Warning: Warm Weather Approaching

Wow. The weather has been so warm recently. It's been almost 40F with sunshine for about 3 days going now. It's unbelievable!! I've been walking around in long-sleeve shirts so comfortably lately. Amazingness.

On Saturday, I went for my long-run through the trail along the river, and I was about to finish my last kilometer on the trail. The trail then hits a creek, and I said to myself, "Stop, take this one walking." This is the only creek that doesn't have a bridge visible through the snow, so I figured it was a good idea. As soon as I stepped on the bridge, it collapsed into the creek. Luckily, my other foot got to the other side before it collapsed. The ice bridges are melting!! And now I have to turn into a long-jumper to get across the "gorges". But it's crazy!!

But since my last post, life has officially become so exciting, I can barely stand it.

#1 Reason: I found out hours after my last post, that I'm going to Novgorod, Russia!!!!! So I get to work in an orphanage for 6 weeks!!!! I get to live with a host family!!! AND take Russian language courses!!! I'm sooo excited!! I feel bad considering I tried to "start" other programs, but if they're possibilities, I think I'll go ahead and "plan" them out, and maybe bring them back to Rhodes as other summer programs that are available. Who knows.

BUT I'M GOING TO NOVGOROD!!!! It's the "oldest" city in Russia. 1,150 years old!!! It has the oldest functional building in all of Russia - a church from 1045. 1045!!! And it's a relatively unimpressive city in terms of sights, but I love it. It's "real" Russia, and I can't wait to go there!!!

And the other ridiculously exciting development is the official announcement of my "spring break" trip. Since Genevieve, Peter, Kelsey, and I traveled together so well, despite the stress of being lost in Tallinn with a ticking clock, we wanted to travel again. So we scoured flights and created lists of ideas. And I will have to drop all modesty, as I am the ultimate trip-planner ever. Everything we were looking at was going to be $300 for transportation, but we rationalized it as our "spring break".

BUT I found an amazing trip for half the transportation costs. The focus of the trip - spending 3 days kayaking in the fjords of Norway!!!! We'll also spend two half-days in Riga, Latvia and a night in Bremen, Germany. I'm beyond excited. SOOOO EXCITED!!! I've always wanted to see the fjords, since forever!!! And we're flying into Haugersund, which is where the first Viking king consolidated his rule. CRAZY!!!! Yaaaaay!!!!

Yet with all the excitement comes the wall of work. Tomorrow I'm going to try and secure a single room. It's just come to the point where I desperately desire my own space. 3 years of sharing a room with a person without romantic interest... I'm done. hahaha. So hopefully this will work out just fine.

And I've been confused with this law conference to St Petersburg... I haven't received an invitation, which is necessary for securing the tourist visa... So if I don't get it by Wednesday, I'm going to a trip-planner here in Tartu and securing the visa through them. But it would eliminate my need to go to Tallinn personally... But it would cost more money, and I wouldn't experience the "delightful stress" of being almost incoherent in the Russian embassy. Yes!

And now I'm having to start the process of communicating with the "network" for the Novgorod program. Me being in Estonia is making this process about 25x harder than it should be. Oh well. Good experiences the whole way 'round... hopefully.

It's just crazy. I made up my mind at the beginning of sophomore year to get the Buckman to go to Estonia (or Denmark) and then get the Internship to go to Russia. And it's actually happened. All my plans, all my work, everything I've focused towards has occured. YAAY!! If only grad school would be this easy... hahaha.