Study Abroad: “Lithuania? Where Is It and Why?”

Katherine Beerbower comes from Bryan, Ohio, and studies at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. She majors in Psychology and Criminal Justice. Emma Cartisano is from Hackettstown, New Jersey, the home of the M&Ms factory. She studies biopsychology with plans to pursue a doctorate in neuroscience. Scott Collins, who loves marketing is a student at Taylor University. Emily DeVercelly is a third year psychology student from Azusa Pacific University. Heidy Avalos comes from a small town called Siloam Springs from the state of Arkansas. She is proud to be a student at John Brown University which was voted one of the best schools in the US. So what does it look like for a Study Abroad student to experience LCC, a different culture, cold, and no Starbucks around the corner. What is it like to receive tons of questions “why Lithuania?” and to pack suitcases for such a life-changing adventure?

How did you learn about Lithuania? What made you choose our country for exchange program?

Katherine Beerbower

Katherine: I first learned about Lithuania through the Global Studies Office at IWU, and then gained more information from Kristen, LCC’s Study Abroad recruiter, when she came to our campus. I chose to come here because I wanted to experience the cultures in this part of the world. I have always had an interest in Europe, but especially the former-Soviet areas.

Emma: My school has a really well established study abroad program with over 30 options. For years I repeatedly looked at all the destinations, and nothing really stuck out at me. I knew that I wanted to spend Spring 2014 abroad, so I attended information sessions for England, Australia, and Lithuania. All the bugs in Australia scared me away. England was good, but it was a popular program and I didn’t want to be with many people from my school. I also wanted to be in a place where a language other than English was spoken. Originally, I had no interest in Lithuania, but a friend asked me to accompany her to the info session. There, I was informed that the food is all recognizable and good, and I was inspired by the passion of previous study abroad students. So I prayed for a while, and this was the only destination for which my heart was content after two years of searching. Plus, I have four months to live wherever I want, and not many Americans can say they lived in Lithuania “just because.” So I applied and grew more excited with each passing day!

Scott: I learned about Lithuania through my school, but what really pushed me to apply and attend was a good friend of mine who had done it last year and highly recommended it.

Emily: I first learned about LCC through a mutual friend and through our campus’ study abroad office. Every person that I spoke to who had been a part of LCC’s study abroad program said nothing but great things about the experiences that they had at LCC, as well as how kind the people were. After gathering all of this information, I applied to attend LCC for the spring semester, and when I was accepted, I told my friends and family my intentions.

Heidy Avalos

Heidy: I had an acquaintance that chose to come to Lithuania in the same study abroad program when I was a freshman. My acquaintance was an Intercultural Studies major and since I am minoring in that, I already knew I would come to Lithuania when I became a sophomore or junior. Compared to other study abroad programs my university offered, I just felt that Lithuania was the best for me since it offered me an actual immersion in the culture where I would physically live with Europeans, not just attend a class with them. I love experiencing cultures, not just being some tourist, and I knew that Lithuania was right.

What were the reactions of your family members and friends after they learned where you are going to live for a few months?

Katherine: Most of them first asked me where Lithuania was, and then asked, “So, what’s in Lithuania? Why go there?” After some explanation, everyone was excited for me and constantly told me I was in for an experience of a lifetime. My mom didn’t like thinking about having me on the other side of the world for four months, but she also told me that this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

Emma: This is a funny one. I always received the same three questions. 1. Where is Lithuania? 2. What language do they speak there? 3. Why Lithuania? However, every single person I talked to was super supportive and encouraging. “You’re going to have an amazing time,” I was told, over and over. The support was quite amazing and much needed.

Scott: Where? Why? I got very good at answering these questions. Some people really couldn’t get their head around why I would want to study abroad in such a “random” part of the world. Most didn’t even know where it was. My family was very supportive though. They understood that Eastern Europe is a unique part of the world and would have a lot to offer me in terms of new experiences.

Emily: Although they were very excited for me to go to Lithuania, they were also sad that they would not be able to see me for four months. Of course, they made light of the situation by teasing me for never being exposed to snow.

Heidy: My advisors sensed my desire to seriously explore the world and completely supported me in my decision to go to Lithuania. I have been abroad before, so they knew I was ready to take on a new challenge. I always talked of studying abroad and making the most of my college experience, so when I told my friends and family I was finally doing it, their faces just lit up. I would say that my brother’s reaction was what made me the happiest. He just looked at me and started waving his hands in the air saying, “Look at you, doing cool things, going places”.

What were (or still are) your expectations for this adventure? What was the number one item that you felt you had to pack for your trip to Lithuania?

Katherine: I am expecting to not only learn about and experience Lithuanian culture and language, but also become fully immersed in it and to learn to live as a part of it. I am expecting to see the world differently as a result of this semester; that it’s not just a giant sphere with people scattered all over, but that it’s actually pretty small and every single person on it is a beautiful child of God.

p>My number one item to pack was boots. I was told there would be huge amounts of snow.

Emma Cartisano

Emma: I wanted a cultural experience; that’s partly why I chose Lithuania. I am hoping to immerse myself in the LCC community and the Klaipėda community at large to maximize what I learn during this adventure. I hope to learn about myself and deepen my faith as I rely on God throughout this semester. In terms of packing, I made sure I brought my coat and boots. But I wore them instead of packing them. For less functional items, I had to bring my stuffed bear that I received on my seventh birthday. He is navy blue, and his name is Sitting Bear. He has been through everything with me; he certainly was not missing out on this adventure!

Scott: Expectations for this adventure are to learn about a part of the world that otherwise would have flown under my radar. I wanted to become a better-rounded individual with a more intimate knowledge of another culture. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and to learn to trust God in uncertain circumstances. I felt that the most imperative item to pack was a big, warm, coat…followed closely by a nice pair of snow boots. Definitely had a preconception in my head that Lithuania would be way colder than it is!

Emily: The only expectations that I had for this program was that I would be very, very cold, that I would be exposed to languages and cultures that I have never experienced in person, that I would experience what it is like to be a minority, and that the people in Europe in general may have had some stereotypes for Americans which were not good ones. Basically, I expected that this would be an amazing adventure that I would cherish for the rest of my life, that this experience will humble me, that it will teach me how to be a better person, as well as how to be more considerate towards people. I also expected that there would not be any Reeses peanut butter cups in Lithuania, so I made sure to pack lots of them.

Heidy: I expect to have people rock my world. My personal philosophy is to be in continual growth and since I am open to new points of views and thoughts, I know that I will come out with perspective. I also expect to get to know some pretty authentic people, as I already have begun. Item number one on my mind was a tortilla mix, which I ultimately forgot. I have yet to find suitable flour mix for home-made tortillas here in Lithuania.

What were your first thoughts when you landed to Lithuania?

Katherine: I was surprised that there was no snow but it was raining instead. Aside from that, I instantly thought it was beautiful!

Emma: “Oh my goodness, what the heck did I get myself into?!”

Scott Collins

Scott: When the plane landed in Vilnius it really hit me. I couldn’t help but think, “What the heck have I just done.” I was nervous, excited, and overwhelmed all at once. At first I couldn’t get out of my head that I was going to be gone for over four months. As time moved on and I got more comfortable with my routine here I started to settle in and really enjoy my situation.

Emily: When I first landed in Lithuania, I was amazed at how beautiful it was, and how tired I was. I wanted to go to a nice looking coffee shop with a good book and go read, but I also really wanted to just go to sleep.

Heidy: I simply could not believe I was in Lithuania. In my head, I knew I was about to begin to understand a new culture that actually exists in the world that is so different from the ones I grew up with. Besides that I just wanted to sleep for 16 hours.

Tell us about your first emotions, challenges, experiences both in new LCC community and life in a new city?

Katherine: At first, I was overwhelmed, uncomfortable, and homesick. I felt so out of place, constantly hearing foreign languages around me, never understanding more than two words of it. I didn’t know how to get around the city by myself, order at most restaurants, or interact with my roommates. I bought some meat at the store that was not at all what I thought it would be. I didn’t pack a hat so my ears freeze every time I go outside. I really wasn’t sure I would make it through four months here. However, just in the past three weeks, I have come to love hearing so many different languages on campus and in the city. I have fallen in love with LCC, Lithuania, and all the people here, so my homesickness is very minimal now. I am also learning Lithuanian language and appropriate social skills in this cultural context. So, I’ve gotten past most of these obstacles already, but I still need to find the best place to buy a nice warm hat.

Emma: I have been absolutely loving it here! For the most part, adjustment has been smooth. It has been challenging to enter a new academic semester because the fall semester was insanely difficult. I also found the first day of classes difficult because everyone was greeting friends and asking about the break in their native language, so I felt left out. Now I greatly appreciate that I can hear so many languages! It’s really weird but extremely humbling to be in a place where English is not the first language. In the US, the attitude is, “Give me what I want and when I want it.” Here, I can’t be the priority, and I love it! It surprisingly relieves a lot of pressure. Grocery shopping is always an adventure! I love the ability to get creative in what I buy and how I make traditional American dishes, as well as trying dishes from other cultures. I like communal meals in our lounges. My roommates are great, too. I really enjoy all the walking, and pastries and chocolate are so good here!

Scott: Some challenges that I faced were to not just become withdrawn from big group hang outs because I felt out of place. I really had to make a big effort to push through this and get to know some of the students. It’s easy to just play on your computer and listen to your own music and talk to the other study abroads but the experience would be so compromised by this. As I expressed before, I wanted to come and learn and experience a new culture. This involves getting out of my comfort zone. Getting used to buying my own groceries and cooking for myself came with its own set of challenges but I’ve learned to love the time spent in the kitchen now. It is where everyone comes together to hang out and cook. I’ve gotten to try so many new dishes and share things that I know. It’s great.

Emily DeVercelly

Emily: When I began to experience the community at LCC, I felt like I was a first year student again. Everything was so cool and new to me, but also overwhelming and exhausting. Similar to any student who is new at a school, I was able to befriend many wonderful people and gain a better understanding of the city that I will be living in for the next four months.

Heidy: From the beginning of my trip I was confident that I would have a great time. The first week or so was the most difficult because I am just naturally an introvert, and sensory overload was kicking in just with constantly being somewhere and meeting new people, and learning how to get around. Back in the States I never had trouble getting around because I was bi-lingual, so navigating myself through the town worried me a bit as well, but I knew myself well enough to know that taking things my own pace was okay. At this point I seriously feel like I hit the jack-pot. My roommates are the bomb and I just feel so blessed to have met the people I have.

How do you expect this study abroad adventure to shape you as a personality?

Katherine: I expect to grow in my confidence, become more independent, and become more globally aware. I think I will be more comfortable operating in a variety of social and cultural situations after this experience. I also think my faith will be made much stronger by this semester abroad. Already, I am learning to look to God as my source of strength, peace, and joy. Also, I see Him at work in each day and present in each person I encounter. I have become less of a “planner” and have started living more “in the moment”, trusting Him to take care of the details.

Emma: I already see this study abroad experience growing me. I’m forced to be bold in trying new things. I tell myself that I don’t have to like everything, as long as I try it all at least once. I’m growing more outgoing, especially in my daily visits to the study abroad office. I’m learning to be flexible and spontaneous, which allows for a lot of fun! I already bought a plant for my room, just because I could! Primarily, I hope to continue to discern my identity as the woman God created me to be.

Scott: I think this experience will allow me to understand different people better, to push through the initial expectations and find the great things offered in the situation. I think it will allow me to take more risks and to rely more on God to provide comfort in uncertainty. I expect to become a better rounded person, capable to do more because I know more.

Emily: I cannot wait to see how the people here, and how the experiences that I have in Lithuania will shape how I behave and how I perceive the world around me.

Heidy: I expect to be pretty different when I go back to the States. The reason I say that is because I am American-born, but I am flowing with Salvadorian blood and heritage and so much of my life has felt like a balancing act between one culture and another anyway. Eastern-European culture is much different than both my American and Latino upbringing and it is teaching me a whole new level of interaction with people that are nothing like what I have interacted with before. So far things have been such an amazing experience and I already see so many of my predisposed beliefs evolving and being challenged. Just to put things into perspective, I go to university in the same town I was raised in, but I can say that I am a completely different person today than when I entered college as a freshman and so I cannot wait to see how much studying in a completely new environment will mature me.

Would you like to study with study abroads like this at LCC International University? Take a look! » Challenging Minds. Changing Lives.