It was September 2016, my very first day of university, and I felt a mix of anxiety and excitement that has since then accompanied me in all important beginnings. Anticipation was in the air, for the courses to come, the friends to meet and the huge amount of activities on display for students to sign up for. ‘I really want to sign up for English classes, so I can go on Erasmus’, said the girl sitting next to me at the opening lecture.
I had heard of Erasmus before but I guess it wasn’t until that moment that I realised the level of preparation required to go on an Erasmus+ exchange. You had to speak a foreign language, think about possible destinations, budget and be ready to leave everything behind for at least six months.
Two years later, I was on a plane to East Midlands Airport travelling towards my first ever Erasmus destination. Nottingham greeted me with a blue sky and, at the time, that’s all I needed to feel instantly at home. I quickly became familiar with the city’s brick buildings, and its narrow cobbled streets became the backdrop to one of the most transformative chapters in my life. I made friends from all over the world.We bonded over being away from home and a shared love for vintage shopping and improvised plans.
One night, towards the end of the semester, we were sitting in our common living room eating chocolate coated pretzels and reflecting on all the experiences we had made together and the plans we wanted to do next. ‘Maybe an Erasmus Mundus Masters’, said my friend Hannah. Looking back, it shocks me how much influence a small comment that would otherwise get lost in conversation can have. Back in Madrid, feeling nostalgic about the time spent in the UK, I opened my laptop and typed the words “Erasmus Mundus” in the search bar.
Then it was 2020, my last year of university, and with COVID-19 the chances of being able to study abroad seemed slim to none. I applied to an international Masters programme anyways, telling myself it would be okay if it didn’t happen.
The Erasmus Mundus Journalism programme was not just a semester abroad, it was a full-fledged immersion into the world of international journalism and a big academic challenge. Luckily, by the time I was accepted, I had already learned most of the study-abroad basics: pack light, give yourself time to adapt and always carry an open mind. And even though the curriculum was demanding at times, the biggest lessons came from late-night conversations over drinks with fellow-students-turned-friends. I got the opportunity to live, work and study in two different countries for two full years and to have lots of fun in the process.
And finally, the last piece in the international puzzle that has been my adult life so far: ESN - Erasmus Student Network. After all my international experiences, the ESN Headquarters seemed like the perfect place for me to continue developing my professional skills. An organisation focused on making international mobility accessible to everyone and on connecting students from different parts of the world? A great fit.
I applied through the ESC programme and, before I knew it, I was living in Brussels and working on all sorts of communication-related tasks. I helped with creating communication campaigns, designed visuals for social media and even attended the Erasmus Generation Meeting in Seville as part of the Media Team. Just like in my previous experiences abroad, I met amazing people and learned valuable life lessons outside of the working hours.
In my role as Communications Assistant, I also learned that communication transcends language. People in ESN are mostly connected through fun times, shared international experiences and the sense of community that comes with leaving the familiar behind.
I am writing this blog article during my last days in the position, hoping it will inspire someone to take the leap and embrace the nerves and discomfort that come with leaving home for any international opportunity. I would have never done it if I hadn’t heard other people’s experiences, so hopefully my own experience will do the same for you.
They say that sometimes you win and sometimes you learn but I think that, if you're lucky, both things can happen at the same time. For me, every international experience was a victory over fear, and the limitations of my own worldview. And each was a lesson—about resilience, empathy and other people. I left, and I learned.
