I cannot keep calm - Erasmus is ending

I cannot keep calm -Erasmus is ending. This is the motto of the last days. The end is getting closer. We all notice that. From time to time, you will catch someone looking into nowhere, being melancholic and far away in his thoughts – and everyone knows that he is thinking about the end. Regularly, someone says: “We don’t have much time left, we have to take advantage of the remaining days” or “I would like to stay longer”. But sadly, we don’t all have the chance to stay and we know we cannot change the situation but just make the best out of it. Some, already left before Christmas and would not come back. Now, we meet more often, actually, no day passes without us having met. It is easier now, because university is already over. Of course, we still have to do all the formal stuff, as closing bank accounts, end our renting contracts and cell phone contracts, get our exams from university … but at least in the evening we always meet. During the day, we try to do all the stuff, that we haven’t yet done or seen. Many of us have visits from their home countries, but that is not a reason for not being together as much as possible, even if you climb the Arc de Triomphe for the thenth time.

We already plan who has to visit whom, when and where and when and where we are going to go on holidays together. We swear that we will stay friends forever and always keep in touch. That will be difficult with people from Columbia, Greece, Spain, Mexico, Italy, Rumania, Brasil and Germany. For me it will be easier with my German friends, but even with them it is unlikely to see them more often than once a year as everyone has their studies, work, other friends, family and hobbies…

Yes, we are all sad that our Erasmus is coming to an end but we will enjoy until the end. Our day and night rhythm has slightly changed, I think since new year’s eve. We often stay in bed until 12 o’clock or later, then we organise the formal stuf fand visit the city and attractions. In the evening, we meet for dinner – often between 10 and 11 – going to the movies, watching movies at home – as the auberge espangol, which is a total must! – or partying. Often, we also just stay at someone’s place to talk and listen to music or just sit together. This can take until 5 o’clock in the night or we just wait until the first metro. We just don’t want to be separated from each other, not even for this small time for sleeping. As we are not so many people anymore, sometimes we just stay at each other’s places overnight -yes, four people in one bed is not a problem – so no one has to leave and the problem is solved. And even if we see each other every day, the few separated hours are spend with sending messages on Whatsapp.

I would totally say that Erasmus friendships are different to normal friendships. I don’t want to say that they are better or more important, that’s not true. They are just more intensive. They are substituting your family. They are your family. You go to a new country, you don’t know anyone, you don’t have your friends or family with you. You build friendships a lot faster and easier. I tell my friends here everything. Within the most shortest time, you know people as good as in no other relationship. You spend so much time together, you see them every day, you share all difficulties with them and support each other. Some of the people here, I see as part of my best friends and then notice, I only know them three month or even less, some of them only a few weeks. I went travelling with people that I only knew for a few days and it felt like we knew each other for ages and we had the best time.

Yes, I don’t know these people for a long time, but already in this short time they proved of being worth to do everything for keeping in contact. They were by my side, when I had difficult times, noticed that I felt bad, where other friends might not have noticed it, and comforted me and cheered me up. They accompanied me home, always asked if I arrived well, cared for me, when we had been going out at night, and always payed attention. I did the same for them, when they had problems or needed help. I have to admit, we also had problems. It was only few people with other few people. We had people he didn’t talk anymore to others or some that were just being nasty against others. But that happens! Just like in a family. It is completely understandable that people get on each others nerve, when spending so much time together. We just have to learn to care for each other and be there for each other. We definitely learned to solve all our problems and always fixed them. It had only been a short phase of little tensions and these showed me even more how important these people are to me. And I mean everyone, every single one of them. I shared some of my best experiences with them and yes it might sound kitsch, but I don’t want to lose them. They are already too important to me and will always stay in my heart.

“I cannot keep calm – Erasmus is ending”

I don’t want to leave and I don’t want to be separated from my friends. But distance is not separation and I am looking forward to many more experiences with my new friends in the next years. And we still have some time left in Paris, which we will take advantage of. Together. We are Erasmus family.

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