For my Erasmus city, I chose Brno, a city I had never heard of before but now holds a special place in my heart. I love telling everyone how special Brno is to me. I arrived in Brno in the middle of September, in an empty dorm room which felt very scary to me because I had always studied in my hometown and never experienced anything like this before. The first two days were the hardest because I didn't know anyone in this new town; it was just me and my Google Maps. But on the third day, I was already sipping coffee in someone else’s room.

I attended Masaryk University and took classes in the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Social Studies. In Brno, I studied a lot more because I could choose classes that I found interesting, and I really enjoyed studying in the library, which has four floors and is huge. I study cultural studies, which is a very broad field and encompasses aspects from various disciplines, so seeing things from different perspectives was very valuable in shaping my worldview.

A big part of Erasmus is interacting with and getting to know different cultures. The first people I got to know were Slovenians; although our cultures are similar, I had never known anyone from Slovenia, so it was as new as any other culture. They taught me Slovenian words like “opica” and “metulj,” and we enjoyed drinking Barcaffe coffee together. Additionally, since I was in the Czech Republic, I had to learn some basic Czech words like “Děkuji” and “na shledanou.” While these words are very different from Croatian, both languages are Slavic, so I could understand a lot but didn’t always know how to respond.

During my Erasmus, I made so many new friends from all over the world. My roommates were two amazing girls: Alena from the Czech Republic and Noa from Japan, and I was very lucky to have them. I also met my two best friends, Oscar from Spain and Sevin from Azerbaijan, with whom I spent almost every day. I plan to visit them soon and can't wait to see them again. In these five months, I traveled more than ever before in my life. I visited many different cities in the Czech Republic, including Prague, Olomouc, Karlovy Vary, and Telč. I also traveled outside the Czech Republic to Krakow in Poland, Bratislava in Slovakia, Budapest in Hungary, and, unexpectedly, Riga in Latvia.

My Erasmus experience helped me grow as a person and become more confident and independent. It was my first time living by myself in a different city, alone and without knowing anyone, which allowed me to really explore who I am and how I want to present myself. I faced situations that made me anxious, like going to a coffee shop alone and being alone in public in general, but I overcame them.

The hardest part of Erasmus is leaving, but the city you chose for your Erasmus never leaves you; it becomes a big part of you and stays alive through the stories you constantly tell about it. My Erasmus taught me many things that shape who I am today, and I am already planning my next one. Because of Erasmus, I met so many new people and embarked on new adventures, such as joining ESN Rijeka.

Lea Kelemen