A letter to an Erasmus Student

Dear Erasmus student,

                  I have just finished my year abroad and I would be lying if I said that it wasn't the best year of my life so far. However, it was no picnic and perhaps if I had known some things beforehand it may have been easier. So, here is what I learnt on my year abroad and maybe you can take away some advice from it to help your life next year.

Firstly, even before you leave stop worrying!! If you are only a tiny bit worried or completely dreading the thought of moving abroad just stop! Enjoy the time you have with your friends and family at home and don't dwell on the future too much. I know the prospect of moving to a country or city you have never been to before is really flipping scary but you will be absolutely fine in about a week. Everything takes a little time to settle but once it does you will forget about home...at least until your parents Skype call you, worrying if you are still alive.

Now most people find places to live when they are in the country and it is a really good way of doing it. You get to see the flat and meet the people you live with. This next point I can not stress enough:

LIVE WITH NATIVE STUDENTS!!!!

1. Your language will get better over night.
2. You will get to do things a normal student in the city would do (The differences between a normal student and Erasmus student are disgustingly clear)
3. Foreign students are normally crazy so you a guaranteed to have a good time.
4. Their cooking is pretty darn good.

Also, try hanging out with the foreign students too. I know it is easy to flock to people who are from the same country as you (very guilty!) but it won't improve your language in the long run.

Don't stress too much about class or not understanding everything fully. You won't be the first or the last to feel like you being there is useless. It's not the end of the world. Also, don't pass up the opportunity to do something because you have class. If there is a trip or a party or something completely spontaneous happens then go with it. You are there to have fun as well as learn a bit.

Disappeared to Ibiza for a bit...

If you feel like you hate being abroad then talk to someone. Anyone. Don't keep it bottled up inside because it will just get you down and you will want to go home. If you are spending all your time on Skype and flying home you are truly wasting an incredible experience. The people who love you will still be there when you get back and not a lot will have changed with them.

Keep an open mind about the people you are going to meet. It's just like starting uni all over again, everyone is just as nervous as you are and keen to make friends. So don't cut anyone out straight away because you don't know if that weird American guy or the quiet German girl will do something incredibly lovely for you.

Finally, don't wish away your time because in a blink of an eye you will be on your flight back home, snivelling into the arms of your friends who carried your surplus stuff back about all the amazing people you met and the incredible things you have done. When your feet finally hit British soil you will be a completely different person than who you were a year ago.

Good luck and stay safe! x Pin It

Lyon and Toulouse

Before I went to university I never really took an interest in music unless it consisted of epic key changes, guys sitting on stools and some pretty terrible dance moves. That all changed when I moved cities and lived with 21 other people with completely different tastes and was forced to learn songs quickly or look completely clueless on an average night out. All of a sudden I had new favourite bands and without a doubt one of them had to be Mumford and Sons. I can't get enough of them! Last summer my friend Martha and I went to Optimus Alive in Portugal to watch them, amongst others, and it could not have been any more perfect. So, when Martha said they were playing in France I didn't hesitate to say yes and with a click of a mouse my flights were book to spend a week in Lyon and Toulouse.

I must admit I didn't see an awful lot of Lyon. We partied on a big, old, Australian themed boat with the other Erasmus students who only really spoke in French, ate far too much bad but delicious food, had a picnic on the steps by the river and went to a truly odd museum full of robots. All the while we patiently waited for our trip to Toulouse and played both albums on a continuous loop. 

Toulouse was a ridiculous amount of fun, we stayed with Martha's friend who gave us a space in his bed/on his giant pimp coat and showed us around. On the first night we had a pizza the size of a small child and went to an incredible bar filled with students all singing and dancing and throwing beer everywhere. It was insanity at its best.

After the giraffe filled antics of the night before we took a walk round the city and saw some of the sites. I have to admit I did fall a little bit in love with Toulouse because of the narrow streets and the amount of vintage shops it had. I could have easily walked around it for more than a day but, Mumford and Sons were waiting for us.

They played at a venue called Le Bikini which was a pretty big trek from the centre but a decent place all the same. There were light bulbs hanging from the ceiling and all over the stage which got Martha incredibly excited, as did the support act Deap Vally who played with each member of Mumford and Sons.

As soon as the band came on and blasted out 'Babel' the crowd (the English half at least) went crazy and pretty much stayed that way until the end. There were times when it was so emotional that I nearly cried and others when I was stupidly happy. They had some jokes with the crowd and pulled everything of with effortless style. Who knew playing the banjo could be so cool? 

These are possibly some of my favourite photos I have ever taken. Honestly, if you haven't seen them yet just go because you will more than likely leave with a massive smile on your face and want to see them all over again. Lyon and Toulouse were amazing places to see, I got to hang out with my ridiculous friend after eight months and I saw one of my favourite bands. What could be better? 

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