Erasmus is not half a year in your life, but a life in half a year

The title of my blog actually says enough. I would like to share with you what I have experienced here in Munich, because I believe that many students felt the same way as I did in the beginning: unsure of what is coming, perhaps even scared and the feeling that you do not know what will happen in the coming months. This uncertainty was a big stumbling block for me at the beginning. Many people told me to be brave and said that it would be okay. However, these encouraging words weren’t enough to put my worries to rest, as I really had to experience this myself first. Yet a few days after my arrival everything turned out to be all right and after my first message from Munich everyone said: “We told you!”

What struck me the most in Munich is how strong the Bavarian culture emerges in daily life. I never knew that people here are so strongly “region-bound”. This is expressed not only in the Bavarian dialect, but also in the interaction of people with each other and how people look at other parts of Germany. Since Munich is a big city with more than a million inhabitants, you can find or do everything you want here. Most parties I went to were organized by the student organization ESN MESA. During my stay I have also been a member of an orchestra, which allowed me to meet new people of all ages and discover smaller places around Munich during our concert tour in December.

In addition to these incredible experiences, I also used my Erasmus exchange in Munich to explore Germany and its surroundings. I have clearly noticed how central Germany is in Europe. With a few friends I visited the Czech city of Prague and I made a trip to Italy for a weekend with my Italian Erasmus friends. We rented a car, drove through Innsbruck to Venice and visited the wonderful surroundings of the North of Italy. Within Bayern I have also visited Nuremberg (with the largest Christmas market in Europe) and the Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Erasmus is a life in itself and during this adventure there were a myriad of moments when I really appreciated this life. I have learned a lot as a person, but my German language has also progressed to a great extent and I have met a lot of lovely and wonderful people, of whom I can say with certainty that I made friends for life. Erasmus has been one of the most beautiful experiences in my life, and it will always stay that way. Life in another country, living with open-minded people and studying at a reputable university: all things that belong to this experience. It has allowed me to take new steps and has even made me think differently. I have also noticed that I have been calling it my “home”, and whether or not I will return here often, it will always feel like home.

The wonderful view from my room in the Olympiapark – October 2018

The same view – January 2019

I have also the feeling that I have traveled, achieved and learned more in these four months than in the last 20 years of my life, and that feels great. One thing has become clear to me this year: Erasmus has not been in my life for a few months, but a life in half a year. A wonderful life that will always remain in my memory and a life which I have learned a lot from.