We are getting ready to go downstairs to our landlord’s for a final supper in Lithuania. I have been thinking a lot today about the things I am going to miss here, so I thought I would share a bit.

Things I will miss (in no particular order):

  • Inexpensive taxis
  • Kepta duona - deep fried rye bread smothered in cheese and garlic
  • Cepelinai - potato starch stuffed with meat and covered with sour cream and cracklin
  • Spurgos - a type of Lithuanian donut
  • Karbonadas - a breaded pork fillet
  • Some of the best beer in the world
  • Good public transportation
  • The Old City sections of Klaipeda and Vilnius
  • The ability to travel to another country at the drop of a hat

Things I will not miss:

  • People who don’t smile. This is a culture that is very reserved, which is fine. But as someone who is used to smiling and nodding to everyone I pass on the street, this aspect of the country has driven me nuts.
  • The lack of customer service.
  • Smoked pig ears
  • Some of the worst pizza in the world
  • The lack of cooked vegetables
  • Pickled cucumbers, pickled beets, pickled cabbage, pickled apples, pickled carrots, etc.
  • Rain that lasts from September to December
  • Never quite fully knowing what is going on because my Lithuanian skills are not up to speed
  • Really bad drivers

Above all, however, I will miss the people at LCC. Many of the people there are among the finest I have met anywhere. The faculty and staff are people who are willing to give up stability and an income to come teach in Eastern Europe, while some of the students they teach will in fact change this part of the world. I will miss not being a part of what God is doing here in Eastern Europe.

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