“Lithuania is truly a great place to start your future, and if you have the right people around you – it is a gem to live here,” says Lian Moussa, a 21-year-old girl from Egypt studying Renewable Energy Engineering at Kaunas University of Technology.

While Lian was still living in Egypt, she remembers her dad talking a lot about how much he loved Lithuania and sharing his stories with the family. Moreover, when it came time to decide where Lian would be studying, her brother had already been studying and living in Lithuania for two years, which had a huge influence on her final decision.

These two people, Lian’s father and brother, highly influenced her opinion about Lithuania from the start to the positive side. Additionally, Lian states that Lithuania was the only European country that offered her desired course at an affordable price.

Change of Plans

Lian has always wanted to study something that could help the world in any ways possible. One of her preferences for studies after high school was medicine, as she loved biology and thought that becoming a doctor was the only way she could largely contribute to the improvement of the world.

However, as Lian states, “I soon got my senses back,” and she decided to switch her desired major to the one she is currently studying – Renewable Energy Engineering.

It’s hard for Lian to tell if it is the right choice yet, as they are not learning about what exactly interests her yet, and sometimes not many people show up to class, which makes it hard for her to make friends or meet new people. Nevertheless, she is hoping for the best in the upcoming semesters as she is greatly enjoying Lithuania as a country.

Cultural Shock

One of the things Lian expected from Lithuania before arriving here was the cold, and as she states, she got to experience it for sure. Yet, something she did not expect was that, as she mostly noticed, many people do not enjoy the sun. It surprised her significantly because in Egypt, where she is from, everyone loves the sun. “Even though we look like a burnt chicken nugget after staying in the sun for too long, we still love it very much,” Lian states.

Additionally, before Lian arrived in Lithuania, she had the expectations of Lithuanian people being more social. However, the majority of Lithuanians she met were more on the introverted side.

“As an Egyptian, I love to talk, make new friends, and meet people, so it really shattered me when that feeling was not reciprocated by someone,” she says.

Embracing Lithuania

Even though Lian experienced some situations where her expectations of Lithuania were not fully satisfied, during the interview, she mentioned many aspects of Lithuania she finds incredibly fascinating.

According to Lian, Lithuanian food is delicious, and she could have her favorite Lithuanian dish, called kibinas, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The nature in Lithuania is also one of the things Lian finds absolutely stunning, especially in spring when all the flowers start blossoming, and the weather feels exceptionally refreshing.

Also, Lian loves how people in Lithuania love to take care of themselves, their fitness goals, mental, and physical health. “I will never get over being beaten during a run by a grandma, and her not even breaking a sweat,” she states.

The nature, the people, the weather all year round, the simplicity are all the things Lian loves about Lithuania. “I love it in Lithuania; it’s so therapeutic with all its beautiful nature and beautiful, kind people everywhere,” she concludes.