Trys Milijonai*

Since much of my winter is spent out of Lithuania, I spend spring getting in touch with friends and catching up on all the activities I’ve missed.

As long as I can remember, on April 1st the weather is always warm and what better way to start the spring than by celebrating Užupio Independence Day. On the bridge, we were greeted by “immigration agents” dressed in white jumpsuits and 3D glasses waiting to stamp our passports. Yes, that’s right, you can get an authentic Užupis visa, good for a one day visit! The atmosphere was festive on the patio of Užupio Kavinė where residents and visitors mingled with plastic cups of “imported” Švyturys. Live music went on long into the evening. We clutched our beers and sang along with the rag-tag group of “jazz” musicians playing Lucky Man.

Užupis Independence Day

It's not an April Fool's joke: Residents of the tiny Republic of Užupis, which lays just beyond the River Vilnelė, take their Independence Day very seriously. It all starts with the border patrol on the Užupis Bridge. Dressed in white jumpsuits and 3D glasses, "immigration agents" wait to stamp your passport. Yes, that's right, you can get an authentic Užupis visa, good for a one day visit!

Lithuanian for Beginners

When I was hired at Cosmopolitan magazine a week after arriving in Lithuania in December 2003, I told the editor-in-chief, "Don't worry, my Lithuanian is a little rusty, but I'll be back to speaking fluently in a few weeks." That, at best, was wishful thinking.

Visi į Rinkimus!*

The parliamentary and presidential elections in Lithuania are far less colorful affairs then they are in the United States. There are no primaries, presidential debates, national conventions, or celebrity endorsements. In the weeks up to the parliamentary election this year, posters appeared on empty walls, and occasionally an interview would be given by one of the candidates on Lithuanian National Television (LTV). I didn’t even realize it was an election year until the magazine I work for did a parody of some of the popular parties and their posters.

My Very Own Olympics

As a ski racer, it was not uncommon to meet Olympians. It's just that kind of sport, easy access to the athletes. I raced against Olympic team members, American and otherwise, as a junior. I even rode up the chair lift with Kjetil Andre Aamodt (a skiing legend from Norway) in Aspen—and spoke to him in Norwegian! It's something different entirely though when you get the chance to not only meet but hang out with an Olympic star from another sport. So, while it was incredibly exciting to have dinner with the entire Austrian men's ski team in Vail, that was nothing compared to the honor of being accompanied by Gintas Umaras during a road ride just a few days before the Olympic torch reached Beijing.

A Photo Essay from Kaziuko Mugė

Kaziuko Mugė, the centuries old St. Casimir’s Fair, stretches along Gedimino prospektas and throughout the senamiestes (old town) with stalls selling baronkos (hard bagels on a string), verbos (dried feathers and flowers on a stick—the Lithuanian version of palms used on Palm Sunday), handmade meats, cheeses and honey, textiles, crafts and sweets for the children.

A One-Way Ticket

When I convinced my parents to buy me a one-way plane ticket to Lithuania in December 2003, I expected to stay six months to two years. Now, four years on, I'm still in Vilnius, going to work every day, making new friends, and complaining about the customer service.

Back to School

There are a few days per year that are unmistakable. You simply have to look out the window to know what day it is: Christmas and Easter, the Fourth of July in the United States, Bastille Day in France, and in Lithuania, it’s September First, the day to go back to school. Unlike in the United States when the day to go back to school varies every year, state to state, and district to district, in Lithuania it's always the very first day of September.

Signs of Spring

In the United States, they celebrate the coming of spring by standing around all day waiting for a rodent to stick his head out of the snow. In Lithuania, they burn giant girls made of straw.

54° North

The best thing about living at 54° north, is that after the winter solstice passes, every day becomes a little bit longer. This is very important to remember if you live in Lithuania, because in January, the days can be so dark, it’s hard to tell noon from midnight. The weather certainly does make it hard to motivate oneself to pull on the fuzzy boots and trudge out into the gloomy city, covered in mud and ice, but it’s great for sleeping. My apartment faces east, so in the summer, I’m woken up at 4AM by sunlight flashing in my eyes like a summer camp counselor announcing a secret raid on another cabin—it sounds like fun, but you would rather stay in bed. In the winter, the dense clouds serve as a cocoon to protect you from those pesky sunbeams, ensuring a long night’s rest. This is further aided by the lack of teenagers standing in the courtyard drinking beer and listening to their car stereos. Even during the mildest of winters, it’s cold at 4AM when you live less than halfway to the North Pole.