Română
English
I think I will never be able to find the proper words to describe my Erasmus experience in Almeria, Spain. I have always wanted to live in an international community. Thanks to Erasmus+ program my wish came true.
When I was applying to Erasmus + program I didn’t care about the destination. All I was looking for was an international experience as an exchange student. Honestly, I knew almost nothing about Spain and this is what was making me even more excited about the upcoming journey.
I spent 5 unforgettable months in a wonderful city, Almeria. I still remember the feeling I had, leaving the airport. Tall palm trees, hot sun, and transparent blue sea… I couldn’t believe my eyes… everything seemed like a fairy tale. Honestly, I still can’t believe that it happened to me…
A completely new environment and people where nobody knew me. It felt like starting life from scratch. From the very beginning, it was a bit difficult to adapt to a new city, language, and culture. The Spanish siesta was very annoying since everything was closed after 1 p.m. I didn’t know the city. Therefore, very often I couldn’t manage to do everything in the first part of the day. Later, I completely adapted and felt myself like home. Furthermore, I learned Spanish and could talk a bit with the locals. I absorbed the slow and calm lifestyle of Andalusia. It helped me to understand that sometimes people shouldn’t hurry but just enjoy the moment.
“Hi! What is your name? Where are you from?”. This was a standard beginning of any conversation. There were a lot of Erasmus students so I had an opportunity to know more not just about Spanish culture but German, Italian, French, Polish, South Korean, and many others. We were learning a lot about each other culture, traditions, and cuisine. I had brought with me from Moldova a bit of “Mamaliga”. Hence, one day I treated my friends with our traditional dish and they really liked it! I am happy to say that now I have friends around the globe who I still get in touch with and planning to visit.
Thanks to Erasmus Student Network all of us became like a huge family traveling to the different wonderful cities of Spain together almost every weekend. The tickets were very cheap and in few months I traveled more than ever in my entire life.
It was an enormous pleasure to study at the University of Almeria (UAL). Local students, professors, and administration were very friendly and welcoming. In such a short time I obtained valuable experience of teamwork in an international environment, which is essentially important in the age of globalization. Once I was working in a team made out of 6 members with 6 different nationalities! Also, the University of Almeria provides a huge variety of different courses and activities. I was happy to visit the University’s gym with pool and SPA after a hard day. Especially, I liked sports activities like hiking through Sierra Nevada mountains, exploring the gypsum caves, and doing kayak in waters of the national nature park Cabo De Gata.
Some people are afraid of the challenges they may face during mobility. The truth is that these challenges are the blessing which significantly improves their skills. After participating in Erasmus+ I returned home as a completely different person. This experience showed me that I was underestimating myself and that everything is possible and achievable. I urge you to leave your comfort zone and participate in Erasmus + mobility. Do not be afraid of the challenges since the award is priceless! My huge gratitude to the Moldova State University, the University of Almeria, and all the organizers for allowing me to see the world, and develop myself.