Embracing Erasmus

 

In January of this year I moved to Glasgow to begin my Erasmus semester abroad. Although it was only across the water, packing up and moving to Scotland was still a daunting decision. The girl that left for Scotland in January couldn’t find her way around an airport, lift her own luggage and was too afraid to ask for directions. The same girl that returned to Ireland five months later was a far cry from the often shy and quiet girl that left. Somewhere along my Erasmus journey I changed. Living abroad strengthened me, matured me and changed me for the better. It gave me independence like never before, allowed me to appreciate what and who I have in my life and it altered my perspective on life and how I choose to live it.

Embarking on a new experience abroad is, undoubtedly, an amazing opportunity. The idea of setting up a new life abroad is an exciting prospect and one that should be looked upon with enthusiasm and positivity. However it is perfectly normal to feel isolated and alone during the first few days of moving away from home. For many students it is their first ‘proper’ experience living away from the comforts of home and fending for themselves. Once the initial excitement subsides loneliness often creeps in and throwing yourself headfirst into a new environment is daunting. Being away from your nearest and dearest can be challenging.Ireland to Scotland would be, albeit for just a few months.

There is no Irish mammy around to land your dinner on the table in the evening, no reliable taxi man (dad) to collect you from the nightclub at half two on a Saturday night, you even miss having no annoying younger siblings around to fight with. Living away from friends and family was a lot harder than I anticipated and during my first few weeks abroad I felt l would never settle. I had misjudged how difficult the transition from Ireland to Scotland would be, albeit for just a few months.

It took me a while but eventually I realised it’s not meant to be easy. Moving to another country, starting a new university and making new friends is a lot to take in. I realised it was ok to feel a little bit lost and unsure and I also realised that it’s perfectly ok to ask for help. As American author Henry David Thoreau once said; “Not until we are lost do we begin to find ourselves”.

How right he was. It was in between doing the grocery shopping myself for the first time, improving my cooking skills, washing and ironing my own clothes and getting lost on numerous occasions while wandering around the city of Glasgow that I changed. I became the person I needed to become. I gradually became more and more independent. I learned how to handle weird and wonderful situations I found myself in and I learned to appreciate people and places I may have taken for granted at home. One of the most important things I learned was how lucky and blessed I am to be able to live the life I do, study the profession I love and take advantage of wonderful opportunities afforded to me such as studying abroad.

My advice to anyone lucky enough to be considering Erasmus would be to grab it with both hands. The benefits of studying abroad extend far behind the classroom walls and can really and truly have a positive impact on your life.

My Erasmus journey has left me with an insatiable hunger to travel and experience different cultures and customs around the world. Erasmus gave me a renewed confidence to try new things, travel to different places and, as I continue to grow, my destinations will hopefully continue to change.