friend Franci in front of a very cool second hand store!

On this street is the coolest University I have ever seen in my life, Franci, you are a lucky girl.

Franci and Boris's beautiful flat is the balcony all the way at the top!

Here is Boris with his childhood friends, these guys know how to throw a great party!

My team actually won this game, just to let you know  :)

Told you it was a good party!

Next, Dresden!

Love these two to death!

Then we visited Magdeburg to see Franci's family...

Here is the house that Franci grew up in!

And this gentleman was so kind to give us a tour of USSR vehicles in the Marienborn Museum. This was incredible because he just did it for us! It was amazing!

Next stop: Kecskemet, Hungary! With a big surprise to Dora's family!

Here Dora is with all of her family!

And then my turn!

Pictures from Budapest...

And this was the coolest museum ever! I really enjoyed how well done, thorough and thoughtful the House of Terror was...by far one of the best museums I have gone to!

And then our final stop to visit our dearest friend Melanie in Holland!!

Melanie and her cool chicken.

A sign prepared by Melanie's dad for our welcome party!

Teaching Melanie and some of her friends how to make S'mores!

Dora and I with Melanie and her family on Easter!

Off to Amsterdam!

Rijk's Museum!

I really love this girl!

And now for a very cool day in Utrecht! I wish I could study in this city!

And this is all the wonderful Dutch things I had the chance to bring home with me. I will cherish them always...

The H.A.N.G. Trip!

Hello friends near and far! It's been a long time, I know. So just a quick update on Siauliai...life here has been "labai gerai", or very good! Just trying to get through all my classes (I have a lot), keeping up with the newest movies with my friend Carolin, getting to know new people a little bit, welcoming old friends into a new flat, and smoking lots of nargile with Dora and Yusuf. It's starting to really feel like spring here and everyone is so excited. We are itching for the chance to go outside without heavy coats and to see green around the city again, it's wonderful! So, it's been a lot of fun here, but now onto a new adventure!

Tomorrow, my Hungarian friend (Dora, I mentioned her above) and I will start our trip...which we like to call the HANG trip. HANG is the first letter of each country we are going to visit! So we are first going to Germany (Bremen, Leipzig, Dresden) to visit some friends that we met last semester (my dearest Franci and Boris to be exact!)  We stay there for 5 or 6 days and then off to Hungary! This is the exciting part of the trip! Dora's family has no idea we are coming, so we are going to surprise them one day by just showing up on their doorstep! Can't wait for the chance to meet her family! And it's probably a good thing that they get to meet me face to face because Dora has been lying to them about our trip and saying that I didn't want to go to Hungary and that's why we are not visiting. So maybe they hate me, but at least I get to prove them wrong once we go! We stay in Hungary for a week then we are off to Austria! And we might have the chance while we are there to meet our Lithuanian friend Rasita and our Czech friend, Pauli-D. But for Pauli-D it will be a surprise too, so hopefully we can make this work! One night in Vienna and then we have a long train to my favorite place in the world, the Netherlands! There we will get to say hello to our wonderful and dearly missed friend Melanie from last semester too. We will get to stay with her family and explore Utrecht from top to bottom! So excited for the chance to see her again!

So this is a very exciting trip for us. All along the way we get to see familiar faces and met old friends. It makes me realize how far I have come from last semester, now I can go around the world and meet a friend. I am very excited for the chance to see old friends, meet new friends, and enjoy the spring season all around Europe. This adventure has been dearly needed in my life.

Of course I am a little sad because I am leaving poor Carolin and Yusuf for three weeks. I will miss them both so much, especially Carolin. But we have big plans to go to the movie theatres and have late Easters when I come back! (You all better be going to the Hunger Games premiere for me!) And I am also a little scared because this is the first trip that I planned a lot of the getting around, we are using Interrail again, like the big November Trip we took last semester. Except this pass is bigger and lots longer. I really am afraid that something will go wrong with the passes this time. And I am a little afraid to meet the families and friends of all of my good, good friends. I hope they like me and I feel comfortable and confident enough to be who I am around them! Cross your fingers for us! We need them!

SO anyway, without further ado, here we go! I am keeping a journal for everyday, like last time. So when I get back I will share my thoughts and experiences with you. Until then my dear friends, enjoy the emerging spring weather and see you in April!

Lots of love,
Sarah

P.S. Some German music you can groove to! Deichkind will be playing in Berlin while we are there, I wish we could go!

Seeed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yWU0lFghxU&feature=related

Deichkind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPJlyRv_IGI

Deep Thoughts and Deeper Questions

There is a lot of things I have been thinking about lately, and especially struggling with. And I am not sure how to fully express it yet because I feel like it doesn't make sense. I mean, I am half-way across the world right now, but I am so sad. There is a lot of pressure that I put on myself to create something extraordinary here. Because without that thought, it feels so dry and so empty. But right now I am at a loss for what will happen next. I feel like I am missing some extraordinary. I feel like I am being carried by everyone around me. Shouldn't I be the one to be giving so much more to everyone else?

But maybe I just need to shut up and be thankful for all that I've been given. More and more I am learning that I need to stop comparing this semester with what was last semester. They are different, and there is nothing I can do to change that. I've been spending a lot of time trying to devise ways to make it like it was before. But there are new, different people here and I cannot expect them to be exactly like my friends that were here with me last semester. And it's alright to not carry everything and everyone on my back. And I am figuring out that I should not stress so much about comparisons or "competitions" I make up in my head. This semester is good no matter what it becomes; as long as I am happy and I feel like I am doing right here then there is no one that would tell me different.

Because it's days like these when I feel like the worst person in the world, and I spend more time feeling sorry for myself than I do opening my eyes and seeing all the goodness around me. I have friends that will chat with me for hours about how I feel (both back home and here); an amazing roommate that teaches me German, Russian, cooks me tons of food and cappuccinos, and I have kind new friends that give me soup out of the pure kindness of their hearts. It is more than clear to me that I am not alone. I am just frustrated that I refused to see this before now. So this is me FINALLY letting the stress go. It's ok. Everything will be ok. This semester will be just as special and life-changing as the last, except it is going 's to be different and that normal. I am loved and I will share this love still no matter what, that's the important thing I am learning.

This is the soup that my dear friends Esin and Gokce just brought to me that made me realize that I was being a d-bag. Thanks for helping me see how stupid I was being...

A new semester in Lithuania!

Hello friends near and far!

So now I have made my way back to Siauliai. It's a little surreal still because it feels like I am just slipping into an old life I just left behind. But I am excited for the new semester and can't wait to tell you more of the adventures I have going on! 

The great thing about going home was being able to see all the familiar faces and hold all the people I have missed so much finally! I can't tell you how much better it was to talk to people face to face instead of over skype! I got my camera fixed while I was home (or, well we bought a new lens) and it has been AMAZING to have it back!! Part of me cannot deny the liberty in not having to worry about "capturing the moment" on my travels, but then I find more and more that I cherish the memories in photos. So I am excited to keep working on taking better photos and remembering all the wonderful things going on in my life.

And you remember how worried I was about London and being alone for awhile? Well, like usual, it was all for nothing. London was perfect, expensive, but perfect. I think it was very good for me to have exposure in doing things alone, especially something big like traveling and exploring a city by yourself. I discovered some power within myself that I never really noticed before. Yes, I CAN do all the things I need to do to survive in a city I don't know. But I also learned that I really do prefer traveling with at least one other person. There are some things about traveling alone that are just too difficult to do alone. And just having a companion with you makes a world of difference sometimes; you have someone to talk to when you are on a bus, someone to take pictures with, someone to always eat with. It's better, for me at least. 

But my dear friends Miguel and Gonzalo made all the difference for me in London. We got to explore and laugh our way through the suburbs of London. I always love going to the suburbs of big cities sometimes. It always proves to show a charming side that you don't notice in all the hustle and bustle. We went to really cool places like the Seven Sisters, which was a cliff face that was absolutely gorgeous!!! I couldn't believe my camera was dead that day! So mad at myself! And we went to Brighton too and I learned that hipster town was were the Kooks grew up. And suddenly, everything in my life came together. Seriously, if you are a hipster in the need for a home...go to Brighton. They are waiting for you.

After paying 319 pounds to get my luggage to Lithuania (that's about $500 btw....I almost died) I arrived home! The taxi driver screwed me over and dropped me off at the wrong place. But it still felt good to be back in a place that I knew. Now its just been a waiting game in Siualiai for everyone in the Erasmus program to arrive. My new roommate, Carolin from Germany, is an absolute sweetheart and yells at me all the time for not wearing socks. She gave me an amazing book to read, called "The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet". It's a fun book to read because everywhere in the margins are cool drawings and side stories...love it! She is also teaching me both German and Russian...so all in all, she's awesome. 

I have a lot on my mind lately about what I what I want to make this semester become...because it is so different. And I feel a little lost right now because I don't see it all coming together. I am searching for deep cultural encounters, for spiritual connections, for learning new things....but I feel stuck in the old routine of a life I made last semester. And I feel like it takes so much more strength for me to reach out and far too much responsibility to try to carry the weight of everyone here. I have lots to figure out still, obviously.

But I have some questions that I have been asking myself a lot lately, and maybe soon I will have some answers for them. I'll share:

1. How do you want to be seen by everyone this semester?
2. How can you make this semester better than last?
3. How will you make sure your heart is healthy?
4. How will you make sure you become better from this?
5. How can you help people more?
6. How do you want to use this experience in your life?
7. What is the purpose for this time in your life?
8. What do you want to learn from this?
9. How will you make deep relationships?
10. How will you love those around you better?
11. How will this change how you love in the future?

The first picture I took with the new lens!

Pictures of Christmas with the folks first!

Jacob and I painting our viking ship together!

The countdown to the Olympics!

The Royal Albert Hall. My mom and I watched a video of Adele playing there.

Sarah Redman was supposed to write her protest letter to this...

A bad picture of the Dali I got to see! I love him!

I think I can do this...

Here I am. Right now I am sitting in the Montreal Airport, waiting for my flight to London. I feel myself on the cusp of a grander adventure than the previous adventure before. Going home was amazingly good for me. I needed to see the familiar faces that I loved again, I needed to feel completely comfortable again. I think that is the thing that wears on you after awhile when you abroad. You just want to be comfortable again. And it was so good to hug every single last person that loved me; laugh with them again, and share life with them again for a small time.

But now, I am on my way back to Europe and this time I am alone for awhile. Part of me dreads it. The unexpected-ness of it all makes my stomach churn and makes my hands shake. But then again, I can hardly wait. Because I know that going somewhere alone will bring something out of me that I have never known was inside of me before. Of course I am afraid that something bad will happen, but I am learning that as with all of life, all I can do is hold my breath and jump right in. I am sure that London will be fine. At this point I even know how to get to my hostel just fine. I can do this, I just need to believe in myself.

I have to share my gratitude I have for everyone in my life right now. My parents, my best friend Arri, Robin. Tim, Jeff, Justin, Amanda, Sarah #1, Joni, Kristen, Lindsay-loo-who, and alllllllll of Atlas Greeley. These adventures and this beautiful life that I have been gifted with so graciously has all been because of you. I really don't understand sometimes, I don't understand why I was given this chance of a lifetime. But I have been thinking about it a lot lately. Thinking about how I am going to use every moment I have been given and returning it to those I love and the community I call home. I'm thinking about my future, about who I want to become from this, what I want to learn from this. They are all big ideas I guess, but I just very want this moment in my life to become something so beautiful and productive. And now I am thinking about how I can make this semester abroad different. I want it to be something that challenges me and pushes me beyond my limit and safety zones. It's a lot to think about, but I have a 8 hour flight to London to mull it over.  :)

So, for now, I am on my way! Bon voyage!

You know me...

If you know anything about me, you know I LOVE setting goals and thinking about the future. So it's only fitting that I should yet again share my goals that I set for the year 2012!

Buckle up, there's a few  ;)

My 10 Goals for 2012

• Be more open-minded
• Ask more questions
• Be more curious
• Say yes more
• Be more loving
• Try to think of others more
• Random acts of kindness
• Be more inclusive
• Be more confident
• Stick to my identity
• Be more outgoing and trusting
• Plan more
• Budget for trips
• Future planning
• Be more organized
• Be more creative
• More original thought
• More photography 
• More music
• More artwork
• Be more adventurous
• Be with people you normally wouldn't
• Do something everyday that scares you
• Figure out my next steps
• Be more spiritual and thoughtful
• Read more books
• Research and think more
• Study more languages and history
• Stay in touch
• Be quick to respond to others
• Listen and instigate conversation
• Care more
• Be more compassionate
• Put people first
• Love, no matter what

So happy New Year and I hope it's a year of accomplishments for you guys too!

Have you heard of this?

Well, it's been absolutely crazy lately! But I think I say that every time I write a blog post. Still working on my thoughts from the November trip...I actually just left my journal in Lithuania and I can't finish it til I get back! Boo!

But I can give you lots of updates on the months of December and January...no pictures though, sorry. That was one tragedy that I had to face, I dropped my camera from my bed and broke the lens. So for all of the last month and Italy and Spain I was without a camera. Which in a way was sort of liberating because I didn't have the camera attached to my face. But I did go through a moment where I felt artistically stunted, it was a little rough at first, but we got through!

But closing the semester in Siauliai was hard. There were lots of tears from those that had to leave and lots of hugging. There is definitely never going to be anything like what we all experienced that semester together. I am going to miss every single person's presence there...so, saying goodbye was incredibly hard. But somehow we were able to do it!

Kim, myself, Choi (S. Korea), and Hee-Kyung (S. Korea) were invited to spend Christmas with Juan and his family in Madrid. This was my favorite part of the traveling experience so far. I have never met such kind and open people in my whole lifetime! Juan's whole family was more than willing to open up their home for 5 strangers to come and spend all of Christmas with them...incredible. Madrid was beautiful and we saw tons of beautiful things, definitely a place that I will go back to!

After a very, very, very tearful goodbye to Juan and his family we were on our way to Rome! Rome was everything you've ever heard it to be. There were thousands of people though. It was a little overwhelming and a little too busy at times. But after a few days there you get used to the street-peddlers, the different faces, the thousands of languages. Good coffee, amazing pasta and pizza and plenty of incredible sights to see!

And so ends half of my journey across Europe. We rang in the New Year in Vilnius with our friends from Turkey (Ceyhun, Yusuf, and Mert) as well as our German friends (Franci and Boris). I've never experienced anything like that before. We stood in the Cathedral Square with literally thousands of people, fireworks were shooting off everywhere and the excitement of the New Year rolling over everyone. It was probably one of the best New Year's I've ever had!

Now I am back home for a little while. I went to Seattle for a little bit to visit my dearest and bestest friend, Arri (as well as Robin, Tim, and Jeff!). Washington is an absolutely beautiful state. There is so much life there and people seem to just live at their own pace. It was wonderful to see my best friend again. It recharged something within me, I needed to spend time with her again. Then I came back to Denver. My dearest parents saved tons of Christmas stuff for me and we all had a little late Christmas together. I am so happy to be back here and see everyone that I have missed so much!

But, alas, I will go back and a new journey will begin! I leave for Europe on the 23rd of January, the day after my 21st birthday! I arrive to London and I spend a few days in London before I head back to Lietuva! It's all been so exciting and adventurous.

Have you heard of this by the way? This is the Holstee Manifesto...and it is amazing. I've decided that this is going to be my life motto for a little while.



"This is your life. Do what you love and do it often. If you don't like something, change it. If you don't like your job, quit. And if you don't have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing, life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once, seize them. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating. LIFE IS SHORT. Live your dream and share your passion." --The Holstee Manifesto

Talk to you later friends! Maybe even see you soon!  :)