My name is Nika, and I am from Zagreb, Croatia. My Erasmus
exchange experience was truly unique. I was part of a four-year
program called "Soil under my feet" during a very challenging time –
the COVID-19 pandemic. It was my first year of high school when I
applied, unaware of what lay ahead. When the pandemic hit and the
world shut down, including travel bans, everything, including our
Erasmus program, was put on hold. Until the spring of 2022, when
restrictions slowly began to ease, our program also gradually
started to come back to life.
In my third year of high school, I was finally offered an opportunity to
go to Greece. In May 2022, I spent a week in the suburb of Patras,
Vrahneika, living with a Greek family. It was the beginning of
summer in Greece, and we spent our time traveling around the
Peloponnese, enjoying the beach, and discussing the theme of our
project – refugees and their lives – through various workshops and meetings.

During that week, my Croatian team was joined by teams of pupils
from Italy, Spain, France, and Germany, and I met many wonderful
people with whom I became great friends. Most of us had another
opportunity to meet up again in Brussels for a second Erasmus, an
opportunity rarely offered within the same program. And that amazing
experience, filled with cultural exchange, fun, travel, and exploration,
happened once again. Everything that seemed impossible during the
pandemic, the Erasmus+ program made possible again. It opened
my eyes to the countless opportunities, things to see, and
experiences the world offers. Curiosity and the desire to explore
cultures and the world around me became a significant part of
planning my future. And here I am, two years after my Erasmus
program ended, traveling around Europe with my Erasmus friends –
an experience that truly changed my life for the better.