Last time I flew to lihtuania, the first and only time, was 1989. I was young, a junior in high school. Lithuania Was still under communist rule. 22 years ago. I still feel 25 years old sometimes so something being 22 years ago is hard to comprehend.
I was in high school, having just spent a year at a Lithuanian boarding school in germany, and L and I and her parents flew there from....whoa, Zurich. Ha ha, I hated Zurich that night I spent at some random, Lithuania Swiss
S family friends apartment. I had taken a train
From Germany to Zurich,
Spent the day in Zurich alone, trying not to spend too much money, eating fast food probably, drawing in my sketchbook by the lake, then taking some tram (that I probably know well now) to some other tram
(ditto),
To some street in some neighborhood I probably have friends in now. It was late by the time I got to looking for this lady's street, and I w
As tired and hungry and getting a bit overwhelmed. I was in tears, ones I kept trying to hide, as I reached her place after 15
Minutes of walking down the empty cold looking street the wrong way
Then the right way. My distress
Didn't even register to this, get this, retired child psychologist! That explains a few things about the Swiss and how they deal with mental health.
I accepted a yogurt and a banana from her and went to b
Ed as soon as I could. And woke up as soon as I could, showered fast, and fled to the Zurich airport, where I'm sitting now, typing this. Airports felt safe and familiar, no matter
What country they were in. A bit like catholic churches do to roman Catholics who may not speak the local language but can follow mass and find a kindred spirit if need be. In airports, even in the 80's, sometime was likely to Speak. Englsih, and I could just
Wait it out for L and her parents' flight from north America. InteRnational terminal, arrivals....even better. higher prwobability of English and even Americans.
Their flight wAs late by more than an hour, and soon, laughing, hugging, and on. Our way (me, finally with my pack), we flew to krakow Poland. Our flight to Lithuania had long since left Zurich, so it was the loooong way around for us. Poland, to moscow, sleeping on airport benches, realizing we we at
Te wrong one of 7 airports, my uncle practicing his probably no longer existent Russian oour cab driver whose car ceiling was falling on our head
S in the back seat. Lots of laugher. A quick stop at red square. Then long for something to Eat in a country that still didn't have much, and relizing the only stuff available was bread with lard spread. Or lard cookies. Lots of lard, as I remember.
Finally we made it, one tired, sweaty, huny, happy family bunch, to Vilnius.
And here I go again.
Trams and trip to airport in Zurich, no problem. On the plane to copenhagen, no problem. My freitag bag and a loudly clicking carryon (I see what you mean, M, we do have to get that sucker fixed), a job, a life, a husband, a kid,, a dog, and clothing I bought with money not from an allowance, check.
Last time i made this trip, we had huge suitcases, bringing all sorts of things other people had suggested our relatives in Lithuania could use - dollars, huge bottles of ibuprofen and aspirin, underwear, and a box of 400 dental fillings. Tis last item, still sealed, would apparently be used by the whole family within a week or two to go get all their dental work done. This time, I bring no gifts. I have no idea who I will see, from all 4 sides of my family (L and I share 2/4 grandparents, by definition, so we'll see our mothers families together, and I will try to meet someone from my dads dads side, leaving my dads moms side for next time). I don't have parents telling me what to bring, how to gift relatives, how to do any of this, and I have been worried about this part.
But I will be back. I will bring my husband and my little Lithuanian girl. And we will figure it all out.
Note: I wrote this on a plane and the spellcheck was apparently not on. Sorry.
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