Intan Destia Helmi is studying in Lithuanian language and culture summer courses at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania this summer. Intan is originally from Indonesia, Aceh Province, which is roughly 10,000 km away from Kaunas, where she resides right now.

Intan says that she picked Lithuania specifically because of the history and the language. She describes Lithuania as being “one of the most historical places in the world”. What attracted Intan to Lithuanian language the most was the fact that it is one of the oldest in the world. She also describes it as having close relation with Sanskrit‘s language, which is the language spoken in Indonesia before the national language was established. These are the main reasons why she became interested in Lithuania and eventually decided to study here.

Aside from completing her bachelor studies, Intan is also a TV host and a journalist back in her home country, Indonesia. According to her, studying in Lithuania provides her with many cultural benefits that will ultimately help her career. She says, that being a TV host and a journalist means to always be up to date. She writes her own public journal, which she uses to share her moments and experiences. She also has written an article that will be published soon in the daily magazine and newspaper in her country. She says, that the experience she gains in Lithuania should be very beneficial for her articles in the future.

Intan describes the people in Lithuania as a lot more tolerant than she initially thought they would be. For example, the people at the university give her space and respect her when she is praying. She also describes Lithuanians as being very open-minded. This has helped her make conversations with people and made her feel more welcome in Lithuania.

Learning the language was hard at first but Intan is very invested and dedicated. She says that not only she used her mind, but also her heart to learn. It is becoming more interesting to her as she continues the learning process. Her goal here is to master the Lithuanian language and to understand more about the living environment. The interest in history, language and culture made her consider continuing her Master’s degree in Lithuania when she finishes her Bachelor’s back in Indonesia.