Youth Work and Travel: Exploring Lithuania's Heart and Beyond

I can`t believe it is my fifth month in Lithuania. Since far, I know how to deal with -20 winter and make šaltibarščiai and Cepelinai. Šaltibarščiai is a pink cold soup that mostly eaten in summer. Cepelinai is a traditional meal that pork is put inside a mushed potato. I learned how to cook thanks to Jelena actually. On a Sunday afternoon, she invited us to her lovely home. She cooked so many traditional meals for us. We made Cepelinai together with volunteers Kerem, Aydan, João and our beautiful boss Živile.

We have mobility youth work on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I plan a monthly activity for the village Gelvonai and Musninkai and then I publish them on Mobility Youth work Facebook and Instagram. Last week activity was just board games. Not only we played board games but also our new Portugues volunteer João introduced himself and his cultures by playing a Kahoot game. There was a Portugues traditional card game that he taught us.

As for Musninkai, we had same activities. We danced together. While playing chess, the others were playing Monopoly. There was a cozy atmosphere that we were chilling and drinking tea and coffees when it was rainy outside. One more, the newest volunteer introduced his cultures thanks to a Kahoot game that he prepared before. The winner earned a Širvintos Youth Center badge.

As I mentioned before, on Mondays, I go to Širvintos High School to promote the youth center and socialize with youngsters. First activity was a funny energizers that the students had to write 3 fact about themselves but one of them was a lie. One by one, they had to detect which fact was a lie. Afterwards, We played ''Wheel of Fortune''. As it is seen on the photo, I wrote an English word on the board and each 3 team spinned the wheel and guessed the correct alphabeth. I had a great time with them and announced the weekly activities of youth center.

The represantives of Širvintos Community who wants to work with local and foreigners volunteers visited the youth center. After introducing the youth center and mobility youth work, we also informed what ESC volunteering was. There was a lady who works in kindergarden and she clarified that she wanted us to come to her kindergarden to meet with toddlers and infants. I still miss my old students who are 11 years old now. But they were 6 years old and I was their first teacher and we are still contacting each other . Therefore, I was getting excited when I heard that I had the opportunity to spend time with toddlers again. I am looking forward to it actually. I have so many activities that I am sure that they will love it.

One of the activities for English Speaking Club was ''Who Wrote That?''. The game rules were simple. The statements such as ''the things that you can not do in the library'' were read and everyone had to write a sentence that was related to the fact. The chosen one had to read all sentences and they were trying to guess who wrote that. In the end, Whoever correctly guessed who wrote it got the most points. The second rule was to write and speak in English of course.

There were another activities that Aydan managed on one of Fridays. It was called ''Euphoria Make up Day''. Euphoria is an American famous series that all teenagers in the series wears sparkling and beautiful make up as well. Therefore, the thema of this activities was all about make up. The girls came and brought their own make up and we danced and wore make up together. Finally we took lots of photos together like Euphoria teenagers in the series.

This month I also visited Prague which I admired. We stayed in Prague for one week and we explored so many hidden treasures in this beautiful city. The more we walked around the city, the more we were mesmerized. This was my second time in Prague. I came Prague 7 years ago when I was 22. Since then, nothing changed in Prague actually. Everyone in Prague were wearing scarfs, hats and coat but It wasn't cold for us thanks to Lithuania. The temperature was 0 degrees which was enough warm for us. I enjoyed to feel sun on my skin for a long time. The National Museum of Prague was one of the amazing museums in the city. Another month has passed quickly. I am looking forward to new adventures that is waiting for me.