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For the last three months they've been meeting new people, making nice progress in their Lithuanian language knowledge and enjoying new opportunities.

Karissa shares:

"I left Lithuania to  participate in my first ever Model United Nations conference in Warsaw, Poland. A group of nine of us came from my school and created the Vilnius International School delegation... I was assigned the country of Germany and was put on the Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC); the topic of the ECOSOC committee was “Establishing an affordable and sustainable energy sector in developing African states.” I chose this committee because I know quite a bit in sustainability and have an interest in it. After receiving my country I had to start working on my position paper. The position paper had to consist of my country's policies and position on the topic"...

Overall, Warsaw and MUN was a wonderful experience that I'm so happy I had the opportunity to participate in. I really wish I had participated in MUN while I was in high school and hope to participate in university (as well as the next one). I'm also very proud of myself for surviving wearing heels (it's been a week and I still am feeling the affects/one of my feet are still a little swollen). I now know what to prepare for the next conference and it helped get another view on my potential career in diplomacy and the international field.

...while on holiday my host family was generous enough to take me to the Czech Republic. On Wednesday morning we all got up and started the 12ish hour drive to Prague. Though the car ride was long (and we had plenty of long drives besides the first one), but it was enjoyable because I got to play games and bond more with my host family and soon enough we arrived in Prague. The next day consisted of 24 kilometers of walking, during which we got to see the majority of the sights around Prague, including the oldest synagogue, the astronomical clock, St Charles’ Bridge, the castle, the cathedral, and the golden street. The next day we drove to Karlovy Vary which is home to a lot of hot springs and spa places...

Overall, I loved the Czech Republic, hope to live there one day or at least return, and am very grateful to have been able to go with my host family and bond more with them over this time!"

Emma was excited to share:

"On October 31st and November 1st, my host family and I visited the graves of family members at cemeteries near Kaunas and Vilnius in celebration of Vėlinės (All Souls' Day and All Saints' Day). I thought that the tradition was such a beautiful way to honor one's loved ones that have passed. I will always remember seeing thousands of candles burning at night in the cemetery.

One of my favorite things to do in Lithuania is to go with my host parents to cafes on the weekend. We often leave around noon to leisurely walk to Old Town to drink coffee, eat sweets, and peruse magazines at a new cafe we haven't yet tried. Occasionally, we also shop at Halės Turgus, stop into an art exhibit or go on an excursion.

Karissa and I have been attending Lithuanian courses at Vilniaus universitetas for the past two months. It has been a great boost to my confidence and ability to communicate on the streets of Vilnius. I recently was able to successfully order a meal at a restaurant using grammatically correct Lithuanian.

In October, I went to Kaunas almost weekly with my host family to visit grandparents and cousins. Each week, I have gotten to see a new aspect of the city including Kauno pilis (Kaunas Castle). One Saturday, while we were walking on Laisvės alėja (Freedom alley), we saw a restaurant called 'Real Texas Grill', and because I am from Texas, my host cousins and I posed for a picture in front...

In September, I got to experience the Nation's Fair (part of Capital Days that happen during September). To sum up, hundreds of stands were on either side of Gedimino prospektas (Gediminas Avenue) selling Lithuanian food, candy, clothes, books, plants, etc. There were many people dressed in traditional Lithuanian attire dancing and giving demonstrations. Once we reached the end of Gedimino prospektas, my host parents and I went to Katedros aikštė (Cathedral Square). We went on a tour of the crypts of Vilnius Cathedral and I learned a lot about the cathedral and the different dukes that ruled Lithuania. We also went up into the belfry/bell tower and caught a great view of Old Town and the thousands of people below at the Nation’s Fair..."

Photos: Courtesy of Emma and Karissa