Imagine my shock when the day I flew from Kazakhstan to Latvia I also went from sweating to freezing! Everyone in Riga was wearing a coat, hat, gloves… the works. “Ugh!” I thought. I really despise cold weather, but don’t get confused. That doesn’t mean I like summer either! So I may be a bit sensitive to temperature, but I eventually got past the “I think its winter” phase and am now realizing I’m actually experiencing a nice autumn.

On my last day in Lithuania, I took a nice little daytrip to Trakai where remains an amazing castle on an island - just like a fairy tale. I felt autum in full force, from the rainy sky, from the cool breeze, and also from the falling leaves. It felt almost a suiting time to visit a castle, and a small Lithuanian town such as Trakai for that matter. Here are some pictures from my little excursion:

I have since moved on to the very northern country of Estonia. I can’t help but think of the movie Encino Man when I think I am actually in Estonia! Even so, I am loving the autumn weather and am looking forward to hot wine and sweaters. To be honest, I am a little sad that I will be missing a home Halloween and Thanksgiving this year, but I am sure many other new and interesting experiences will help cope with that reality.