Shared by: Johan Becquet Erasmus Trip: Antwerp Cracow It was: 2006
A long time ago now, a friend of mine told me about erasmus. He had it all figured out: we would travel to Central-Europe, learn more about the new member states and their cultures... We would have fun and, for the first time, we would experience something real. He would take Prague and I chose Kraków. Of course, neither of us spoke Czech or Polish.
I owe a lot to him.
In Kraków, we lived our lifes so fully. We went to parties, talked, exchanged ideas, travelled, experienced other cultures, discovered... It was like living a dream.
It's a strange thing...
In one semester, I could only taste a bit of the Polish culture. It's a strange thing to be at the same time part and not part of something. To be a friend and a stranger. Even though I will never be truely polish, I will carry Poland with me in my heart.
In the end, it came down to meeting those people who will be the truest friends in your life. Our lifes had become entrangled, and every departure of a friend left an emptiness behind. We were at the same time part and not part of each other's lifes. Every farewell party filled me with sadness, until - in the end - I too had to say goodbye...
"Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of always." -Dante Alighieri.