In the autumn of 2022, I participated in my first Erasmus+ Study Exchange in Maribor, Slovenia, where I was introduced to ESN through ESN Maribor. I have always been interested in cultural exchange, so the most interesting aspect of Erasmus for me was the people rather than the places. This is something to be truly appreciated during Erasmus. I formed friendships that completely changed my perspective on life, and for that, I am eternally grateful. A dozen memories that I will cherish forever—it felt like another home... But everything is temporary, and so was my very first Erasmus experience.
Erasmus is the kind of experience that truly alters your perception of the comfort zone. After just a month, I started to feel uncomfortable at home— and many others feel the same. It was at that moment that the epiphany of what I needed to do next hit me: join ESN. That was the climax of my bachelor’s degree. I felt completely fulfilled, and it helped ease the yearning for my Erasmus days. It was truly MAGICAL. Not in the sense that it replaced my Erasmus friends, but rather, it helped me create new bonds and build new friendships. Teresa, for example, whom I call ‘Matko Teresa’, was studying at the university that I was going to go to for my second Erasmus+ Study Exchange, and she was an exchange student at my home university.
We immediately bonded because of that, connecting in ESN events as well as meeting outside events to see museums of Polish culture, such as the Adam Mickiewicz Museum, and we did meet in Poland too!
Then, I went for another Erasmus+ Study Exchange, this time in the spring of 2024 in Kraków, Poland. For that, I am eternally grateful, though the exchange itself is something I can hardly describe in mere words. I did encounter a small bump on the road, as my university did not have an ESN section. Fortunately, as an ESN member, I was aware that I could access a list of ESN sections worldwide with just a few clicks. So, I reached out to a few sections and ended up joining ESN AGH, where I met my buddy. We clicked almost instantly, as we had so much in common as fellow ESNers, from our love for design and VIM to mutual friends who were also part of ESN. My second Erasmus experience truly showed me the power of the ESN as a network, and I came to appreciate how many amazing people volunteer in this beautiful community!
After my Erasmus exchange, I was welcomed back to the open arms of my home section, waiting for me, and a new wave of international friends who were as lost as I was in my Erasmus. And I am sure they are willing to help students like me and you by being a part of ESN when they go back home!
