Finding home away from home: My Erasmus adventure

Wow, it’s crazy how fast time flies! It feels like I just got here, and now it’s already time to say goodbye. Moving away for university was one thing, but living in a whole other country has been a totally different experience. I’ve learned so much along the way.

This exchange has really helped me get to know myself better, push me out of my comfort zone, and deal with whatever life throws at me. I’ve become braver and more self-sufficient because of it.

The beginning was pretty rough. My accommodation fell through, so I was basically homeless at first. Luckily, my parents have friends here who let me stay with them. Then, in that same week, I got robbed! At that point, I really just wanted to go home, and the semester hadn’t even started yet. But these challenges taught me not to give up and to face whatever life throws at me head-on.

Even though my English was never bad, I can tell I’ve improved a lot. The first few weeks were tough because I was constantly switching between German, English, Czech, and Vietnamese. It was like a mental workout!

I’ve also learned to be more patient and understanding of different cultures. Everyone has something to teach us, and I’ve met so many awesome people here. From German culture, I learned that punctuality is super important, and I’m definitely going to try to be more on time from now on.

This experience has also made me realize how much I love my home, friends, and family. I used to take them for granted and look for every opportunity to go away, but now I know you don’t truly appreciate what you have until it’s gone, even if it’s just for a few months.

At first, I was pretty shy and didn’t want to go somewhere too far away. Maybe that’s why I chose a city that’s only four hours by train from my hometown. But now, I know that next time I can go further and still be completely fine. And this isn’t a final goodbye yet – next month, I’m coming back for a German course with my best friend from Pilsen, and I can’t wait to show her around and watch her fall in love with Munich.

This Erasmus experience has also helped me figure out what I want to do in life. I was pretty unsure when I left, but now I see a clearer path ahead. I want to thank everyone who made my stay here better. I’ll always look back on this experience with a lot of joy.

A huge thank you to LMU and IfKW for creating such an amazing environment and teaching us so much.