Thanks to the Erasmus Accreditation of Istituto Tecnico Aeronautico “Francesco Baracca” in Forlì, 9 high-school students from Italy were selected by their school to embark on a great adventure, an Erasmus + in Lithuania. They lived for one month in Vilnius, the capital, sharing a room in a hostel in the city centre and working for different companies. The challenges were many, one above all, living with the Lithuanian cold. Here are some of their thoughts about the experience.
Luca Corsini
I was selected from my school to join an amazing internship program in Vilnius, Lithuania; the country itself is really underrated and not considered a destination for mass tourism and thanks to that you can still see a clean and pollution-free historical city centre.
I loved the accommodation, thanks to the position located in Vilnius old town and the gorgeous common spaces of the hostel.
We worked in a company that produces Dutch electrical bikes and there we found a friendly and lovely atmosphere, where we have discovered an amazing team of co-workers.
Thanks to this experience I have improved my English skills and I started to understand a bit of Lithuanian and Russian; I’m also seeing myself as a European citizen and not just as an Italian citizen anymore.
Melissa Valdifiori
This Erasmus experience taught me many things, I feel like I’ve matured significantly. I enjoyed the work immensely; there was always a pleasant atmosphere, even with colleagues who were very kind and supportive. I learned many new things about the job, and there were enjoyable moments with colleagues where we talked or tried out bikes, so it wasn’t stressful.
Lithuania is full of interesting people who are very different from Italians. There are people from all over the world who are eager to talk and share what they are doing in Lithuania, so everyone is very talkative and friendly. This helped me improve my English and the way I express myself.
In conclusion, I really liked Lithuania, it’s a beautiful country, but you must know where to go. I’m very happy I had this experience, and I would do it again and again if I could.
Carlotta Scaramuzza
My stay here in Lithuania helped me a lot to grow and implement my leadership skills. Even if it didn’t really match my studies, the work experience was even more useful, I learned how to work in a group and set goals during the day. Our company was very welcoming, the boss even bought us cereals for the coffee break. As for Vilnius, the city fascinated me very much and I now feel like home. It is a very safe and quiet city and everywhere you go you find a bit of history. The Lithuanians are not very funny people, and there is no comparison with Italian food, but in the end, it is not so bad. In conclusion, I would do this experience a thousand times over, and I leave in this city for sure a part of my heart.
Alex Bortolotti
This experience in Lithuania was very useful, or at least it has been to me. It taught me how to adapt to a new place with different culture and uses, how to communicate with different languages and to learn to appreciate the particularities of a different country. Vilnius is a beautiful city and Lithuanians are good people, very different from us Italians. My work was not exactly what I wanted to do but that doesn’t matter because if I could go back, I would do this Erasmus another time. After a whole month, my house mates became like family members, and I will carry the memories of this project for my entire life.
Lorenzo Furigo
My experience on this Erasmus journey was very good. I’m satisfied with the company to which I was assigned, not only because it was quite related to what I study at school but also because the working environment was friendly and welcoming. Even the company tutor was very happy about my working performance because I was always ready and happy to complete any task I was given. Apart from the job, I really liked the city of Vilnius and its people, the city has very good public transport allowing you to travel wherever you want, and the architecture of the various buildings reflects the era in which they were built. Personally, I have visited some important city landmarks such as the TV tower, the Gediminas tower and the presidential palace. Our stay in the city was provided by a hostel which had separate rooms for men and women, a kitchen, many toilets and showers and a washing machine. The only problem of the hostel was that only one washing machine wasn’t enough for all the residents, who were not only Erasmus students but also other people coming from different countries. Overall, I think that this experience has helped me to become a better citizen, expand my English vocabulary, come in touch with a new culture and helped become independent. Also, my job skills have expanded a lot.
Rikard Zeqiri
This Erasmus has been very significant for me, both from the point of view of personal growth and from the point of view of learning to be independent and act autonomously. In addition to the fantastic adventures I had with my friends, I was also able to make friends with other people who, at first, I never imagined would socialise with us.
Starting from the beginning we arrived at this hostel where the owners were really very sociable and ready to help us with any doubt or need, the rooms from my point of view were quite comfortable and the place itself was not bad at all there was definitely nothing missing. Then during this month I came across fantastic places in Vilnius, such as the magnificent tower of Vilnius or the vast churches that in my opinion were all beautiful, in general I really appreciated the place. The food was quite good and I tried various typical dishes of the country such as the Cepelinai (meat wrapped in potatoes served with sour cream as dip sauce). I personally would very much recommend this type of adventure to everyone, because it is important experience of personal growth. I am really happy and proud to have participated in this experience in the company of fantastic friends.
Deanna Cavani
I enjoyed the whole experience; from the moment I took off in Treviso to the last days in Vilnius. The first impression when I arrived was that Vilnius was like the other ex-soviet cities, but I was completely wrong. The next morning, when I woke up, I started realising the beauty of the capital. We stayed in a hostel in the old town, so we were surrounded by Baltic buildings decorated with gold, making the city look like it came out of a fairytale. Walking down the street, we saw how cheap it was to live here and, weather aside, it would be a perfect place to live in. Vilnius is full of architecture, history, nightlife, and culture.
I then started working and there I noticed how people were really attached to their roots and how kind and supportive they were in teaching you all you have to know about it. I learned that Lithuanian people put a lot of effort in their work, and they are always open to explain what you didn’t understand to help you do everything right.
Rachele Benini
Embarking on a month-long Erasmus journey to Lithuania was a leap into the unknown, a chance to embrace new experiences, cultures, and challenges.
From the moment I landed in Vilnius, the capital city, I was enveloped in a whirlwind of excitement and discovery. Navigating the streets, tasting local cuisine, and immersing myself in the vibrant atmosphere became my daily routine.
Living independently in a foreign country taught me invaluable lessons in self-reliance and adaptability. From managing finances to overcoming language barriers, each obstacle I encountered became an opportunity for personal growth.
Every adventure fuelled my sense of wonder and curiosity, sparking unforgettable memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.
As my month in Lithuania drew to a close, I couldn’t help but reflect on the transformative journey I had undertaken. What began as a leap into the unknown had blossomed into an opportunity of self-discovery and personal growth. I returned home not only with a newfound appreciation for Lithuania’s culture and heritage but also with a deeper understanding of myself.
Though my Erasmus experience may have lasted just a month, its impact will resonate within me for a lifetime. It was a journey of growth, independence, and unforgettable memories—a chapter of my life that I will forever hold dear.
Boris Kanina
I participated in the Erasmus+ short-term experience in Vilnius in February 2024. The organization that arranged the internship, Uniser, did a great job of informing us about everything we needed to know. The company which I worked for was a cargo terminal next to Vilnius Airport. It was the first time that they let students work in their warehouse and, in conclusion, they were satisfied, and we were too. They made us load/unload and tie cargo pallets, do some office work and, more importantly, they allowed us to try our best since we didn’t have experience in that working field. Our tutoring company, EU Trade, seemed a bit stressed out since they didn’t find a company on time for all of us. They did a good job but still, they can improve a lot. Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, it was cold, rainy and snowy, but in the end, the city was great. We loved the museums, the historical places, the food and all the free-time activities like gyms, parks, and shopping malls. We visited Trakai, the castle surrounded by a frozen lake. We took the train, which was amazing and efficient. We also went to Riga, in Latvia, which was similar to Vilnius, but we enjoyed a lot our experience. Vilnius, such as other Lithuanian cities, it’s cheaper than Italy.
We bought all of our groceries near the hostel, which was in the centre of Vilnius Old Town. The food was cheap, we had lots of opportunities to try typical meals of Lithuania. The means of transport in Vilnius are efficient, we basically moved always by bus.
We also took taxis, which you can book using an app called Bolt: a good means of transport at a fair price. The trains were a lot comfortable and cheap, very convenient to visit Lithuania without worries. Not all people speak English, so you have to get used to gesticulating or use a translator. The language is not easy to learn, but some basics can still be useful in everyday activities. In general, I would recommend this experience for all those people who love travelling and exploring while working abroad. You will be missing your home and your family and friends, that is for sure. You will learn to live with people that you might love or hate, that’s up to you, but be aware that you will have to share a room for a month. You will learn to be independent, how to cook, wash your clothes, etc. Make your best out of these experiences, try new habits, appreciate new food and cultures. And be always open-minded.
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