The Different Views of Companion Animals (Capstone Project):

As part of the ExCEL Abroad program each participant is required to complete a  capstone project. The project can take any format and is to explore some topic within the participants host community which they can share their findings and understanding with their home and host communities in some sort of way. As part of my capstone project I decided to explore the topic of companion animals and their role within the Lithuanian household and society. 

I decided to explore this topic because when it came to picking a topic I remembered from my exchange in Argentina the different views of the roles household pets played as well as the views of animals in general and how they differed quite differently from my own culture. With that curiosity sparked I decided to examine the role of them here through a number of different methods including my own personal experiences within my host family life, observations around the city, volunteering at an animal shelter, and finally asking some of my friends on the role their household pets play within their family. Today we will go over the findings from each of the sources, compare and contrast them with the U.S. views of companion animals, and then hopefully be able to come with a conclusion on the role of companion animals in the Lithuanian household and how that differs from that of the U.S. point of view.

First off, one thing to remember is that my findings are just what I have explored and may not fully represent every single persons view. Everyone views topics differently so this does not represent everyone, it is just what I have found and or experienced. I am no way an expert but I found this as well as my findings interesting and I hope you do too. With that said let's first explore the U.S. point of view of companion animals and their role in the household and society. 

The point of view in U.S. does differ dramatically as I am sure it does everywhere else including Lithuania but the mass majority point of view that I have found (excluding my agricultural based side) is that companion animals are part of the family. Their purpose is to be intergrated into the household and basically become one with the family. Now what this means to each household ranges a lot going from the pet having few privileges such as being able to sleep inside and being aloud on the couch to being almost like their owners child meaning that they may have their own clothes, set treat times, given tons of toys, and or are allowed anything they want/may be allowed to get with away with anything (personally I feel as though this is more of the majority than earlier). However, their overall purpose is normally not to serve the family by guarding the house or rather anything useful but to instead serve the family by providing them with joy and something to take care of. Many of the arguments children have when asking to get a pet is that it will teach them responsibility and or that they are cute and that they really want one. Overall, animals are basically family members and it could be considered that they are treated like the owners own child. 

The point of view of household animals in Lithuania, as I have observed in my host family is that the animal is part of the family but perhaps not as much as the I described in the U.S. point of view. My host family has a cat and the cat is well cared for. He is given food and water everyday (in which from what I observed are always at least partially filled) and is allowed to go outside to hunt. He is only fed his cat food but occasionally gets catnip as a treat (as I have been told). Other than that his job is to hunt the moles and other small pests around the neighborhood (well mostly in our yard but he goes around the neighborhood a lot). He is allowed inside and in basically any room. He is allowed on the beds, couches, and chairs but not allowed on tables or anywhere food is prepared or kept. He is given tick resistant medicine and if he ever had a health problem I'm sure my host family would take him in to the vet (I did not observe this in my time here but knowing my host family and their relationship with their cat I'm pretty sure they would). When the cat comes around my host family generally talks to him and will go to pet him. They allow him to sit on their laps (when he wants to obviously) and seem to really like him. They let him in and out of the house whenever he wants and if they go away on vacation they always either arrange someone to come and care for him or leave him plenty of food and water until they return (quite similar to U.S., however, we may take them to the vet to stay or some sort of pet hotel). Overall, he is still part of the family but to a lesser extent to that as I've observed in the U.S.. 

Around the city I have seen more and more people with animals out. In fact, my first thought when it started to get warm out again was that there were so many dogs in the city and that it originally surprised me. But thinking back to winter, it probably could be considered cruel (especially by American standards) to take the animal outside for an extended period of time in the 0 F or -20 C degree weather. Another thing that I noticed is that around the apartments (not really so in the Old Town) there green spaces and even gated areas with obstacle course for the dogs to run around on. This helps indicate that animal needs are seen by apartment complex owners as well as the city enough that they are accounted for and that there is a mutual relationship between the owner in and pet in the aspect that the owner is provided, and from what oven seen from the large number of animals out and about, provides the animals and makes sure their basic needs are met. 

As another medium to explore this topic, I volunteered at an animal shelter in Vilnius. The shelter I volunteered for was called Lesė Gyvūnų Prieglauda and is one of the biggest in Vilnius. It is completely ran on donations and volunteers. The shelter itself is generally nice and kept well. Though any shelters condition could be considered sad the volunteers there really do everything in their power to make the animals feel comfortable and that they are well cared for. Each animals is fed and watered at twice a day (unless stated others on their chart for health reasons). The dogs are taken on walks at least once day and are let out to go to the bathroom at least twice. The dogs live in cages but that is make sure that the chances of fights are low and that each dog has an equal chance of getting adopted. The cats are kept in rooms together where there are plenty of toys, climbing areas, and scratch toys provided for them as well as plenty of litter boxes. If they are stressed, have health issues or are aggressive then the cat are kept in cages which are mostly in quarantine rooms. This is to avoid the spread of diseases and for the overall health of all of the cats. Emails are constantly sent out to all the volunteers (mostly in Lithuanian but there is also a email strand for the English speakers) in order to make sure that all the volunteers are informed all of the operations of the shelter and that each animal is properly cared for to the best of everyone's ability. This shows that the volunteers really do care for the animals and make sure that their basic needs are met so that they may be adopted to a more suitable home and live a happier life. 

On the final form of investigation on the topic of pets and role in the household, I asked a couple of my Lithuanian friends their point of views on the topic and if it matched their households point of view.  My first friend informed me that he believed that owners should fulfill all of the animals needs so that the animal may be able to do thae same in return. This was also his families point of view. I believe that is quite silimar to host families point of view as they fulfill all the cats needs in return for the cat to hunt and somewhat love them. My other friend stated that he believed that the animal should be more part of the family. That it should be cared for completely, aloud to go outside, and should be played with or given attention. However, his household didn't completely share the same view as him and believed that the animal should serve more of a purpose (e.g. the cats purpose is to hunt mice around the house). I believe that his point of view fits a little bit more into the US point of view but a little bit to a lesser extent. However, his households point of view seemed to fit a bit with that of my host family and other friend. This directly shows that in every culture there are different point of views and that the extent of everyone's views are different.

One last thing I wanted to explore before we go into my conclusion on the difference was if the role of service animals was something that is used here (e.g. Seeing eye dogs/dogs used to guide blind people, animals allowed places of the person has high anxiety, wtc...). This I had to ask a couple people about because I had not seen a single service animal out and about in the city nor had heard of any laws regarding it. Unfortunately, neither had any of the people I asked so it is not safe to consider this role of companion animals in my conclusion. This is something I wish I could have explored more of and hope to in the future. 

In conclusion, the point of view of companion animals in the household of Lithuania differs slightly from that of the U.S.. The animal still seems to be part of the family but a bit less than perhaps in the U.S.. The animals basic needs are to met and the animal should still be given plenty of care but it is not exactly spoiled like those in the U.S.. Affection is still given to the pet. However, the animal still serves a purpose (more so the cats in this case) such as to hunt. Therefore, though the point of views differ in some ways such as that the pet could serve more of purpose there are also similarities such as the animal should be fully cared for and happy. 

Update

A lot has happened since the last time I posted (which was in the end of January), however, I haven't posted anything in a really long time. This has been due to the fact that this blog was also my personal project for school which was due in January (the product, don't even get me started on the report). After it was due I decided to take a break from blogging due to personal reasons as well as simply not having the time or motivation for it (like I said a lot has happened and I've been really busy with school).

I do plan on posting during the last two months of my exchange but it will be difficult for me due to the fact my computer has died and that's easiest for me to write on. I will probably be blogging from my phone from now on or possibly from a computer at school if I have the time. There will most likely no longer be pictures in my posts because it is very difficult to due on the phone and I don't really like adding that many pictures to my posts like I have been in the past due to privacy reasons (mine and others).

I'm sorry to those especially from home and or personally know me and or I have given my blog to to follow for not posting, I have been nagged by my mother with the fact that people have been asking about my blog and yes I will be posting! Just possibly not as much as before, maybe not in the same style, and probably not with pictures.

P.S.: My next post will most likely be about my trip to Milan with my Model United Nations club so be looking for that in the next week or two. :)

Halfway Through Reflection

I was looking on my count down app that I used to count down to the days I had left on coming to Lithuania (it turned into a count up after the 'deadline' passed) and the number of days until my friends in the US graduate which also happens to be the last day of school for my school here. While looking at this realized that I have officially been here more days than the days I have left of school (I'm not going to say overall yet due to the fact that I have no idea what date I am going home but I have a feeling that I have less days left than I've been here as well). This is absolutely terrifying to me because my exchange is halfway completed and I really don't want to think about going home. It really doesn't feel like I have been here for five months (well almost five months, I still have one more day until I've been here officially for five months) and time has really flown by. Actually, reflecting on what time feels like it feels as though I have lived here all my life, life feels completely normal and I've actually kind of forgotten what was normal for me in the US because it feels so normal here. Anyways, as my exchange is halfway completed I believe it is important for me to reflect over the different lessons and things that I have learned here and to share them with you in order to show what sort of life lessons and things that exchange can teach a person.

Public Transport: I thought I'd start out with public transport because it has taught me a lot and I actually haven't really experienced the joy of riding public transport everyday in the US due to the fact that my town doesn't really have public transport (I think we have one bus that goes to the next town over but other than that, nothing). I could actually probably make a whole post on public transport come to think of it. This may or may not be comical and it id meant to be that way.

-If you're early then your bus is likely going to be late, if you're on time then your bus may also be on time but it may have been early (this is highly unlikely but it still happens) but more likely it will be late, however, if you're late then your bus was early or on time. Why? Because screw you. The lesson that this has taught me is to always plan ahead when you plan to use public transport and be prepared to account for your bus being early, on time, or late. Also, you can apply this to every day life by the fact that it's important to be early or  on time and to plan ahead in order to get opportunities or have people trust you more.

-There is no such thing as personal space so just deal with the fact that you're likely going to be made into a human sandwich sometimes. This has taught me to get over some of my personal space issues that I've had all my life and to deal with grumpy people who start yelling you at for no real reason other than the fact that your backpack is big. That's another thing, if you have a big bag you're going to have more space so carry a big backpack (I'm half kidding about this but it's true, you will have more space, trust me). It has also taught me to plan my day or social life after school on taking later buses in order to avoid going on these very crowed bus times. However, you just have to deal with it sometimes if you need to go home or get somewhere and that's okay. Just take a deep breath and remember that it will only last however long it takes for you to get where you need to go (or to the stop where the majority of the people get off if that's before your stop).

-Always keep your wallet in a pocket that would make it hard for someone to reach. This is especially important when it comes to traveling during the rush hour when the buses are crowded. When you're sandwiched between people it can be hard to feel someone opening your bag that you won't even notice them opening your bag and taking your wallet. Though I have never had this happen to me and I'm doing all I can to avoid it happening to me, I have been told and warned by my family and friends that it happens and to take precaution (just passing on the message).

-People can be intolerable, rude, upset, annoying, and many more but you shouldn't judge or take it personally because you don't know how their day has been and everybody has bad days. On the bright side you will probably never see them again, they will likely forgot about you, and you will probably forget about them also. Just smile, sigh, and try to be understanding.

-Be assertive and get on the bus, don't be polite and let other people go first because then you will never be able to get on. However, try not to push people because that's rude and they may get upset at you. When the bus comes, run to the front of the mob of people, wait for the people to get off the bus, then get on no matter what. It was very hard for me at first to take that initiative and people would basically push me around in order to get on though I was being polite and allowing them to go first. Also, if you're not on the bus first, you are highly unlikely to get a seat, be able to stand in a spot with space, and are more likely to become a human sandwich.  This has also taught me that in everyday life that if I want something I have to take initiative and not wait for other people to something before I do it.

Weather: Though I am from Oregon and the weather in Oregon is also quite bipolar, it seems to be even more so here. Also, I walk around more and use public transport so I'm outside a lot more than in the US. People have told me here that the weather in Lithuania is unpredictable and that it rains a lot. Even the name of the country in Lithuanian, Lietuva has the Lithuanian word for rain in it, lietus.

-The weather report is likely lying, don't trust it and be prepared for anything. There was one time that I checked my weather app to find that there was a 0 percent chance of it raining only to have it start down pouring on my way home from school, Needless to say I didn't have the proper clothing for a down pour and got drenched. Also, it may be warmer or colder than what it says (don't forget about the wind chill like I have multiple times here). It is important to dress for the worst however, I don't always do this because I like to be efficient and not suffer from being too hot (I'm a bad example, sorry). This also teaches that in life not all of the source you have may be correct therefore it is important to be prepared for anything.

People and Communication: Learning how to interact with people who are different from one comes with time and I have definitely learned the importance of communication while I've been here, how hard it can be at times especially with a language barrier, and how to try to make myself better at communicating as well as understanding other people.

-One thing to remember is that you shouldn't judge a person based off of how they act during one event or on just first impressions. Anything could be going on with them and you never know if something is bothering them or them and affecting how they are acting. Therefore, second chances are important and one should try to not judge a person right away. One should get to know that person first and then make their judgement as soon as they have given that person a chance. I learned this from spending time with my class. When I first met everyone I tried to keep an open mind and not judge anyone right away though it was hard. I was frustrated based off the fact that I felt as though they were quite immature and not very considerate to others. However, when I got to know the majority of them, I realized that they are pretty nice and fun to hang out with and or talk to.

-Just because a person can't speak your language, you shouldn't make fun of them or get angry at them, try to understand or find a way to understand. My experience with this is more memorable from my time in Argentina than it is in Lithuania. Getting off the plane and going through customs I was faced with a language barrier. The customs officer was trying to ask me the address that I was staying at but I didn't understand her at all. She then started to get frustrated and yelling at me. News flash, yelling at someone or talking louder doesn't make someone understand you more, it just makes them scared and not understand your intentions even more (as well as make the sleep deprived, slightly already terrified 15 year olds want to cry). Therefore, it is important to not get frustrated at the person and to try to help them to understand.

Cars: This one will be short. Basically I've learned to appreciate the U.S. citizen's ability to drive at the age of 16 as well as my parents being used to (as well as I being used to) driving me to the majority of my events. In Lithuania, one has to be 18 in order to get their licences and I don't believe that many young people around the city drive that much because of public transport. Therefore, I miss being able to drive (though I didn't really), riding with friends, and having access to cars more in general.

Exchange life/last remarks: Overall the exchange life has taught how to live with other people who don't speak my language as their first and who may be different from me, how to handle myself and actions that I take and to be responsible for them, how to deal with people in general that don't speak my language and how to try to communicate better with them without getting upset or frustrated, how to have the confidence to ask for help, favors, or for something in general, to take initiative, and I'm sure many more. These last five months have been both the hardest and most enjoyable/memorable of my life so far. I'm so glad to of had the opportunity to have grown this much through an exchange opportunity in only five months. I'm excited to see what the next five months bring as well as the lessons that I will learn and to be able to reflect again on my exchange year overall!

*If you have any questions about the lessons that I have learned and or want to learn more about how you can grow as a person through an exchange opportunity, feel free to contact me.

Holiday Break

Over the holidays I had the opportunity to travel a little with my host family. Though some of it seemed a little spontaneous, I'm so happy we were able to go and have fun. To start of four days of straight traveling around we went to Kaunas. Kaunas is the second largest city in Lithuania and was once the (temporary) capital of Lithuania. It is about in the center of Lithuania and only about 103 kilometers or 64 miles and takes about a hour and fifteen minutes to get to from Vilnius. We went because my host sister and father had a jump diving competition and they thought it would be nice to show me around at the same time. So we got up early (well, early for the break), packed up the car, and headed towards Kaunas. First we dropped off my host mother's mother at the bus station for her to go back her home in Klaipėda and then dropped my host father and sister off at the school in which they were competing at. My host mother and I then went  to the Old Town of Kaunas where she showed me some of the main attractions including where her and my host father got married, the town hall square, and the old president's house. Within the square was the Kaunas Christmas tree which changes each year and the next one's planning starts right after the current one is put up. This Christmas tree was interactive meaning that if you did something on an object, an ornament on the tree would move. In order to move the ballerina or to make her turn one had to say a poem or sing into a microphone. If you wanted to move the rocking horse you would have to get on the life one below the tree and rock it. In order to move the train's wheels you had to turn a lever. There was a bicycle in which you had to pedal on in order to move the owl's head. Finally, inside the tree there was a bird that if you put your hands on it and warmed it up some lights would turn on. My host mother and I had a lot of fun trying to figure all of these out and taking pictures.

Kauna's Christmas tree

After that we headed to the competition where my host father and sister were competing. They did quite well and received the second place award for their category. After the competition we met up with some of my host parent's dear friends and went to have food at Piano Piano (a pizzeria that is quite popular in Kaunas, they weren't even sure we'd be able to get sits there). After enjoying some pizza, we all headed back out the square to look at the tree in the dark in which it started snowing! This made me feel so wonderful because I love snow and we haven't really had any until now. We then said our goodbyes and headed home. 

The next day my host family and I went to Druskininkai, which is sort of a resort town, like the one we went to in the Czech Republic (please see that post for reference). My host mother told me that a good way to remember the city is that it has a salt lake and is basically the Salt Lake City of Lithuania (like that of Utah in the U.S.). A lot of people come to this city to relax and be pampered, including a lot of people from Russia. Some people even buy apartments there and rent them out sometimes. However, we didn't stay very long here and we didn't venture the city because that was not the objective of the trip. Our objective was to go to Druskininku Vandens Parkas, a water park. My host family and I had a lot of fun going on the different slides, swimming in the lazy river as well as the wave pool, and swimming in general. After spending a good three hours at the water park we went to get some good food at a nice burger place and then headed home.
The next morning we started our journey to Latvia and Estonia. Neither of these countries are quite far from Vilnius as they are neighboring countries of Lithuania. It only took us about four hours to get to Riga, Latvia which is about in the middle of Latvia, about 294 kilometer or 182 miles, right on the coast of the Baltic sea. Before we arrived in Riga we stopped at Cinemaville which was a movie set that for a basketball movie, a world war two movie, and are currently getting ready to film a movie about the only real 'king' of Lithuania (when Latvia and Lithuania shared the same country). We got to walk around the set and watch a group of people make a pretend movie. We had a lot of fun learning about how different scenes in movies look though it will sort of ruin watching movies for us. For example, some of the actors needed to ride in a trolley bus and in order to move it they had to connect it to a tractor. Our guide told us that it was typically how a lot of scenes like that were made. After spending around an hour there we got back into the car and headed towards Riga.  There we were able to see the Laima clock which is an old meeting place and also a very good brand of chocolates (though I can't judge that because I never tried it), the old town which looked quite similar to the Vilnius old town as well, and got to climb up St. Peter's church's tower. There I got to see the start of the night and the city lit up from the sky. After we finished viewing the city we headed back to the car and started the 4 hour drive up to Tallinn, Estonia. I really enjoyed my time in Riga though it was quite short and very cold (like 0-5 degree Fahrenheit, I learned what real cold was and am now very prepared for more cold to come). Overall I still had fun and would love to visit and spend more time in Riga again. 

Riga' Christmas tree

   The car ride to Estonia wasn't that long, I actually really enjoyed sitting in the car and seeing the Estonian countryside (even though it was dark and mostly forests). We arrived in Estonia around 11pm and went straight to bed. The morning we started our day a little early (well early for me because I was still on break and was very used to going to bed around 2am and getting up around 10am), around 8 am, had breakfast at the hotel, then headed out to explore the city. In Estonia we mostly walked around the old town. The Tallinn old town is actually quite different from Riga and Vilnius's, it looks quite bit more medieval and older than them. While in Tallinn I got to walk on the city wall which was built in the 13th century and completely surrounded the city. It is actually one of the most still intact old city walls in Europe as well as possibly the world. We also got to visit the oldest, still operating pharmacies which also had an exhibition for us to view about it's history and different old remedies such as dried hedgehogs and different herbs. We then got to try some roasted almonds that were quite typical as well. These almonds were roasted in sugar and a lot of different spice, everyone seemed to enjoy them. We tried to see one of the oldest working water toilets but the place wasn't allowing people to see it due to the cold weather/winter time. After that we walked around the old town a little bit more looking at the different shops, headed back towards the car to have some lunch at not very Estonian restaurant and then went to car to head back home to Vilnius.I really liked Tallinn, you could really feel the history throughout the town and it was super beautiful. Over all I am very grateful for the opportunity to travel with my host family some more and see other parts of Lithuania and the world.

Tallinn

Christmas

   Celebrating Christmas in Lithuania was truly something. The traditions were quite different from my own within my family but overall a great experience. To start off, much like the U.S., Christmas decorations at big stores, shopping center, and the like were put up/starting to be hold starting the day after Halloween (Halloween also isn't celebrated here as Halloween more of a U.S. holiday). The city was somewhat decorated in some parts but mostly within the Old Town. There was a Christmas tree in the cathedral square but other than that, compared to the U.S. at least in my town, the city decorated as much. Holiday music was played at the shopping centers but at least from my experience, barely any Christmas music was played on the radio. Holiday movies were also barely played and the main one that was played is the Home Alone series. Overall, the Christmas season didn't seem as forced as it is in U.S. but was still somewhat present and beautiful.

   Christmas is celebrated on the 24th and 25th of December. On the 24th, Christmas Eve, my host family and I weren't allowed by tradition to eat any meat or dairy products (or really anything at all in preparation for the feast to come that night). With that my host mother spent the majority of preparing many of the 12 dishes (we actually had more than 12) that we would have that night, all without meat or dairy. The dishes consisted a lot of different dishes from potato, fish, cabbage, beets, and other vegetable products. Our feast started in the evening when my host father's parents, my host mother's mother, and an aunt (I think she was an aunt of my host father but I'm not sure) came. We all then sat around the table and started the feast. The feast started off with the eating of the holy bread and then everything else. By tradition everyone had to eat at least 12 things as the 12 dishes represent the 12 apostles. I tried around 14-15 of the dishes/items we could eat which included the holy bread, herring with mushrooms, herring with carrots, two different catfish dishes, a beetroot, carrot, and potato salad that I helped make, a thick juice, a poppy seed 'dumpling (they looked like small empanadas), a grain patty, apple with honey, and a few other items that probably involved fish. It was a different taste of food than what I am used to but it was still very good. After we ate we talked for a little while and got notes from Santa. Then we all went to bed late in the evening.

Family photo before dinner

Dessert: Poppy seed milk soaked Christmas cookies

The table

Items that didn't fit on the table

 Christmas morning started later than mine at home (around 7 am) at 9 am when everyone started getting up and ready to open the presents/start the day. We started the day by having my host sister distribute the gifts to everyone and then everyone opening their's at once. We all opened and admired our gift thanking each other and Santa. After that we had a breakfast of the leftover food from the night before (I had yogurt and granola instead) and then decided to go into the city for a walk. It was raining some but we weren't going to let that stop us. We went into the Old Town, saw the Christmas tree, walked near my school, to the Gates of Dawn, and then back up the street to car. It was very nice to get out of the house but still spend time with my host family and their extended family.

The Christmas tree and I

The Christmas tree in the cathedral square

After getting home from our walk my host mother began the preparation for the dinner and everyone else went their separate ways talking with each other, playing with their friends, or watching a series or movie. Around 4 my host mother called us all to dinner where we had a feast of duck, potatoes, the food from the feast the previous night, and chocolate cake. We then sat around and talked some more and then people started leaving and my first Christmas away from home was over. I was very happy to spend it with my host family and to of had the experience. It was different from my own traditions which was a nice change. Now I can combine both traditions for next Christmas!

ExCEL Abroad

   Today I'm going to take a different route and not talk directly about my experiences but instead talk about my program. Exchanges for Culture, Education, and Leadership or ExCEL started six years ago when the first group of Lithuanians were sent to the United States as youth ambassadors to represent the country of Lithuania and to make lasting connections and friendships. After five years of successfully sending Lithuanians to the U.S., the Kazickas Family Foundation issued a three year grant for the ExCEL Abroad program, to send high school aged students from the U.S. (current 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th graders) to Lithuania. Like the ExCEL program these students are also to serve as youth ambassadors and to form lasting relationships between their home and host community that will bring a mutual understanding between the two countries. The participants attend a local school, live in a host family, and are strongly encouraged to get involved with activities within their host community  through community service, culturally related classes, and after school activities (all of these help the participants to make those connections in which the program was made for). This program is a fully-funded scholarship therefore the only costs to participants are extra pocket money (whatever the monthly stipend doesn't cover), required medical examinations and immunizations prior to departure, fees associated with obtaining a passport, and any fees associated with obtaining a third visa (for travel outside of Lithuania if needed but this will probably not be likely). Eligible students are current high school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents born between January 1st, 1997 through June 30th, 2000. The ExCEL Abroad application is due February 3rd, 2016. For more information I will put the ExCEL Abroad website at the end of the post as well as a link to the application.

  I'm a part of the first group participants of the ExCEL Abroad program and to be honest I'm so glad I chose to come here and am very honored to be part of the this group. There are only two of us here,  a girl named Emma and I (as far as I know for next year there will still be only two scholarships but don't let that stop you from applying). We attend different local schools. I attend Vilnius International school which an IB school running through the 10th grade (though next year 11th grade will be added as well as 12th the following year but they will not be a part of the IB program) and courses are taught in English. Though it is school and is quite similar to my school in the US, I really enjoy going because my classmates are great. Not only do I get to make friendships with Lithuanians but other people of different country origins such as Russia, Ukraine, Portugal, Kazakhstan, and many others as many of my classmates and teachers are from all around the world. Emma goes to Vilniaus Jėzuitų Gimnazija which is a school taught in Lithuanian, one of the top schools in Vilnius, has and currently hosts many exchange students. Overall we both like our schools and enjoy what we are taught everyday even if it's not academic.

  Living in a host family is one of the core parts of the exchange experiencel. I live in a wonderful host family that really has made me feel a part of the family. I enjoy spending time with them and have done a lot with them (please refer to other parts of my blog for examples). As far as I know Emma enjoys her host family as well. We don't live close to each other as I actually don't live in Vilnius like she does but we both enjoy the city life and have friends that we spend time with as well. Many parents (and students for the matter) get nervous when it comes to host family living which is completely normal because you have no idea what kind of family you are going to be placed in. Just to be clear, the program coordinators screen, interview, view the house, and have an orientation of a sort before participants are even assigned their host families. They also go through background checks so there is no need to worry (though it is very natural and hard not to). The key is to communicate with the host family as much as possible and to communicate with your coordinators as well if there are any problems. I can not stress more of how important it is to communicate. Overall, host family living is a very important part of this program as students are completely immersed in the Lithuanian culture and experience everything first hand.

  Participants also have the opportunity to learn the local language, Lithuanian. Emma learns from her school as courses are taught in Lithuanian and I have Lithuanian classes at school. We also have attended a language course at the local university which has helped us become more functional in everyday life. Since we both live in host families we both have the opportunity to practice our Lithuanian with our host families and to learn more from them as well. Learning a language through immersion is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to learn because you are not just repeating words from a teacher, reading from a text, or doing exercises, you are living it and have to think on your own on what to say and how to respond. Though Lithuanian is difficult, it is still something I'm personally striving to be functional in everyday life by the end of my time here. Lithuanian is not a commonly spoken language around the world or in the US but it is still something that one can put on an application and be able to say that they speak it. Also, once you learn one language, it's easier to learn another and it would help to other potential language learning that may be quite difficult as well (grammar rules may be similar to other languages or the cases). It also helps teach perseverance and not to give up when something is difficult or you don't understand and to ask questions.

   My experience through ExCEL Abroad, though it has only four months and I still have around six more to go, has been amazing, unforgettable, and very impacting on my life. I've learned a lot about myself that I'm happy to have learned now instead of later. My everyday experiences are helping further shape me into the person I will become. It has really helped me overcome my anxiety and gain more self confidence. This experience has also made me even more independent than before (if that's even possible) and has really helped me reflect on my past, appreciate the present, and to really think more about my future and what I want to do exactly. It's helping me weigh options and to be even more open to roadblocks and changes in life. The relationships I've already made with my host family and some of my friends are really great and I hope to continue to build them in order to reflect the goal of the program. I really am enjoying my time here and would like to strongly encourage you or your child to apply to this program. The impact it will have on your life will be incredible and it will be something that you will never forget (any experiences that you may have here may also be good for any future college essays, interview questions, or the like... just saying). Though I was terrified to come here and scared of what the future held I'm so glad I walked onto that plane and faced the unknown. Therefore, please look into this program and seriously consider applying to it. It could change your and or your child's life, I know it has for me.

ExCEL Abroad website: https://www.americancouncils.org/programs/excel-abroad-program

ExCEL Abroad Application:  https://ais.americancouncils.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/AIR.woa/wa/login?brand=excel




*There are other programs that you or your child should also consider, However, the application deadline for the majority of them have already passed expect for maybe some of the CBYX locations. I will put the website links here as well:

- NSLI-Y the National Security Language Initiative for Youth is a State Department scholarship that offers high school age students the chance to study abroad for either a summer or a year and learn either Arabic, Russian, Persian, Chinese, Korean, or Turkish.
http://www.nsliforyouth.org/


- CBYX or the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange is a scholarship that focuses on trans-Atlantic relationships with the United States and Germany. The US send 250 kids to Germany to live with a host family, attend school, and learn the culture of Germany and Germany send 250 kids to the United States to do the same.
http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org/

- The YES Abroad scholarship send students from the United States to significantly high Muslim populations to learn about the culture and fill in the gap between Muslim stereotypes and USA stereotypes through intercultural learning and understanding. They send 65 students to either Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Turkey, Egypt (terminated), Tunisia (terminated), Ghana, Senegal (new this year), South Africa (terminated this coming year), Oman, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and India. 
http://www.yes-abroad.org/

Mushroom Hunting

During the start of autumn break my host family took me mushroom hunting. Before we go over my experience, let us first look over the history of mushroom hunting. Mushroom hunting is an activity was especially popular during the Soviet era. There was a lack of food available so people had to find a way to fend for themselves thus they started picking mushrooms and berries. Whatever the land could provide for them. People would then either bring the mushrooms back to their families or sell them in the market. This cultural aspect is something that is still evident and somewhat popular in the Lithuanian culture

A few days before we went on the hunt for mushrooms, my host mother, host brother, and I had a debate over why it was called mushroom hunting instead of picking. The side for picking was that we weren't trying to chase the mushroom down or trying to shoot it, we were just going up and cutting/picking it. The side for the hunting was that the mushrooms, like a deer or elk, are hard to see and that we had to have a hunter eye in order to find them and grab them. Therefore, since we had to have the eye for it like a hunter we agreed to call it hunting.

  My host family and I got up at some hour early in the morning, picked up a friend who was our guide (aka mushroom expert), and drove out to Dzūkija (or somewhere near that area), a south eastern part of Lithuanian that borders Belarus. When we got there we put on our boots, grabbed our baskets and knifes, and started the hunt. My host mother and were teamed up and my host sister and father were with the friend (or separate, one of the two). The ground was soft and nice to walk on but it was quite hard to see any mushrooms. I found a couple but they were not the ones we were looking for. All throughout the search my host mother was passing on some of her knowledge of mushrooms to me. She told to always remember that the most beautiful ones that sort of scream 'pick me' are the ones that you do not want to pick. Ever. They are poisonous. Also that the ones with a collar sort of thing around it is another indication that they are poisonous.

 
This was one of the mushrooms that we saw a lot of but never picked because they are classified as poisonous

   After about 20 minutes, my host father shouted that he had found one. It was a portobello, which were the ones that we were looking for. They let me do the picking and put it into my basket. We then continued the hunt. We were going deeper and deeper into the forest and my host mother and I weren't finding anything. Another 10 minutes passed and we started to hear shouting. We had gone too far and nobody knew where we were exactly. We also weren't quite sure the way back to the car. But my host father and mother kept doing their calling/shouting and we slowly found our way back, searching for mushrooms in the process. After having not much luck in that area we decided to get back into the car and try somewhere else.

All ready to start the hunt

Picking the first mushroom

 We drove for a couple minutes, stopped, and then continued the hunt. My host mother and I found plenty of mushrooms but none of them were the ones we were looking for. Then we reached the Dzūkijos Nacionalinis Parkas and could no longer walk through the forest or pick mushrooms so we walked up the road. Then we reached the Čepkelių Gamtinis Rezervatas which is home to a bog. We walked onto the lookout and then hiked around to go to an area where the ground was like a sponge. We walked on it which felt unreal. I had no idea that natural ground could feel like that. We also ate a few cranberries that we found which is also something I've never done before. After exploring the bog, we slowly started to head back to the car. My host father and the friend/guide continued to search for mushrooms as we walked back while my host mother and I looked but weren't trying as hard (or at least I wasn't because I was super tired and my contacts were being weird and I couldn't see very well). When we made it back to the car we finally had some breakfast of tea and breakfast cookies. My host mother then taught me some others ways of trying to find your ways through the woods. She told me that the sun is one way to remember where your car is but isn't always reliable because the sun moves throughout the day. She also told me that there is more moss on one side of the tree than the other and that the side with more moss is generally north. Finally, she told me a story about how she remember when her father went mushroom hunting and didn't come back until late into the night because he had lost his way in the forest and was alone. We found about four mushrooms overall and my host family said that we were either late going out there or that the moon just simply wasn't right for the growth of the mushrooms the night before. Overall, I was quite happy to be fortunate enough to have experienced this older, Soviet part of the Lithuanian culture and hope to be able to use this knowledge that I gained again either here or back in Oregon where mushroom hunting is popular as well.

The bog