Week 2 has been a whirlwind of emotions. All of us have rediscovered the motivation to study hard after taking our first exams. Managing classes, homework, excursions, workouts, volunteering, and wanting to explore the city has been something that all of us are figuring out together. I am so thankful to be here with such a fun group, it makes it all worth it. The biggest highlight of this week was going out and celebrating Ivan Kupala. We went to the beach, watched some great cultural performances, and got to see some live music. We also had the opportunity to interact with some locals and practice our Russian. Having a free weekend and a Friday off to get everything settled and figure out how we can best structure our week has been very helpful. The free weekend was great, but I am so excited to go to Tallinn next weekend for the singing festival. The rest of this week also brought some great adventures. The World War II Museum was really cool, my favorite part was seeing all the little pictures and trinkets that soldiers had in their pockets. It showed so much about who those men were and what their lives were like. We also got to go to the top of this huge tower and got a great view of the ocean. We also had our first introduction to the Narva Library, where we will be volunteering for the next six weeks. It was cool to see their American Center which hosts conversation groups in Russian and English. They had multiple floors full of all kinds of books, including a whole floor just for children’s books and toys. It was so great to see a place where all people from the community can come and learn together. I am very excited to see what is to come in the next few weeks. – Natalie