Sunshine-y Day (s)

This weekend brought a much needed break from first week meetings and orientating in the form of a game night and trip to Palanga. Saturday night we played cards (for about the kazillionth time) over at Kim & Andrew Stave's. Kim's within a few weeks of having their first child, so they're soaking up all the social activities while they can before Ieva arrives and they turn into old boring parents :o) I had spent some time getting to know them while I was a Study Abroad, and they're a lot of fun, and I've appreciated reconnecting with them. Almost 6 hours of Scum (hence the hats), Egyptian Rat Screw, and Spades later, we went home, making plans to take advantage of the beautiful weather and take a trip to Palanga on Sunday.

Palanga is a little resort town about 25k north of Klaipeda. I had only been there in the off-season winter, so it was crazy-fun seeing all the booths and marching bands? and people bicycle taxis and general carnival atmosphere. The beaches were absolutely packed, but we found a spot, parked our bags and towels and settled down for some time in the sunshine. The water is pretty cold, even at the end of summer, so I didn't swim, but we played cards (yes, again) and people-watched and got sunburned and generally had a great day.

And yes, in case you're wondering, I am actually working here in Lithuania. It's not all cards and beaches. Today was my first official day in the office, and I was greeted by a fantastic Lithuanian bouquet of flowers and a huge project for the day. I got a crash course in putting together an Academic Catalogue and spent the day editing and chasing down people and information. The fun continues tomorrow...and hopefully the sun will stick around for a while longer.