The participants of youth exchange European Solidarity have decided to write an article which we are more than happy to share at our web. Knowledge that we try to obtain through books, articles or else will never replace the true experience of living in a foreign country alongside people of different nationalities. Finding yourself in a group of new yet so interesting individuals shows us how little we know about other countries. Erasmus+ is a way to begin your journey into seeing how different our lives are but how easy it is to get to know them, starting with a simple “hello” and finishing on a connection and knowledge that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
As we got out of the car and made our first steps in Bansko we already saw differences but also similarities. Shops selling everything rose-related, people smiling and greeting us at all times and of course – beautiful view of the mountains. People weren’t scared to talk with us nor to help us. A first impression that made us believe that we are more than just welcome.
Even though at first we don’t talk to participants outside of our delegations, day by day we learn more about each other through cultural nights, group activities and by spending our free time in a way we can express ourselves best. Tasks that made us go outside and talk to local community, all stories that we’ve heard, all little chats that we had a chance to have – they all are a way we got to know and understand cultures that we couldn’t before. The way all of us behave, how we eat, the way we walk and how we talk, all of this is a new level of experiencing other cultures.
In my opinion, after our Erasmus+ project we won’t be the same people, we’ll be enriched by other cultures. A new identity that we create here makes us more than just Spanish, Polish or else, after this experience we’re people of all cultures.
