Erasmus and Kaunas - the city where I did my Erasmus - is a chance I had in my life that has settled in my mind mostly positively. The beginning of the process was painful, like almost everyone else. The social circle I gradually gained, the excitement of stepping into a new world, and living in a foreign place in every sense kept my soul fit. During this process, I had very close friends, times when I had a lot of fun, times when I was stressed, exhausted, and of course times when I felt very lonely. Witnessing absurd snapshots, visiting different cities, seeing cultural differences, and the way they experience joy and fear taught me that every person and every culture has an extraordinary richness within their own ordinariness. I learned that the people who are happy, no matter where they are in the world, are those who are lost in this ordinariness without comparing themselves to others.
Discovering the hidden beauties and interesting things of Kaunas, Lithuania and other cultures became a habit that I did not give up during Erasmus and still enjoy. Of course, achieving such gains is possible when you learn to evaluate life through a positive filter. Erasmus is very useful in this respect. It offers the opportunity to mature by being exposed to many difficulties. I can say that it broadened my horizons and nourished my belief that there is always a solution and raw beauty in life. In the last days of Erasmus, I realized how much I knew Kaunas and how much I embraced its people. I still continue to friendships that I had during Erasmus. Another positive aspect for me is to have seen different methods and styles in my field.
Since Lithuania is a country where little English is spoken, there were situations in the city and in daily life that I did not understand and had difficulty with as a foreigner. I thought about how these situations could be improved. When I returned to Turkey and other places I visited, I started to evaluate their ease and difficulties from a foreigner's perspective. Also living in a place with a different climate, culture, language, rules and loving that place made me appreciate my own country, Turkey, even more. I rediscovered Turkey's beauties, advantages, underrated features and I developed empathy and understanding for its disliked aspects.
I loved and enjoyed Lithuania and my Erasmus journey. I have to say that it left a positive impact on me. I think that my mind gives me an advantage by looking at things from a broader perspective with what I have learned. Of course every beauty has its challenging sides and some beauties are only visible to those who take the risk and really eager to see them.
Written by Ahmet Yasin Aksu
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