At the beginning of June, students from the Lithuanian American Community arrived in Lithuania to take part in month-long internships through the Lithuanian Diaspora Student Internship Programme (LISS). Following a competitive selection process, 33 students of Lithuanian heritage came to Lithuania not only to gain professional experience but also to reconnect with the country of their parents or grandparents.
Two LISS participants completed their internships at the Life Sciences Center of Vilnius University (VU LSC). One of them was Kaya Palukaitis, a Microbiology and Psychology student who joined the research group led by Dr Aurelijus Burokas in the Department of Biological Models at the VU LSC, where scientists investigate the microbiota–gut–brain axis. During her internship, Kaya gained hands-on experience with modern molecular biology, cell biology, and neurobiology techniques while becoming closely acquainted with everyday life in a research laboratory.
Before the LISS program, I had been to Lithuania three times, when I was 8, 13, and 18, and I returned with the program for a fourth time at 21 years old. This time I was joining the LISS program, where I would be staying in a hybrid hotel in Vilnius, accompanying the rest of the program’s members to do fun activities, and taking part in an internship in one of Lithuania’s many sectors. I elected to join a research lab at Vilnius University studying microbiome gut-brain axis research as this type of research greatly interests me, as I am studying both Microbiology and Psychology.
Before, I was accompanied by one or both of my parents nearly the entire time, so my personal one-on-one interaction with the life and people of Lithuania was limited. Additionally, we spent most of our time in the city of Kaunas, so many of my memories of Lithuania are specific to that city. Now, it was my turn to navigate Vilnius by myself. Before coming, I read articles about Vilnius describing it as one of the happiest cities for young adults, as well as one of the safest in general. Everything about my experience here has been in agreement with this; Vilnius feels like a welcoming and friendly environment for everybody. For example, it was extremely surprising for me to see that even children walk through the streets and use the busses unsupervised; this would be unheard of in major cities in America. Speaking of public transport, the bus system is very convenient, easy to understand, and consistent. When busses are not needed, locations are very easy to walk to. It is refreshing to be able to freely travel the city without being dependent on a car. Beyond just regular life, the LISS program provided us with nearly daily activities to enrich our journey here. We met with ministers, traveled to different regions of Lithuania, and experienced fun activities as a group. My favorite activities were going kayaking on the Vokė river, and celebrating Joninės in Rumšiškės, but those are only my personal highlights out of the many fun and diverse activities we got to experience.
As revealed by some of the activities prepared by the LISS program, the Lithuanian government seems to welcome Lithuanian Americans to return to Lithuania. Companies seem eager to know that young people are considering this option in bigger and bigger droves. Speaking Lithuanian with an American accent seems to invite people to try their English with you; a few years ago I would’ve interpreted it as an insult against my Lithuanian, but now I understand that people are simply excited to connect in that way when possible. Of course, returning to Lithuania is a big decision that would uproot much of our lives in the United States. But programs like the LISS program help young Lithuanian Americans like me improve our Lithuanian, connect with the culture, and imagine our everyday lives here if we were to return.
On the other side, not everything is positive. The infamous moody weather of Lithuania that my parents warned me about would, at times, rear its ugly head. Although I usually find that I enjoy rainy weather at home, the rain here is a bit different, feeling like a congestion sitting on the top of your head. People here are a bit more reserved than I was initially used to, but this was not entirely unwelcome. For example, it almost seems as though smiling at people as an acknowledgment is confusing for native Lithuanians. Americans tend to use more pleasantries when they speak, which Lithuanians omit. However, I find that after spending some time here, the lack of such a song-and-dance can actually be a bit refreshing.
The research and laboratory environment here were absolutely perfect. I was warmly welcomed into the lab that I joined, and everyone there was willing to help me learn and take part in various aspects of their lab. My lab was multi disciplinary, some scientists worked with bacterial cells, some with eukaryotic cells, and some worked with mice. Even if I had not already been interested in both Microbiology and Psychology, I feel that shadowing in this lab would have given me a wide scope of the possible areas that research can be conducted in, though my background allowed me to enjoy everything I witnessed to the fullest extent. In every type of research, there was either a graduate student or a researcher that was willing to show me what they do, and explain why they do it. I also was able to speak with them on more personal levels; I found out about their lives, differences in general perspectives between Lithuanians and Americans, and how life is like living in Lithuania. So in that way, I learned more than just science through my internship. I feel like I have learned a lot from my experience in this lab, most importantly being the overall exposure to a lab outside of my native country.
I am so grateful for the experience of Lithuania that the LISS program provided me. I feel like I have discovered new options for my future, as well as new sides of myself that I would have not otherwise known. I completely understand why so many people recommend experiences like this. It truly was a multifaceted experience that allowed me to feel like I unlocked a whole new part of myself.