Third Month in Lithuania

Dive into Refik's third month experience in Lithuania

Everything is going great, we started June with celebrations again. We celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Musninkai Community's establishment on June 2nd. We had been rehearsing for a while for this occasion. There were dance performances, guitar playing, and singing. And on the day of the celebration, we showcased all the prepared performances. All the members of the community were there, and there were people from around as well. The mayor of Širvintos was also present. The party lasted until the evening hours. Despite most of the audience leaving, we continued to sing and perform. We kept eating various kinds of food and having drinks. It was a fantastic day!

Every week, we have weekly evaluations with my mentor and coordinator. We discuss the aspects we want each other to improve on and the areas where we excel. This way, we have a chance to show ourselves better in this project.

Again, in the first week of June, we had a big picnic, games, competitions, and entertainment together with the Gelvonai School. Canoeing, volleyball competitions, swimming, walking, picnicking, and never-ending music and fun. Everything could go so beautifully and enjoyable. I hope it will be repeated more.

And I had invited a close friend of mine to my town. I showed her around and we had a great time. She said she liked Širvintos. We played badminton together. I prepared a Turkish breakfast for her, and she constantly expressed her desire for food and said she really liked it.

Does the fun end in Širvintos? Of course not. There was the opening celebration of the bubble house we had been preparing in front of our youth center for a while. There were again plenty of diverse and various dishes, which is my favorite part. My fellow volunteer friend, Furkan, played the guitar and sang. People from the local community and surrounding villages also attended. After various speeches and dance performances, That day ended with beautiful memories.

And the very next day, there was a national football match between Turkey and Latvia. I had obtained permission from my coordinator weeks ago for this. Because I really wanted to go. The match was being played in Latvia, so we set off for Riga. I had planned to visit Riga with the other volunteer friends I had previously met in Lithuania after the football match. Firstly, the match was breathtaking. I had lost my voice from shouting. But in the end, we left happily as we had won. With my friends, we had an amazing two-day tour of Riga. And it was wonderful. I hope I can go again.

There was another celebration in the town of Kernave. This town, protected by UNESCO, had a special church, a wide area with hills, and small houses from ancient times that were worth seeing. Lithuanian people, who celebrate the longest day on June 23rd every year, did not deviate from their tradition this year either. There was a fantastic atmosphere, incredible liveliness. In the evening hours, we lit a big fire in a large area and ended that night with fun.

Additionally, I had taken a two-day trip to Kaunas with my friend. This city, which has a beautiful old town, is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius.