On the 5th of September 2023, I left my home town in London to begin my year abroad in Granada, Spain. When I first arrived, I was nervous; I didnāt know anyone and was staying in a hostel while I found accommodation. I had been added to a few Erasmus group chats – ESN, Emycet, and Best Life – and had seen there was a āfree sangriaā event for incoming students. I decided to go, with an open mind, in the hopes to make a few friends, and I met so many other students; I didnāt realise quite how big Erasmus was – or well, the international student scene, given that we’re no longer technically Erasmus students, thanks to Boris Johnson. A group of us went for tapas and drinks after the event, and I ended up sitting and talking to two guys until late (well, late in England, early in Spain), before meeting up with one of the girls that had been there with us earlier. The four of us went to a club that night, and I guess you could say the rest was history. Despite all having different nationalities, we clicked so easily and had such an incredible first night out.
The next day, I went to visit a few flats, where I met a Mexican couple who were also flat hunting. After the viewings, one of them asked me if I wanted to live with them, as a four (because I was looking for myself and for a friend from Southampton). Although it seemed risky, something about them seemed so right, and of course, I said yes. That night we went for tapas, and immediately I knew I had made the right decision. Within my first 48 hours in Granada, I had already met five people I knew I would always stay friends with, five new friends for life. Over the coming weeks, we slowly started to expand as a group, meeting up frequently and attending numerous Erasmus events together. Day by day, we formed a little Erasmus family. We quickly learned what nights to go where, what beaches were worth visiting, where the best miradors were, what bars had the hugest tapas, how thick the Granadino accent is, and how late (and how much) the Spanish like to party. Granada is an incredible city, full of love and life, with countless bars offering cheap drinks and delicious tapas, numerous miradors offering jaw-dropping views of the sun setting over the bustling city and the Alhambra palace, green spaces full of flowing fountains, and twisting streets scattered with souvenir shops. From September to July, it becomes the home to hundreds of Erasmus students, who slowly take over the town, however they never take away from the Southern Spanish charm.
The part of Erasmus that no one warns you about is finding your family, a family made up of mixed characters from contrasting cultures and countries all over the world. No one tells you how hard saying goodbye is going to be, or how much you will always cherish the memories you make along the way. No one prepares you for the way you will feel when you are with this family, or the way you will feel when they are gone. Of course, the latter will only be temporary, as if I can tell you one thing about the Erasmus experience, itās to make the most of every single moment while you can, but donāt forget your family. You will meet people from every corner of the world, so make sure you take advantage of that and travel. Stay in touch with them. See them whenever or wherever you can. Go and visit them in their homeland. Donāt ever forget them. Because the family you make on Erasmus is a family you make for life. Itās an experience that will change you: it will change how you perceive things; you will learn things about yourself you didnāt know, and you will be forced to step out of your comfort zone at times. Step out of it. Jump out of it. Let your perspective change, because you will learn to view life in a different way. You will begin appreciating everything you do that little bit more, because you will learn that every time you are all together is one time closer to being the last. You will learn how to love strangers, and how to love other cultures. Donāt be afraid to be yourself. Donāt be afraid to make the first move. Donāt be afraid to make new friends. You will not regret it.
While it might seem hard at times, living with strangers, spending every day or night with the same people you only just met, living in a new country where you donāt know anyone, or how the area works, you learn to love having these people around you. You learn to love having random late night talks in the kitchen, or finding an endless number of drinking games to entertain the pre-drinks before yet another night out, or experiencing the true culture differences that bring you all together in a way you never imagined possible, or singing along to the same song that becomes your song in every club (because every club in Granada seems to play the same 10 songs every single night), or miscommunications that turn into inside jokes, or drunken kebabs as you stumble home, or whatever it is that brings your group together.
During my first semester of Erasmus, I met my family. Whilst it seemed we were a group that shared a deep love of drinking and partying, there was so much more to each and every one of us. We shared our secrets, our fears, our dreams, our food, our cultures, our adventures, our days and nights out, but most importantly, we shared our unforgettable memories. I saw how we all changed: we grew, we developed, we learnt, we understood, but we did it all together. Thank you to THE group for a lifetimeās worth of unforgettable moments.
Most of the group left after the first semester, but in the second semester, the remaining few made another family. It was completely different, but again, another family for life. Another semester full of love and memories, of laughter and tears. I learnt about heartbreak, but more importantly, I learnt about the true love that can be found in a friendship, an incomparable love. Despite only knowing each other for a few months, they quickly became my lifeboat. They saved me from drowning when I couldnāt swim, and they supported every good and bad decision I made, without ever judging me. We went on stupid little hikes to help our stupid little mental health, and they fixed the things that they didnāt break. A few friends from first semester came to visit, so my two families were introduced and united. It was amazing seeing how easily everyone clicked with each other.
We canāt take anything for granted in this life – life is simply too short. So, love your family. Cherish your memories. Donāt ever forget your Erasmus experience. One thing they do tell you is that it will be unforgettable, and that part is true. Itās beyond true. I will forever be grateful for these 10 months, and I will never forget them. They have changed who I am, and I have really learnt how to love. As your friends start to leave one by one, and both the city and your flat slowly empty, you realise the real impact these people have had on your life, and the space in your heart that they will always fill.
If I can offer you any advice about studying or living abroad, itās to enjoy every moment, and donāt hold back. It will be challenging at first, but I can honestly say that the months I spent abroad were some of the best months of my life. I loved every single second of it. I loved having to learn about the new system, the new city, the new people, the new weather, the new culture. Sure, it was a lot of newness, and this can be overwhelming at times, but I really do consider the experience incredibly beneficial when it comes to learning about yourself and what you really want from life.