By 8:45 we were at CoffeeInn, which I feel obligated to show visitors since I spend so much time there. Gossiped about mutual friends over breakfast before Samantha began her tour of Vilnius.

Meanwhile, I scrambled to finish my paper and build a powerpoint presentation from scratch. Threw together some pictures and was off by 12:30 to print my paper. Unfortunately, the baristas didn’t have any recommendations for nearby print-shops so I rushed to the International Students Office. Of course, they were closed. Booked it to the library downstairs without the student ID required to enter. The receptionist kindly printed my ten-page paper, I was beyond thankful.

Arrived at class with only a few minutes to set up my presentation. I rambled for thirty-five minutes about Litvak history and the extinction of Litvak identity (outside of religious circles). I thought it was the poorest presentation I’d ever given, so I was shocked to receive a 10 (out of 10) on spot.

After enduring two more presentations I rushed to the bell-tower where I met Samantha. She’d toured the entire castle complex and even made time to trudge through the snow to the synagogue. I was extremely impressed with all she’d accomplished, her pace much quicker than Dad’s. We chugged the German beer that she’d kindly gifted me en route to the airport.

Had lunch before boarding the plane to Riga at 4:30. Blogged.

Customs was a breeze, boarded the plane to Kiev at 6:15. Blogged.

Taxied 30 minutes from Boryspil International Airport to our luxurious hotel in the heart of Kiev.

Enjoyed a surprisingly tasty combination of Japanese and Ukrainian dishes for dinner.