‘Munich diaries’: The beginning

Hallo an alle! Hello everyone! And happy Halloween!

My name is Hannah, I’m 19 years old, and I started my Erasmus journey a month and a half ago in the beautiful city of Munich. I’m from a significant city in Romania called Cluj-Napoca, or Klausenburg in German, and it’s been my home all my life. I also chose to attend university there, where I’m majoring in Communication Science—a big factor in my decision to embark on an Erasmus experience in Munich.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s rewind a bit! A fun fact about me is that I grew up in a bilingual family, with a Romanian mother and a Hungarian father. This is pretty common in Transylvania, where I’m from, as it’s a region rich with ethnic diversity. Among these are Hungarian and German-speaking communities, with some schools offering education in these native languages. By the time I was three, I spoke both Romanian and Hungarian fluently, so my parents made an unusual choice: they enrolled me in a German kindergarten, followed by a native German school. I learned everything in German and thus added a third language to my repertoire. Now, I’m also studying in a German-taught program at my home university, so attending a German university for Erasmus felt like a natural fit.

Now that you have a bit of backstory, let me get back to the main topic: why Munich? Besides being home to Germany’s top university in Arts and Humanities and one of the world’s leading research institutions, Munich has simply always been a dream of mine. I visited Munich when I was 10, and it captured a part of me. A full-time study abroad experience seemed a bit too daunting, so when Erasmus came along, I couldn’t pass up the chance—and I have no regrets! Munich is incredible, with its vibrant nightlife, cultural richness, beautiful architecture, and, of course, a good pint of beer. It has everything a student could wish for!

As for my expectations this semester, I don’t have anything specific in mind. I’d like to continue doing well academically, as I have back home, but I also want to give myself time to explore Germany and Europe. One special plan I do have is a trip to Stuttgart for a concert and a visit to the Porsche Museum. I’m a bit of a fan of cars and motorsports, which is yet another reason I love Munich! Apart from that, I’m keeping things flexible—I think planning too much can restrict creativity and leave little room for spontaneous adventures.

So, for now, I’ll say goodbye and good luck to everyone!
—Hannah