FROM WÜRZBURG TO PORTUGAL: An honest Erasmus report
This article was originally published in German. The English version is an automatic translation and may contain errors. The German original is authoritative.
I have been in Portugal since the beginning of September, more precisely in Coimbra, a city full of life, history and music. My Erasmus has begun here, and although it was only two months ago, it feels as though I have been here forever.
When I arrived, I had a plan: I wanted to get to know international people. I wanted to speak English, experience new cultures, break free from my German comfort zone. My thought was: if I spend too much time with Germans, I will end up speaking only German again and that was exactly what I wanted to avoid.
That was the theory. Reality is, as so often, more honest.
Because of course you cannot choose who you get along with. I have found international friends – from France, Czechia, Finland, Portugal – but also Germans. And yes, I speak German with them, of course. It was naive to think you could plan friendships. People do not meet you based on language or origin. They meet you because you are on the same wavelength.
Expectations and reality
Even before I came here, but also after my arrival, I often heard: "Erasmus is the best time of your life!" Erasmus means endless parties, alcohol and memories for life. And I thought that is how it must be, otherwise I would be doing something wrong.
But I quickly realised that I tick differently. I wanted to study, read, learn, understand. I wanted to have conversations, not celebrate every other day. And yes, I went to parties too – but rarely.
At first I had doubts: am I living Erasmus the right way? Today I know: there is no "right" Erasmus. Everyone experiences it differently. For some it means dancing all night. For me it means seeing, thinking, feeling something new every day.
About places and people
I have been to Porto, Braga, Viseu, Lisbon, Sintra, Madeira and two national parks. I have learnt to surf, I play padel tennis and I drink coffee almost daily in the same little bar, where the owner now greets me by name. I have seen a lot and tried new things.
But the most impressive thing is the people here. The Portuguese are open, warm-hearted and incredibly helpful. Even though I barely speak Portuguese, they make an effort to understand me, they want to understand. This patience is something I have rarely experienced.
Now, at the end of October, I feel I have arrived. I have great friends, many impressions, new routines, little favourite places. I read, I learn, I discover. And sometimes I do nothing at all and that is completely fine. Erasmus is not always easy, not always as you expect, at least that is true for me. It is a time full of small insights. And perhaps that is exactly the point of Erasmus.