Why Lithuania is Cooler Than the USA and Visa Versa

Living in the US my whole life, I constantly find myself comparing every aspect of my life in Lithuania to how I live at home. I decided this is actually a terrible thing. The best way to enjoy yourself living abroad is to completely let go of every expectation you have that your new country will be anything like what you're used to. The same goes for traveling. I first found myself frustrated whenever I came across someone who didn't speak English here. Then, I slapped myself across the face and told little, stubborn old me "you're living in THEIR country, you need to try and speak THEIR language, and not visa versa". When visiting or living somewhere else, take advantage of how different and unique each country is and rather than compare it to your life and your familiarities, just soak it up and be grateful for a new experience.

With that said, I'm going to attempt to do just the opposite in this post. I'd be lying if I said I never thought about how drastically different my life is when I live in Lithuania during the basketball season and sunny Florida during the summers. Here are a few examples of things I like better in each:

• People dress better in Lithuania. I absolutely love walking down the street here and just admiring what everyone wears. I always tell Deividas that I just want to go up to people and compliment them on their wardrobe choices, but he told me it's best to keep quiet and not creep them out. Men and women alike really take pride in how they look, even for something as meaningless as a trip to the grocery store. While I find this somewhat irritating when I just want to throw on a pair of lululemons and call it a day, I also embrace the fact that I will never be judged for being overdressed. Also, I can never use the excuse "I have no where to wear this to" when contemplating over a new purchase. It's a beautiful thing.

  

  What better woman to illustrate Lithuanian's great style than my sister-in-law :)

• Customer Service is way better in America. This one is a toughie for people to adjust to in Europe (as this is the case pretty much all over the continent, not just in Lithuania). Customer service over here is nothing like what we're accustomed to at home. You know how you order your burger "no tomato, add avocado, ketchup on the side, substitute for a veggie patty"? Well, that shits not gonna fly here. You'll get exactly what you ordered and often, quite opposite of what you ordered but frankly, that's something you just have to deal with. You'll wait forever to get the check, your meal won't be comped if you don't like it and you will most certainly not be seated if you come in twenty minutes before the restaurant closes. That's life here and the sooner you accept it, the easier it becomes.
• Lithuania's rich history and architecture>ugly strip malls in FL. As my husband so eloquently reminds me "My country's been around way before anyone even thought about America". Growing up in the newness of South Florida, I've never lived somewhere where I'm constantly surrounded by history and old architecture. I remember traveling to Boston in fifth grade and being amazed at seeing buildings from the 1700s. Now, my apartment in Vilnius is sandwiched in between a castle and a gothic church built in the 1400's. The buildings in Old Town have so much history and although my dog misses his walks on the Florida beaches, I find myself wishing he could appreciate how cool it is that he's peeing on ancient battlegrounds.  

  

  Gedimino Castle

  

  Right behind our apartment

• Americans smile. This has probably been the hardest thing to adjust to. I am a happy person and frankly, I enjoy smiling. At home, we're expected to give the "courtesy smile" or the "hihowareya" to anyone that we come in contact with. Do that in Lithuania, you'll get a blank stare and a woman pulling her child closer to her. People here have told me that my smile is a dead giveaway to others that I'm not Lithuanian . I've tried repressing my smile while walking down the street, but I have a lot to be grateful for; so, I'm happy to say, it isn't going anywhere anytime soon :)

I could go on and on with the differences between these two places. Perhaps another day I will continue. But for now, I'm celebrating this country and the things they do well while simultaneously appreciating what I miss back home.