Dream, Believe and Achieve
Birthdays are memorable moments for everyone, including me. On April 16, 2021, on my 23rd birthday, I was waiting for the announcement of the ESWOCHY Program. The best gift I could expect for my birthday would be a letter of acceptance. Around 9 pm, after celebrating my birthday with my family in Indonesia, I still hadn't heard anything. I was too scared to open my email until my best friend checked it. I was hoping he would congratulate me, but unfortunately, he said that I was on the waiting list, I was accepted for the program but not awarded the Erasmus scholarship.
I was sad but I believed that it was not the end of my journey. I emailed the Program Coordinator and explained my desire join the programme, also asking what are my weaknesses so that I can improve myself when I apply following year. We emailed each other until she said that she would help me by seeking funding from my home country (Indonesia). We contacted various ministries and organizations. I started contacting many people for support. Although in the end we didn't receive any good news. I was happy to have family friends who were very supportive for this up and down journey.
Finally, the day I had been waiting for had arrived. On June 15, 2021, an email informed me that my turn had finally come to get the Erasmus scholarship because some people on the main list did not take it. When I received this news, I was sick and under quarantine with my whole family at the time due to COVID-19, and this was the best medicine for us. My dream to study in Europe came true, I started preparing everything within two months because on September 15 I had to arrive in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Time passes quickly and I am currently in the third semester. Previously I lived in Lithuania and Latvia and at this moment, I am in Slovakia and preparing to go to Portugal. I have met truly amazing friends from all around the world and many inspiring professors. Moreover, I was privileged to travel to many European countries. I made a trip to Paris, and finally saw the Eiffel Tower, which I had only seen in pencil boxes or books in my childhood. If I could have a conversation with myself when I was little, I would just want to thank my younger self for dreaming big and believing, even though I was just a little girl in a small village.
If I could have a conversation with myself when I was little, I would just want to thank my younger self for dreaming big and believing
The year 2022 was a great year for me thanks to this Erasmus Journey. Erasmus Mundus not only offers a classroom learning experience but learning everywhere and with everyone, which changed my life. To have this amazing experience of traveling the world, I did not know how long I would have to work and save, but through education, in this case through Erasmus Mundus, we are given the opportunity to learn and discover the world.
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