“Dieve tu mano Izabele, tavo žodynas toks platus!“ “Oh my goodness Izabele, your vocabulary is so extensive!“ exclaimed my first grade Maironis Cultural School teacher. She was amazed that I used the word kardžuvis, which means swordsman in Lithuanian. She, born in Lithuania herself, had not even known what the word was. Perhaps it was the way I gobbled up books that widened my vocabulary. Or was it because I didn‘t watch television until I was 8 years old? Mostly I attribute it to the fact that English was my second language. I am an American Lithuanian. My grandparents fled their war-torn homeland off the Baltic Sea and made a new life for themselves as refugees here in the US. My parents were both born here, becoming first generation, and thus I, second generation. Lithuania is a small but mighty country, with a little less than 3 million people. Outside of Lithuania, there are about 2 million in number. My whole life has been spent living two tracks: my Lithuanian school and heritage, and my American life and academics. I attended a Lithuanian Montessori. When I reached Kindergarten, I was evaluated by the ESL department to see whether I needed to be pulled from class to catch up to the others. However, with the support of my teacher and family, it was decided that by nature, it would have set me back if I was not present in class with the others. I did not want to miss a thing! So, it was full immersion for me, and it was great! When everyone was writing new words on white boards, I wanted to be right there next to them, whether I understood what was going on or not. My thirst to catch up was so strong, that by December, I was fluent in English. I went on to not only catch up but even surpass everyone and win reading contest after reading contest. Weekends were spent at language/cultural school, folk dance practice, Lithuanian sea scout meetings, youth groups and choir. Summers were spent at Camp Dainava and Camp Rakas, where I bunked with other Lithuanian children from all over the US and where I eventually became part of the kitchen crew and then finally a camp staff counselor. Presently I am Vice President of our Ateitis youth group, leading recruitment and managing meetings throughout the year. Living a parallel life has come with its challenges. As much as I embrace, celebrate and love my language and heritage, it has forced me to have to make sacrifices and commit to them. It has also come under scrutiny. If my accent sounds “off” to someone who has just arrived from Lithuania, I find myself concentrating on the rolling of my Rs and softening my Ls to the extreme, just so that I sound authentic, hoping they don’t find fault in my pronunciations. This gift that I have been given, that I have been born into, this culture, is the biggest one that I have received to date. I am proud to call myself an American, but even more proud to be different, as a Lithuanian. I am beyond grateful to my family and community for presenting opportunities that foster this rich heritage of ours. And more than that, I am grateful to live in a place that allows me to be Lithuanian, so far away from that beautiful country by the sea.