Hello everyone, I'm Okan from Turkey. I am currently studying Decorative Interior Architecture in my country and I'm working as a mobile worker at Atviras Jaunimo Centras. I had never been to Lithuania before and I loved what I saw in just one month. A magnificent nature, wonderful people, a peaceful city. I don't think I've ever seen this amount of lakes in my life. I even saw some small lakes forming like pools in front of some houses. This is just too much. Also, did I mention that I came all the way from Turkey to Lithuania by car? Yes, by car. It was a never-ending journey that took about seven days. But I am very happy about that because you witness many things on the way, you see different cultures and nature of different countries. Also, I was not alone on the road, my 15-year-old dog was with me. He's like my companion, he travels with me everytime. We saw many countries together along the way. Do not hesitate to ask anything you want to know about my journey when we meet.

When I arrived here, one of the thing that surprised me the most about Lithuania was the weather. I was aware that I was coming to a cold country and unlike most, I was excited about it because I like cold weather, but I did not expect this much. It's April and it's still snowing. April. As you know, Turkey is mostly a warm country since it is located in the south. Yes, sometimes we have harsh winters, but of course it cannot be compared to here. I lived in a region called Bodrum in Turkey for a year before, we were swimming in the sea in April and you have snow here in April. This suprised me quite a bit. I really can't wait to see what the weather will be like during the winter months in Lietuva.

Another thing that surprised me at first was that almost no one speaks English except the young people. After I think about it, actually this is understandable, Telsiai is a small city. It is impossible to come across someone who speaks English in small cities in Turkey too. I can also turn this situation to my advantage. Since nobody speaks English, I mostly have to speak Lithuanian. I go everywhere with google translate in hand. This makes it easier and faster for me to learn Lithuanian. Your language is very interesting, I know it is one of the oldest languages ​​in the world and I would love to be able to learn well while I am here.

I am sure that the 1 year I will spend here will be wonderful. I am already very excited for the activities we will do together, for the summer camp we will go to. I look forward to meeting you all.

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