Gediminas Venckus from Lithuania spent a part of his summer in Zagreb. He decided to share his experiences with future IAESTE trainees, to encourage them to come to Croatia and have the summer of their lives.
 
My employer was ZGOS d.o.o., a state- owned company responsible for municipal waste utilization in the City of Zagreb. My work in ZGOS was focused on acquisition with rehabilitation project of the Jakusevec landfill. Work area varied extensively, from civil engineering, to analysis of economical  figures of the project.

  I had an opportunity to get acquainted with project documentation and then had field trips.  I  visited some essential plants on the landfill site, which resulted in a valuable experience both theoretically and practically. Traineeship in a company working with waste utilization was something new for me, which opened another field of opportunities to consider in the future.

  What's more, participating in exchange programs like that is not all about working. I believe that every student brings his willingness to discover other than working experiences, too.
 
I didn't have any trouble adjusting to life in Croatia. Before coming here, I had previous experience in numerous international traineeships, exchange programs, etc… Moreover, both Croatia and Lithuania are in a period of fast and drastic changes, lasting ever since they regained their states independence. I could see and understand the excitement in the eyes of young educated people, looking towards their better lives, full of opportunities. One could point out that people, culture, environment etc. differ, as they do in any two distant countries. But really, I made an image of warm and hospital citizens of Croatia.

  I had interesting experiences with other trainees from IAESTE. This is where the international association for the exchange of students for social experience comes in, doesn't it? :] Every student of IAESTE comes with his/her own luggage of life and co-operates with each other. We traveled, went partying, made jokes of the situations we found ourselves in and which united us for those 6 or 8 weeks... Why do something like IAESTE traineeship in your life if it isn't just THAT FUN?!

  Cheers & Rock'n'Roll!
 
  Gedas