ALEXANDRA IORDACHE

“You know when you are in an Erasmus+ project. You feel it.“

My name is Alexa and I am an eighteen-year-old Romanian girl. I can honestly say that my life changed, more or less, exactly one year ago when the “Conquer the Internet” Erasmus+ project took place in Mezobereny, Hungary. All the new experiences and the people that I’ve met from different countries helped me grow. The 10 days spent in Hungary definitely contributed to my personal development. For instance, the idea of speaking in front of other people doesn’t seam as nerve-racking as it seemed a year and a month ago.

I enjoyed so much the time spent in Hungary, that, 2 months later, I was on my way to my second Erasmus+ project. This one was held in Czech Republic. Since then everyone is always asking me “Which one did you enjoy the most? Which one was your favorite?”. Well, my answer is always the same. “I simply can’t choose”.

Why? Because each one was a different experience for me. While at the first one I was a participant, at the second one I had the chance to be a volunteer and to facilitate sessions almost every day (with some help obviously).

To be there, in front of people of my age, trying to help them learn something new, hoping that they would have a proper “Erasmus experience” made me see that project from a different perspective. What I can say is that some things that had challenged me personally in Mezobereny definitely helped me overcome newfound obstacles in Czech Republic, as a volunteer.

These being said, both of them are very similar: the amazing people that I’ve met, the opportunity to find out more about their cultures, the new places that I’ve visited and the amazing memories we made, all of which I can’t describe in words no matter how hard I try. Just like a feeling. You know when you are in an Erasmus+ project. You feel it. You live the moment and it remains in your soul for the rest of your life as one of the happiest moments.

To put it short, my Erasmus+ projects have definitely had an impact on who I am today. I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone who is looking for a life-changing opportunity.

Alexandra volunteered during the Erasmus+ project “Critical Thinking for Youth”, organized by Four Links.