When we moved overseas the first time in 2017 I had never left the United States… I didn’t even have a passport. I honestly had no idea what to expect and a lot of the things that I thought were going to be an issue weren’t an issue at all! Now that we live in Lithuania I have found our family and friends asking us the same questions over and over. So I thought why not make a blog post and answer all the questions we have been getting daily about living in Lithuania.
What side of the road do you drive on in Lithuania? In Lithuania, you drive on the same side as the United States. It might surprise you but 75 countries mostly in Africa, the United Kingdom, and Australia drive on the left while 165 countries drive on the right. Lithuania is one of the 165.
Do Lithuanians speak English? Is it easy to get around? Yes, 90% of everyone I have tried to talk to speaks great English! The older Lithuanians tend to only speak Lithuanian and Russian (50 and above) because when they were growing up Lithuanian was apart of the Soviet Union and those were the languages that were taught in school. Now English is one of the main languages that is taught in school and most movies, music, and entertainment is in American English. *Funny story even at the playground you can hear kids singing “Old Town Road” HAHA I can’t escape that song anywhere.
How do you shop? Where do you shop? Is it like the United States? Shopping in Lithuania is FUN! They have HUGE shopping malls with stores like Zara, Zara Home, H&M, H&M Home, Movie Theaters, Play Places, Restaurants, and the BEST part they all have grocery stores in them so you don’t have to leave the mall and get food it’s a one-stop-shop! I’m not sure why America hasn’t caught on to this, but it’s simply amazing! The only downfall is they have a store for literally everything. If you need a blow dryer you have to go to the hair store, if you need make-up you need to go to the make-up store, Baby stuff you gotta go to the baby store… needless to say, I’m running all over that mall, but it’s still fun!
Food…What is the food like in Lithuania? The food here is AMAZING the local dishes are some of my favorites! They love potatoes and fried food (two of my favorite things) They also really LOVE garlic as do I! You can also get Amerian food easy! They love American foods like hamburgers, BBQ, and KFC is literally everywhere. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like we really left the United States in terms of food.
Foods to try in Lithuania: Cepelinai, Kibinai, Cold Beetroot Soup, Lithuanian cheese with honey, Lithuanian Bread, Tree Cake
Are things in Lithuania expensive? cheap? Lithuania is on the Euro as of January 1, 2015, and the euro is valued a little bit more than the American dollar… however, I still find things to be a lot cheaper than they were in Monterey, and probably a little cheaper than in Tennessee too. I have noticed that prices in Lithuania are a lot cheaper than they were when we lived in Slovenia as well.
Are Lithuanians friendly? YES! I love Lithuanians they are very warm, helpful and kind. I’ve never once felt like someone was being mean to me because I don’t speak Lithuanian if anything I think they enjoy speaking English because they get to speak with a native speaker. You’ll find on international groups on Facebook Lithuanians and other foreigners living in Vilnius looking to practice speaking English with a native speaker. If I didn’t have 3 kids I would be meeting all sorts of friends!