On Nov. 12, eight students and two teachers from the Ziburys Gimnazija school in Prienai, Lithuanian landed in Seattle as a part of the school’s study abroad program. They stayed with multiple University Prep families and enjoyed sightseeing across the city during their travels.
Q: Why did you come to Seattle? What brought you here?
Arnas Biesevičius: I think the thing that most intrigued us is that Seattle is on the exact opposite side of the world and we just wanted to experience a completely different culture.
Q: What’s your favorite thing that you guys have seen or done so far?
Agnė Ulinauskaitė: I really liked it when we went to the Pike [Place] Market. I didn’t expect it to be so small but it was very cozy and nice.
Elžbieta Pilipavičiūtė: It was the same for me: the Pike Place Market. There were very, very cute, funny things that you can buy, like maybe souvenirs for friends.
Miglė Dobilaitė: It was really fun to experience an everyday life with the host because I feel like a family right now.
Q: How has it felt to be away from home and halfway across the world from your family for 10 days?
Arnas Biesevičius: I didn’t really feel a lot of stress. The host family welcomed me very warm heartedly. I’m really enjoying the city and I’m happy at the moment.
Ignas Urbaitis: I really enjoyed talking with people here. Americans seem really friendly.
Milena Barkauskaitė: At first when I got into the bus, I was pretty scared because I saw my parents and I thought about how everything would be here. Who will be my host family, but then they welcomed me at the airport and I found out that they’re really nice. And I just feel like here is my second home.
Q: What has been the biggest culture shock arriving here?
Arnas Biesevičius: Well probably there were two major shocks. The first culture shock is very positive. People are very open about their psychological well being and are not afraid to talk about topics like consent but there also was a negative culture shock because Lithuania doesn’t really have a drug problem. I mean, there are users but Seattle kind of showed that other side of humanity.
Ignas Urbaitis: In this school, students call the teachers by their first names, which at school it’s really not like that. We need to act really formally with teachers. Hearing first names is really different right now.
Agnė Ulinauskaitė: I think the biggest cultural shock was the food. I guess it’s way different from Lithuania’s. The portions were huge. And just overall the food was different from ours.
Viltė Matusevičiūtė: I was really surprised to see a student go to school in their pajamas. Because in our school, we usually wear uniforms. And this is someone wearing pajamas to school, I thought that this was only the movies.
Q: What’s it like, pretty much only speaking English, being fully immersed? You guys are pretty much the only ones who speak Lithuanian here so how has that experience been?
Miglė Dobilaitė: I really don’t know. Like, right now I can’t speak English and Lithuanian properly. It’s completely mixed up.
Elžbieta Pilipavičiūtė: For me, sometimes it’s really hard, talking with my parents on my Facetime because sometimes I want to say things in English. So yeah, Lithuanian and English are just really mixing up.
Arnas Biesevičius: I really enjoy speaking English. I think that my skills are getting better as I spend more time here. It’s kind of weird. My brain works in a very weird way where when I speak to people, my talking switches to English and I find it a little bit hard to switch to speaking Lithuanian quickly.
Q: What are you most looking forward to doing later in the week?
Agnė Ulinauskaitė: I’m really looking forward to going into the Space Needle. I want to see the whole city. I think it’s going to be a really fun experience.
Elžbieta Pilipavičiūtė: I’m looking forward to going hiking with our teachers.
Arnas Biesevičius: I’m really looking forward to the International District field trip. I’ve never visited a place like Chinatown so this will be a first.
Milena Barkauskaitė: I’m really looking forward to visiting that aquarium. I think it will be awesome.
Q: What’s been your favorite food that you’ve had here?
Arnas Biesevičius: Something that’s fully American that I found quite good is Berry Lacroix.
Elžbieta Pilipavičiūtė: I love all the Starbucks because we don’t have any Starbucks in Lithuania. My host family made tacos one night and it was one of the highlights of the trip.
Q: Anything else to say?
Arnas Biesevičius: I’m really grateful for the opportunity. I find the country and the city extremely entertaining. And yeah, I’m just glad that I’m here.
Miglė Dobilaitė: I’m also very grateful for the experience and I’m really looking forward to hosting the guys from here as well.
Elžbieta Pilipavičiūtė: I’m really thankful for UPrep for being so welcoming.
