Erasmus year in Slovenia

My academic expatriation was the continuity of my personal development. This experience allowed me to prove myself many things, including my ability to adapt to any situation, to pass through the language barrier, to learn from the others, to be more autonomous and responsible and above all, it allowed me to take a fresh new start.

If I chose Slovenia, it is rather randomly. Not because I didn’t have the opportunity to go where I wanted to, on the contrary, but I was simply looking for a different place from what everyone already wanted to go or knew about, including myself. I quickly eliminated the United Kingdom, Spain, Finland, United States and many more.... So I looked at the courses offered at the Faculty of Econonics in Ljubljana, and found some courses that could fit to my program. Almost no one knows how to situate this country on a map. We often place Slovenia between Lithuania and Latvia, and that is exactly why I was attracted by this country. I was looking for a new life, new horizons, new encounters, new beginning, and I definitely found what I was looking for.

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«Feel SLOVEnia». You got it, this is the slogan of Slovenia, this beautiful destination with a chicken-shape, where I had the chance to spend a fabulous year. By setting foot in the Slovenian capital, I felt right away at home. It was obvious, like a real thunderbolt.

My trip quickly turned into an adventure, an adventure during which I had the opportunity to travel a good part of Europe, a continent I knew little about.

Indeed, I am french, but I was born in Ivory Coast, and I grew up in West Africa for 18 years. Europe was for me the unknown, and Erasmus time was the perfect moment to travel around.

By traveling in Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Austria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro, I discovered things that I would never have imagined. We know of the Balkan countries the war that ravaged them not so long ago, but I did not expect to find myself faced to poor places in Europe, like I am used to see in Africa. And yet, this cultural shock was quickly forgotten at the sight of the breathtaking landscapes, and faced to the kindness of the population.

Talking about Slovenia, would you believe me if I told you that this country could be the place where I could live?

Whether it's the subdued light of every little cafe along the Ljubljanica River that plunges you into a romantic and relaxing atmosphere, the imposing pink church on Preseren Square which gives you the impression of being at the DisneyLand theme park, the churches all equally beautiful, the ski slopes 30 minutes away from the city center by car, the open kitchen every Friday from March to October which brings such cool vibes to the city, all the festivals organized throughout the year, the charm of the Christmas lights dressing the city and the snow adding a plus to this magic, the castle overlooking the city from its hill, changing color throughout the year; the famous three bridges and dragon bridge, the translucent color of the Soca River, the hiking trips on Triglav, the surprising view above the sky of Velika Planina, the crazy district of Metelkova, the shoes hanging on the streets, the parties every monday at the parlament bar, the daily morning market with fresh products, the beauty of Tivoli park in autumn… Slovenia is full of surprises and resources.

So, ok, I agree, Ljubljana is a small European capital with 280. 000 inhabitants. And ok, you can visit it the time of a weekend. But seriously, how could you be tired of a place as cute as this one? This is the reason why it is so seductive. I can assure you that I spent hours sitting along the Ljubljanica, just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

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Today, I think to all of this with a lot of nostalgia, but also a lot of joy. I had a deep feeling of well-being. It is mainly the friends of all nationalities that I have come to know and love that have made my experience the most beautiful and intense adventure of my life.

I woke up in the morning while going to class with my English roommate, I met my Portuguese girlfriend at the lectures, I had a coffee with my Serbian bestfriend during break, I joined my Mexican friend for a bachata class, my Slovenian friends to drink borovnice, I had dinner with my German friends, and I went out in nightclub to meet my Scottish, Latvian, Australian, French friends and many more… Such a perfect life, isn’t it?

I guess you understood, I fell and remained under the charm of Slovenia, and I wish we all be there once again. Today, over 6 months later, I feel like a part of me which is still living in the past, still living there, and I'm having a hard time moving forward. Ljubljana and those memories will never leave me, and the story is not over… I’ll be back LJ.