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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Valentine's Day

If for some obscure reason you had forgotten, today was the big Valentine's Day, dreaded by boyfriends and singletons everywhere. Whether you sat and wallowed in self pity or rolled around in the thousands of bouquets of roses you received I hope you enjoyed your day.

As much as I love Valentine's Day and being showered with various food and plant products (who doesn't?) isn't just a day for loved up couples any more but a chance for friends to share their love too. I was surprise to see how many of my friends were posting photos on each others walls, sending tweets and the traditional card too. SO, if you have been lying in bed wondering if you will forever be alone, I would like to make a suggestion. Get up, call your friends, go to the nearest Sainsbury's open until midnight and celebrate your friendships! You have about half an hour left....and then the early hours of the morning.

As for me, I am currently dressed as a glittery jam pot, drinking sangria and about to host a Carnival Fiesta.
                                                 
                                                    Happy Valentine's Day to you all. Pin It

Carnival 2013

This weekend all over Europe people donned their best fancy dress outfits and took to the streets to take part in Carnival. It is like a huge party with a parade, music and about a thousand other things going on all at once. I went to Aguilas which is about an hour and a half away from Murcia to take part in my first Carnival. As it was a pretty last minute decision I didn't have time to utilise my incredible fancy dress skills so I just stuck with some face paint instead.

We arrived at about 5 o'clock in the sea side town and so began 12 hours of drinking, eating and dancing...

Bright colours and sangria were the order of the day but if you are planning to go to a carnival, just remember it is February, it's going to get cold quickly. Take some layers! When we were too cold we sheltered in the bars and clubs which were packed full of flappers and sailors (and children).

Carnival is pretty much an excuse to talk to complete strangers and become best friends within five minutes. And then run away when you get bored or things get weird. It's incredible amounts of fun. In one night I managed to claim I was Princess Peach to a Mario, have a dodgems battle with some 10 year olds and bond with a Spanish girl over how to order a hamburger.

From what I have gathered most carnivals have the same format of a parade, fair ground rides and lots of people but the bigger ones are probably way more crazy! It was an amazing night and I am so glad I was able to go in the end. However, walking home in a bright pink wig at 9 o'clock in the morning on a Sunday, being stared at by Spanish pensioners was probably one of the only low points and it didn't matter by that point. If you get the opportunity to go to a carnival, wherever it is, go! It has been the best night of this year so far and it is going to take a lot to beat it. Pin It

Notes of a Wanderer

Leave the house without a map in a city you have never visited. Does it matter if you get lost and walk around the back streets for an hour? Depending on the time of day not really. Explore everywhere.

Don't be afraid of meeting new people, it is part of the experience. 

Use whatever means possible to make yourself understood. Even if it means miming a lightbulb to the lady in the supermarket.

Become a local don't just follow the tourists. If there is a bar or restaurant jam packed with natives on a Tuesday night there is bound to be a reason. It is probably a good sign if there appears to be no order to proceedings and everything seems to be a bit crazy.

The people who stare at you on the street are curious, not rude. When they start to shout at you then there is probably a problem. 

Appreciate what is happening in the place you are in. It doesn't matter if things are falling apart elsewhere.

Take pictures. Not of buildings and famous monuments but of the funny moments and the people you shared everything with.

Don't buy eggs that are already hard boiled. Unless of course you want eggs that are already hard boiled. Look at what you are buying properly otherwise your hungover self will hate you later.

Wear comfortable shoes. No one likes the grumpy person with blisters.

Don't climb out of your bedroom window to take pictures. At least put shorts on rather than a skirt, it might be easier.

I think that is about everything I learnt this week. I will probably think of other things. Maybe. 

A room with a view

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Arrivederci Bergamo! Hola Murcia!

After three months of living in Italy my time has drawn to a close. It makes me a little sad to know that I will no longer wake up and walk out of my front door to be greeted by the mountains or that I won't be nearly run over by a Vespa before I have made it to class. As much as I have complained about Bergamo to my friends, family and anybody else who is unfortunate enough to listen, it will always have a small corner in my heart.

The night before I left we sat reminiscing about everything that had happened to us in this crazy land. It took a good hour and a half before we confirmed we wouldn't change a thing.  The weekly aperitivo on a Thursday night was responsible for most of our stories but there were also other treasured moments. The trip to the mountain lodge sealed our friendship and was the beginning of some of our best adventures. Running around the streets of Bergamo in sheets on Halloween pretending to be ghost and trying to scare people in cars was also a highlight. Rome was so incredible that it has its own post! There are so many moments that I keep remembering for various reasons which all made my time in Bergamo amazing. Thank you to Whitney, Ellie and Sarah Jane for providing some brilliant entertainment and also moral support when Bergamo wasn't being so great (quite a lot).

The question is am I fluent in Italian now? Is the Erasmus experience working? At first I thought I knew about as much, if not less Italian than when I first arrived. Other than asking for two bus tickets or a caffe latte I didn't really feel like I was talking an awful lot of Italian. However, since arriving in Murcia I have actually had a nearly fully functional conversation with my Italian housemate. I say fully functional as I am now beginning to confuse my Italian and Spanish together (again). Nevertheless, it does prove that I must have taken in and understood a lot more than I actually realised. So, if you are contemplating an Erasmus semester or two then it is more worthwhile than it first appears. Even when you feel downhearted and stare blankly at people for at least 15 minutes until you understand what they have said, you are probably better than you think.

Murcia is a completely different place to Bergamo and after reading Martha's stories of the city I am hoping there will be a lot more to tell. But for now, I need to start figuring out what everyone is saying all over again.

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When in Rome...

Last weekend we took a small trip to the capital in order to add a little variation and excitement to our lives. Two full days and an afternoon was just about enough time to have a whistle stop tour of the city and learn a few things on the way.

We had booked into an all female hostel named Coconuts, which was perfect for us as we weren't planning to spend an awful lot of time there. We dressed to go out for dinner before joining a pub crawl with one of Whitney's old school friends. When eating out, I would suggest you research where you would like to go beforehand otherwise you will get stung with high prices for mediocre food...not ideal.

We met up with the boys before jumping on the tube to join the pub crawl organised by Colosseum Events which started at the Colosseum Metro station and continued through three different bars. It was pouring with rain and we had no idea where we were going but it is safe to say it was one of the most entertaining nights I have ever had. So many people from around the world getting together for one massive party for one night is possibly on of the most surreal feelings you can ever have. The bar crawl costs 20 euros and includes and open bar for an hour and a half, pizza, entrance into all the bars and clubs and a t-shirt to remember your night.

My second lesson came when we were returning to our room at 6AM. If you are in a hostel and you are planning to go out for the night, don't share a room with one or two other strangers! They won't appreciate your 'I'm trying to be quiet but I am actually being unbelievably loud because I am drunk' behaviour.

On Sunday morning, in various states of conciousness, we grabbed some breakfast/lunch at a snack bar near the station before heading off to explore Roma. We saw everything from The Forum to The Vatican City and each attraction had its own unique beauty.

In the evening after our 'tour guides' had left we went on the search for some dinner. After spending two months eating only Italian food we decided it would be amazing to have a change. We caught the metro and headed to the Hard Rock Cafe for big American burgers and onion rings. Book before you go unless you want an hour wait however, if you don't mind you can always use your time wisely having cocktails in one of the bars across the road while you wait.

It was such a fun evening and eventually we were the last in there just listening to the music and talking about the events of the night before.

On our final day we decided to keep it nice and relaxed especially after all the walking from the day before. We dropped our bags in the Termini bag drop office which cost about 5 euros each and then took the metro back to the Vatican to see the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. There was so much to see and I would have loved to have had about 3 days just in there taking everything in! Normally in Italy for students and people under 26 they have discounts for galleries and museums which is always great.

We headed over to the Spanish Steps and wondered around before stumbling upon The Pantheon which can only be described as epic!

Unfortunately by that point we had run out of time and we were in desperate need  of going to the airport. We climbed into a taxi and said goodbye to Rome and for the next week we were all in a Rome coma, wishing we could go back!

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Mountain Lodge

This weekend I went to the mountains near Bergamo with about 30 other ERASMUS students and it was AMAZING!! We left on Friday night and drove for 45 minutes up a twisty mountain path that, I have to admit, made me fear for my life a little until we reached a huge Mountain Lodge hotel at the top. As it was pitch black it was impossible to see and also freezing cold so we made our way inside to find our rooms and unpack.

We sat down for a three course dinner (which we had every lunch and dinner time) and got to know our fellow students slightly better. It was then time to grab some drinks and play some games before heading into the 'club' which was a room adjacent to the hotel with lights, table football, seats and most importantly a stage! We stayed up until five in the morning talking to people we didn't really know beforehand until it was impossible to keep our eyes open any more. 

Saturday morning, was very chilled with people not getting up until gone 12pm however, as I can't stay in bed that long I went and sat outside with some of the other early risers. As soon as I walked through the door onto the balcony my jaw dropped...

This is what I had missed the night before! The beauty of it was that it wasn't cold and so we could sit and soak up the sun before lunch. It was the loveliest atmosphere I have been in since being here, with everyone telling jokes and laughing. (They way I describe it, it sounds like a scene from The Secret Seven but it was cooler than that.)

At lunch we were each given our own secret challenge that had to be completed by the end of the weekend otherwise you had to walk home...although I am not so sure they were being serious.

After lunch we went for a walk up the mountains which I was completely under prepared for but it was fun nonetheless! They told us it would be close to an hour before we reached the top but in actually fact it was closer to 30 minutes. It was worth it in the end though.

We returned for dinner and then the party games started again along with the dancing. Although at first when we were told 'The dancing happens in the room next door' I have to admit I was a little dubious BUT it was actually perfect for the amount of people we had and lots of fun. 

It was sad to leave on Sunday but, eventually it was time to head back to reality and even though we already knew most people before I think it is safe to say that everyone felt that little bit closer as a group.

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