Adventures in Renovations 

One of the advantages about buying the place where we already lived is that we wouldn’t have to move. At least you’d think that, right? The only thing that would change is who got the rent money at the end of the month and we wouldn’t have to ask permission if we wanted to change something or get a cat (which we did: Hi Duke!)

Except… except when you own the place, all of a sudden, all of the things you’d been complaining about during your years of renting were now under your control. You could, for example, take down and get rid of the dirty, broken window shades. Or toss away the shelves you didn’t like. 

Continue reading “Adventures in Renovations “

Happy Anniversary to me…

IMG_0058Today, August 22, 2013, marks the third anniversary of my life as an Ex-Pat.

In 2010, on this date, I packed up some of my belongings into one too many suitcases, loaded a dog into the hold of an airplane and headed off for a small town in Hungary, with absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. Now, I’m one year past my original expiration date – my original contract being for a single year with a one year extension option. I didn’t exercise it and instead, headed north to Lithuania (I didn’t know where it was, either) to take up my new life as a university docent (associate professor). I’ve been in Lithuania now for a little over two years, having moved to Vilnius for a few months in June of 2011 and into my flat at the beginning of August that year. I’m also a few days away from beginning my 3rd year at VDU. Continue reading “Happy Anniversary to me…”