Introduction: Sofia

Who am I?

My name is Sofia Bryzgova, I am 21 years old and I come from a huge and cold place called Moscow. I know I need to state this in the beginning – no, we do not drink vodka for breakfast and ride bears to go to work. Although, you can see many surprising things when you visit the countryside… Either way, I have lived in this city practically my whole life but thanks to my family I was lucky enough to travel to many different countries and learn about a lot of various cultures. I have always been drawn to new experiences that can help me see life from a new perspective, which is one of the reasons I chose to do an exchange program in Munich.

Since I was very little my mom always used to take me to art exhibitions which helped me develop a big love for it. Whenever I travel somewhere I make sure to check out the some galleries the city has to offer – sometimes you can find things you never expect to see. So, I would have to say that travelling and art are probably two of my biggest passions in life.

Why Munich?

As I said earlier I have always been open for new experiences. I knew that there is so much more I must learn about the world that it wouldn’t make any sense for me to stay in Russia for my whole life. At the same time I really enjoy meeting new people, which is a big part of the Erasmus program that I decided to participate in.

But why did i choose Munich? The most important reason for me was that I wanted to improve my level of German language. I have learned it before and even did a German course in Vienna, Austria, but still felt like that was not enough.

Moreover, my family has always been connected to the german culture – for instance, my grandparents lived in Cologne, where they also gave birth to my mom. My brother has as well lived here for several years, so, all in all one can say that I just decided to continue the tradition 🙂

What are my expectations?

Being in Munich for only two months I can already say that I have no doubt about this semester abroad being one of the best experiences of my life. I also feel overly lucky receiving an accomodation in Studentenstadt – it is probably the best place for having a real student life everyone wants to experience. During this short period of time I got to know a huge amount of people – each with their own unique story behind moving to Munich.

I already feel that I am gaining so much new knowledge about life, people and different cultures which makes me truly happy. I know that these 6 months will help me grow as a person in both professional and everyday life aspects. I have never been more excited!