To write about Erasmus for me is like Little Red Hood going in the forest: it is very easy to get lost. You guys gotta understand me, I spent two years in hardcore Erasmus life and three years in something like hardcore Erasmus life.
What I have experienced is Erasmus people usually speak about the good things of Eramsus: international romances, alcohol, friends, parties, trips etc. The bad things are frequently overlooked, and here I mean things like constant hangover, homesickness,little aimlessness and quickly deteriorating health. However, I am quite convinced what happens on Erasmus does not matter much. This is simply a holiday that the society provides you before „real life” starts. So have fun, enjoy it to the fullest!
Or is it really just a holiday? As for me, it is more than that. I have been thinking about a suitable simily for the whole Erasmus experience when I read about the blue pill-red pill problem. I am sure you remember this one from the awesome movie, The Matrix, when Neo has to choose whether he wants to stay in the Matrix or get out from it to a new and unknown world. This is exactly what Erasmus is. We chose it because we wanted to change, change in our lives, to try something totally different than what we had before the Erasmus. We are the ones, who took the red pill, we got out from the Matrix. So Erasmus is taking the pill but once the choice taking the pill and swallowing it is rather easy and when we talk about Erasmus it is very sweet too. More interesting is what happens afterwards though. Staying in the Matrix, our old life, is rather easy usual, we know it well and know how to act in it.
Now, after Erasmus has happened, we are not going to be secure anymore, we do not want to return to the Matrix but we do not know what else to do either. It is here when good choices have to be taken. Our ones. This is hard, extremly hard. Guys, the situation is dead simple after all: we have taken the pill, we have been on Erasmus/we are about to go. The question here is what to do next? Back to the Matrix with an ever fading nostalgy of good times in Erasmus or make Erasmus be the first stop to something bigger? What is your choice?
Gabor
Hungary