Generation Erasmus: First impressions

Slán go fóill

Anyone who tells you that goodbyes are easy is lying. I never want to forget how hard they were because it reminds me of how far I’ve come already. Saying goodbye to my two brothers (who are four and six) was tough. Of all the things I miss about home, I miss chatting late in the evening with my brother Cuán about Lego and our favourite zoo animals and I miss his hugs.

However once I walked through security in Dublin Airport I snapped into ‘travel mode’ and started compartmentalising my emotions. I had my last Butlers hot chocolate and tried to disguise the fact that I was carrying an internet radio in my already bulging handbag (in an effort to lighten my check on bag).

Tip number one for Erasmus students: do not expect to look cool and collected when you’re moving to your host county. I was wearing three cardigans, carrying two handbags and wearing four scarves … and boy did I regret it the moment I stepped off the plane in Nice. Within five minutes my forehead was damp and I was fanning myself with my passport.

I navigated the bus in Nice with the help of my new roommate and begun to haul my two bags up to our apartment (five flights of stairs with 40kg of baggage). Five floors later I was ready to collapse … I had to sit in front of my fan for ten minutes for my body to settle at a normal, human temperature again. Clearly my Irish body was not built for 30 degree heat. Our landlord arrived and talked in rapid French, explaining what to do in case of a fire or a leak and left us with dried pasta. Needless to say I collapsed into bed after the trek.

Baby steps

Tip number 2: do not go to Lidl at 6pm in France, this is peak time for fanatical food shoppers. I wandered down the aisles utterly lost (both literally and figuratively), manually calculating the contents of my shopping basket.. The full horror/excitement of living alone, of shopping alone in a foreign county truly hit me in Lidl. My thoughts were chaotic – buy the nice brie or buy meat. Would I like white bread or wholegrain bread? When in actual fact I was always going to buy the cheapest food available. Ah the luxury of a fully stocked fridge.

Francophones jostled me as I hurriedly attempted to pack all my groceries into a bag that was clearly too small. I will never forget the panic that comes when the cashier tells you how much your shopping will cost. Then I picked up my basil plant (note to self, don’t buy potted herbs as a student) and walked home.

Tip number 3: if you suspect your house may have cockroaches, stay locked in your room at night. Needless to say, I went to get a glass of water in the middle of the night. Quite an innocent expedition to the kitchen one might think. Alas, I spotted the unmistakable black bulge of a cockroach scuttling behind my bin. I abandoned my empty glass and fled to my room, slamming the door behind me for good measure (as though that would deter any determined cockroach).

Skyping is hard. Missing people is harder.

After the cockroach sighting I rang my family on Skype for the first time. Hearing their voices and seeing their faces was hard. I desperately wanted to put my hand into the screen, wanted to jump through cyberspace into my sitting room in rainy, familiar Ireland where I knew how much food cost and I knew where all the supermarkets were. All that aside, my computer screen has never given me so much comfort as it did that night. Seeing my family’s faces, knowing that everything was still ok at home, that was what gave me strength to stay. The great thing about talking to your family on Skype is that it gets easier and easier every time.

Don’t stay stuck in your room  

Tip number 4: Get out and explore your host county. During my second day in Nice I went to the beach and I went for a trial in an English bar. I since have a job in the English bar, Wayne’s and I think it is one of the best things I’ve done since moving here. Surrounded by English and Irish people for the most part, I quickly felt at home in Wayne’s and, most importantly for me, we had the same humour. The French have very different humour to us Irish and it felt so good to be among people who laughed with me instead of at me.

It’s so important to keep busy the first few days that you move away from home. It may be tempting to stay in bed watching Netflix but you will only wallow in homesickness. Erasmus can be uncomfortable because you’re constantly out of your comfort zone – new languages, new people and new cultures are constantly bombarding you. But, as my roommate told me today over Nutella and tea, just because you’re feeling uncomfortable doesn’t mean you’re not doing a great job. Outside of our comfort zone is where we thrive and flourish. Homesickness fades quickly when you realise how short your time really is in your host country and how much there is to see and do and taste.

À bientôt,

Mia