Well, our first Thanksgiving in Lithuania has come and gone - and it was an absolute pleasure to bring this holiday and its roots to our non-American friends. Beyond the turkey and the history lessons, the true gift was being with people we are proud to call friends after such a short time in this country. And, with Hanukkah - the Jewish festival of lights - starting this evening, I have a lot to be grateful for...
But first - the Baltic sea!
This shouldn't come as a surprise to any of y'all (I mean, we did move across the world!), but my husband and I really know how to pack adventure into our daily lives, however much time we're allotted. It may have taken a few months, but we finally took our first trip out to the Lithuanian sea coast this past weekend. And, true to form, we really packed it in.
The verdict?
Cozy - very cozy. Going to the Baltic sea coast in November has - I'm sure - a completely different vibe than its summertime counterpart, but I actually really liked it for that reason. It was the yin to a very vibrant yang, but it held its own in power and vibrancy. Instead of finding seashells on the shore, we discovered rocks and tiny pieces of amber. And, instead of beach houses and docks leading to the beach, we hiked through a forest until we got spit out directly at the sea. It was incredibly beautiful and actually left me a bit breathless. In one of my favorite moments, my husband got a wild hair to drive down to the sea at night, which then placed us directly in a tunnel of rain, sand, mildly salty water and air. The wind laughed at us so ferociously that all we could do was laugh back in turn. And, our sweet Audrey took it all like a champ, like always. Heading back to our quirky Klaipėda hotel, we looked at each other and couldn't help feeling like we'd just experienced one of those Big Life Moments.
After our night in Klaipėda, we drove over to another beach town I've been curious to check out, Palanga. I was especially enamored walking the Palanga boardwalk that feeds down to the sea. Once again, I realized I was experiencing the Gemini twin to Lithuania's summertime - which, for the record, I'm very excited about. The word "off-season" doesn't really cut it, though, because it was thriving on its own two legs. People walked around bundled up, carrying coffees and chais, grateful for whatever amount of blue skies and sunshine we could get. But the real treat was walking back to our car and coming across a surprise Totoro mural - I kind of lost it, I won't lie. I mean, wouldn't you? Look at my punim!
On that note, I'm grateful every time I see something that sparks a little light inside of me during these fall and winter months. I use it as fuel for the next round of grey days. But the real treat this week has been my first snow fall in Lithuania. I'm lucky enough to live right next to a forest (see below), so it was a real treat to immerse myself in the magic of snow. I'm fully aware that I may feel differently once March and April come around, so I'm savoring the cozy snow for now.
Now that November is closing out, I'm moving my energy and intention into spreading warmth well into December. Armed with my morning routine, a well-rounded record collection, and beautiful holiday lights, I feel like I'm coming out in the positive. Huge praise to that - truly. To those celebrating Hanukkah, I wish you a Chag Sameach from Lithuania! Viso gero - until next time!