First Day

Wow!  Where to start!  After the plane landed we walked off on the tarmac (I've always wanted to do that!!), rode a bus to the airport building, and I found my luggage!  Then, I didn't have to go through customs, so I walked out the door and saw my host Mom, Jovita, holding a sign that read "Naomi  U.S.".  She lead me over to the rest of the people that came to meet me.  This included the principal of my school, his wife, and daughter (she was a Rotary Exchange Student last year in Brazil!).  Also, my host Dad, Tautvydas, had a little bouquet of flowers for me!  After taking some pictures of my arrival we drove around Vilnius for about 40 minutes (that includes one stop for me to take pictures).  Then we stopped at a little cafe because both of my host parents wanted a cup of coffee.  I had a bottle of water (which unfortunately turned out to be "bubbly" water:() and my host Dad bought my host Mom and I bowls of Ice Cream!  I'd never tasted any of the three flavors before and I don't know for sure what they were because nobody could translate the words.  I could tell one was banana(it had a very strong flavor), another one was a darker yellow with little dark things (not chocolate though) in it (my host Dad told me he thought the translation for this one was Egg flavored, but I highly doubt it!), and the third flavor was a medium purple color with deep purple streaks running through it.  I think that was some type of berry flavor.  

Finally, it was time to head home!  I slept for the majority of the car ride, but I did wake up once when the car had stopped, and it turned out that my host Dad was buying mushrooms from a lady sitting by the side of the road.  It was over an hour long drive from Vilnius to Panevezys, but we were finally home!!  My host brother, Jokubas, came out to meet us and help with my luggage.  (Jokubas had stayed home with the family's new puppy!!)  Then they showed me my room (which is beautiful!!), gave me the grand tour of the house, and told me I had plenty of time before supper to contact my family, take a nap (which I didn't do because I wanted to sleep well last night), and take a shower.  As I'm sure you all heard, I did get to talk to Mom, Dad, and Rachel!!  Then I took a shower, and went to see if anything need to be done for supper.  Jovita wouldn't let me help with anything, so I just talked with her for a little bit.  Tautvydas was out cleaning the mushrooms, so then I talked to him (and Jokubas when he came back from a friends'), and petted the puppy until supper was ready.  Also, right after my shower I didn't put socks on and my hair was still wet (I do that all the time), and both of my host parents kept offering me shoes!  I think I finally convinced them that I was alright without them!  Supper was fried fish (and an optional sauce), boiled potatoes, mushrooms, & fresh veggies.  Drink options were water, some sort of juice, and Nestea iced tea.  I had water.  

All evening my host parents kept thinking I wanted to watch TV, and I would say that I don't watch much TV, so Jokubas (who speaks the best English of the three) would tell them that, and then it would start all over again!!  Oh well, I saw what Lithuanian TV is like anyway.  Jovita brought out dessert next (fruit, the cookies I brought, some little square candy/cookie thing, and wrapped candy), then Tautvydas went to finish cleaning the mushrooms, and Jokubas, Jovita, and I looked at some photo albums and pictures on the computer of their family.  Finally at about 9pm here (1pm CST) Jokubas said you may go to bed if you like.  I gladly took him up on that offer, and I was asleep by shortly after 9:30!  My bed felt soooooooooooo good!!  I woke up several time during the night (I think it was because I heard the puppy barking), but I was never awake for more than two minutes!  I got about 14 hours of sleep last night, and now I'm typing this so all of you can hear about my adventures!!  I don't think anyone knows I'm awake yet, so I'm going to get dressed and see what the plan for the day is (last night they told me that if the weather is nice we will go to their "ranch" which is about an hour away.  

That's all my adventures up until this minute.  I miss you all!! 

Oh, one other thing, I can receive emails, but can't send them.  I'll try and get that figured out soon, but it might take a little while.