Trainee from Turkiye: “I am taking much more than just an Erasmus+ experience with me”
Şule Aydin, a trainee from Türkiye at Aydın Adnan Menderes University, completed a five-month internship at the International Relations Office of Šiaulių valstybinė kolegija / Higher Education Institution.
We are pleased to share Şule's reflections on her internship experience:
“Hello, I’m Şule, and I come from Türkiye. I was born and raised in Istanbul. For those who may not know, Istanbul has a population of around 16 million people and is the largest city in Türkiye.
Coming to Šiauliai from such a crowded city was intimidating at first. I kept thinking, “What am I going to do in such a small city?” But the truth is, I had already spent my university years in a city that was considered relatively small by Turkish standards, with a population of around two million people. When I first moved there, I had the same concerns, but over time it became a place I loved very much. I hoped the same thing would happen with Šiauliai.
After arriving here, I noticed that the pronunciation of the city’s name sounded a little similar to my own name, Şule. Strangely, I took it as a sign of fate. It felt as though fate had brought me here and allowed a new version of Şule to be born in Šiauliai.
During my first weeks here, I experienced temperatures as low as –30°C. The coldest weather I had ever seen before was around –3 or –4°C, so I kept wondering how terrible –30°C could really be. Then I started worrying that my fingers might get frostbite and have to be cut off, so I began wearing two pairs of gloves. Whenever people asked me, “Isn’t it too cold?” I would reply, “Well, it’s cold, but it’s not killing me.” And honestly, it wasn’t.
At the beginning, because I was alone, even a city that seemed small compared to Türkiye felt enormous. Later, I realized that every city feels bigger when you are on your own. Throughout this time, Guoda, Eglė, and Dovydas never got tired of asking me, “How was your day?” or “How was your weekend?” Most of the time I gave the same answers because I had not done much, but I always knew they genuinely cared about me. They wanted me to be happy here. They wanted me to build friendships, create a social circle, and make the most of my Erasmus experience.
Over time, my loneliness disappeared. I started forming meaningful connections with people. In the beginning, I was the one saying, “Yes, Šiauliai is a small city.” Now, whenever Lithuanians tell me how small it is and ask what I am doing here, I find myself defending the city—especially when people say there is nothing to do here. Because I simply don’t agree anymore.
I have learned that there is no such thing as a small city or a big city. There are only expectations from life. And this city exceeded mine. When I want to have fun, relax, take a walk, or enjoy a meal outside, I know exactly where to go. For me, having many options or only a few does not matter. In fact, too many choices often make life more confusing.
This Erasmus experience taught me many things. It showed me how distant and unreachable the world once seemed when I looked at it from my window in Türkiye. But now it feels as though, if I opened that window and stretched out my hands, I could hold the world in my palms.
I also learned how similar people are at their core. Baltic people, Mediterranean people, Middle Eastern people—we may have different cultures, different habits, and even different ways of communicating, but at our core we are much more alike than we think.
As Turks, we love living collectively. We are always surrounded by family, friends, and loved ones. We are constantly in touch with one another. When I first arrived here, I missed that deeply. But over time, I learned to appreciate having my own space, my own boundaries, and spending time with people when I truly wanted to. Human relationships started feeling less exhausting and more meaningful. I think Erasmus taught me individuality.
And I would also like to thank Lithuania. Before coming here, I knew very little about this country. But now Lithuania is much more than just a place on a map for me. Here I experienced the respect people have for nature. I discovered the lakes, forests, walking trails, and the peacefulness of everyday life. Many things that felt unfamiliar at first eventually became part of my routine.
Lithuania showed me that I could live in a different country, build connections with new people, and create a life for myself from scratch. It gave me confidence. When I leave, I will not only take memories and photographs with me. I will also take a version of myself that is braver, more independent, and more open to the world.
Throughout my time in the office, I always tried to help whenever I could and to be ready whenever I was needed. But most of the time, they were the ones helping me. There were many occasions when Guoda even helped me with my own tasks, and for that I am truly grateful. They taught me that it is possible to work with discipline while still keeping a smile on your face.
And then there was my Excel task… I think I had a two- or three-month relationship with that spreadsheet. Thankfully, it is finally over, and I think we are all relieved. It even appeared in my dreams sometimes because I was afraid I would never finish it. But I did. We all survived.
I know I have spoken for a long time, but what I really want to say is this:
Ačiū, International Relations Office, from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you for welcoming me and supporting me throughout these five months, for being patient when I was occasionally late, for patiently explaining things whenever I struggled to understand, and for giving me this opportunity.
There was a time when I spent my lunch breaks in Türkiye sending emails and searching for internship opportunities abroad. And now I am standing here, sharing the experiences that journey gave me. If someone had told me back then that I would live through all of this, I probably would not have believed them.
But here I am.
And as I leave, I am taking much more than just an Erasmus+ experience with me. I am taking friendships, memories, a new perspective on life, and a stronger version of myself.
Ačiū for everything.”
