My Erasmus: We have foreseen the European nation

Shared by: Ovidiu Oancia
Erasmus Trip:  Romania Italian Republic
It was:  2006

For more than two thousand years we’re striving to build up a European nation, and even if we didn’t admit it, the history tells the truth. Several decades ago we have discovered the path that will lead us to success. It’ll take time to acquire it, but we are sure it’s the right one.

Unfortunately, back then, the people who have given shape to it did not take any account of the human component; until 20 years ago when a group of people came with a bright idea.

Today one should learn that Erasmus is a crucial stage in the forming of each European personality, as well as in the forming of the European Nation.

As a Romanian, a week ago I have become an European citizen. Before my Erasmus experience I was a convinced euroskeptical, believing that this project (European Union) should lead to a disaster. I enrolled in the Erasmus Programme just to study abroad. But, upon meeting people from other European countries, study came second.

I was extremely enthusiastic about learning about other people cultures, languages, habits, food and how differences can make us alike!

The difficult moments at the beginning made us closer friends than our very old ones. Our hard time learning Italian, adapting to their food habits and their schedule made us a real family, regardless the fact that we were of 13 different nations.

Soon, even with our Italian learned we came to speak a common language, we called the Erasmus language, on the same principles of Esperanto, but with beautiful enrichments, e.g. Slavic, argotic.

We were very surprised to realize that after all we are not that different as we expected, and we could get along so well.

   The most amazing thing to me is the relationship between me and my Polish girlfriend. Despite the fact that both of us don’t speak Italian very well, we came to communicate better than within any other relationship that we have ever had. And we are still stubborn to use Italian even though English is our second language, just to show that language is not important.

So I’ve learned that communication is not about language, grammar, culture, habits, stereotypes, is not about differences, it is all about resemblance, it’s about realizing that we are all human beings and we are only different as individuals.

Before my Erasmus experience I used to think that Europe will never be culturally united. I also used to think Europe is larger and with quite unreachable spots. Not anymore, but I’m sorry it took an Erasmus to realize that. I’m compensating, though, by trying to convince my other friends that didn’t get the chance to do an Erasmus, as well as my family that was very worried about my hard time away from them. If only they knew how hard was for me to remember to call them from time to time, and that my thumbs were crossed every time I was telling them I miss home.

As for my Erasmus family, we keep in touch and we are visiting each other quite often. We discovered that this is the cheapest way to see as many places in Europe accompanied by an authorized guide and interpret – the host. I myself have at least 20 cities all over the continent in which I’m always invited.

With MA plans in Poland, I’d say Erasmus has yet to change me. And who knows, maybe my future binational children will be very thankful to this EU initiative.  

I wish one day every European would undergo the erasmorphosis I suffered, that is understand that Europe is rather a country than a continent – it's true, a bit larger one, with more dialects!