Erasmus is a powerful experience. It can change your life completely.
Living abroad, studying something different or in a different way is something you will never ever forget. The pleasure of Erasmus doesn't begin when you start your Erasmus: it starts earlier, on the very day you get notified of the fact that you were accepted into the programme.
The mobility in Italy "the greatest accident" that happened in my life. I decided to apply for Erasmus not because I wanted to leave, but because everyone was enthusiastic about it and I thought about it as a way to prove to myself. I am a good student and the decision was not in vain. I was assigned to Italy. I didn't know anything about this country. I never thought about visiting it and never met an Italian person in my life.
I started to be more sociable. I did not wait anymore for someone to start a conversation. I could tell a stranger that he or she has beautiful eyes, I learnt to say "no", when I did not like something and I learnt to express the things I did not like or approve, so I did not let them gather in my mind as usual. And that was very important, as I'm a super sensitive person.
I overcame language barriers. I never had the opportunity to practice my English before, so it was the perfect occasion. I improved my English, learnt and fell further in love with languages and discovering interesting aspects of them or amazing vocabulary. So, I started to write for a journal in my country about similarities, cute, unique, beautiful words and how language is influenced by our cultures.
I became more courageous. I participated in a theater scene with an English script, even though all people were from other countries. I learnt to take risks and don't care about what people will say.
I fell in love with traveling. I enjoy getting lost in new places, and discovering those things that you can't find in a guide. Friends and loved ones were the most difficult to leave behind. If I would not be in a relationship and have a family I think I would have left long ago to explore the world with no plans in mind, just go and work somewhere for 2-3 months, then move further, and so on. (Adrian Ghiță-17 years old)
