What I Learned After a Week in Glasgow

The first week of Erasmus can be scary, exciting, exhausting, fun, sad - all the emotions, all at once. Things rarely ever go as you expected them to, sometimes for the worst, sometimes for the best. So, after a week of being emerged in the Erasmus experience and of living in this beautiful city, here's what I have learned.

Celebrate the little victories. Once me and my friend got into the place we're staying in we had everything to do - unpack, tidy our rooms, clean them, figure out how we were going to eat that day, go grocery shopping... It all felt very overwhelming, so when we were able to do it, little by little, it felt great. We relied on each other to get everything done and just pushed through. For someone who had never been away from home, being able to do all of these seemingly simple things without having a breakdown was a real accomplishment.

Manage your expectations. I imagined my first week here to be the most fun week of my life. I would meet all these great people, everyone would come up to talk to me and I would make tons of friends with minimum effort. I was wrong. Duh. That's not how it works. After a couple "failed" parties and social events I realised that maybe I would have to lower my expectations just a little bit and understand that certain things take time and effort and meeting new people is one of those things. Also, it was the first week. Not everything is going to magically come together in just one week! And that's what I've been saying to myself whenever I feel like this whole isn't going how I planned.

Don't try to do it all at once. It can be fun to just immerse yourself in all of the things, stay as busy as possible and do as much as you can in just one day, but if you're in a new country, away from home, family and friends and anything that's familiar it can be very overwhelming to not take a moment to process everything. You'll have plenty of time to do whatever you want to do! Trying to do it all at once will only lead to disappointment and not being able to fully enjoy the experience.

Take some alone time. So, this is very important. You're on your own, so you need to prioritize your well being and your health. If things get really intense and you need a break - take that break. Spend some time alone, either outside or inside. Exploring your new city or reading a book. Sleep. Let your body rest. Let your mind rest. Write everything down - all the memories and thoughts and rambles. Allow yourself to process what you're feeling. Cry if want to and if you have to. Call your loved ones. Watch some crappy TV shows and take your mind off of all the things you need to do - they will still be there later and you will feel better doing them.

Everyone is trying to figure it out - no matter where they come from. That's been the most interesting part of this whole thing. My housemates come from several different countries and no one has any idea what they're doing in life. Through late night conversations or long talks over hot chocolate and coffee, you come to understand that people are a lot more similar than you think, that no matter where you come from, everyone goes through the same things, the same questions, the same struggles, the same question marks about their futures... It's quite funny and reassuring to know you're not the only one trying to make sense of the mess of a world we live in.