Erasmus+ Traineeship: a life-changing experience
As an individual who is continuously exploring new opportunities and new places, coming to Brno was a once-in-a-lifetime offer. One could say a life-changing experience! Thanks to Erasmus+ traineeship, my passion for traveling and meeting new people came to life. So here I am now, in the Czech Republic, writing this article to let you know how my experience here is, up to now.
But let’s start from the beginning
Being a pharmacy student along with being a columnist at a youth portal in Cyprus, made me think twice before deciding what type of internship I wanted. While searching the web, I accidentally found an opportunity in the Czech Republic, as an Assistant Project Manager, at Mladiinfo, through Erasmus+ Traineeship. Not even 5 minutes later, I found myself not only applying to the position but also looking for attractions in Brno!
In the end, I guess the choice between pharmacy and content creation wasn’t that difficult. The idea of working in an NGO such as Mladiinfo seemed promising, as I’d had the chance not only to be surrounded by international people of various backgrounds but also to be creative and to create new content and events.
To cut a long story short, I got accepted for the position and a few months later I ended up in the lovely city of Brno!
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The first shock
I personally believe that every change in our lives has some degree of difficulty, so coming here to Brno wasn’t an exception. Starting with the basic ones, having to carry 2 HUGE suitcases to my new home never seemed so difficult! And trust me, it was exhausting.
Moving on to the sociocultural differences, as a citizen of Cyprus -which is a small island- I wasn’t familiar with seeing homeless people. I was also not used to the city crowd, to busy busses and especially to trams! Let’s not talk about driving on the right side of the road – I’m still trying to figure out from which side of the street I’m supposed to stand to take the right tram.
Nevertheless, I never let small “obstacles” interfere with my goals, so I overcame all of the problems I faced in the blink of an eye.
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The majesty of Brno
Moving on to the good parts of the trip – and first in the list is, of course, my amazing Brno! It’s crazy how many things you can do in this town! From visiting archaeological places, to walking in the shopping streets and to having a chill afternoon in the park! Brno can offer you everything! What I especially like about my new “home”, are the nice viewpoints you can enjoy throughout the city! My personal recommendation (in case you’re ever visiting Brno), is the area in front of the castle! Grab a bear, and enjoy the sunset and the beautiful views the city has to offer – they’re magical.
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Mladiinfo – My new family
I still haven’t talked about my new (and amazing) “family”! And in case you’re wondering, I’m obviously talking about Mladiinfo and my new colleagues! Actually I think I couldn’t ask for a better working environment, as I never feel that two consecutive days at the office are the same. You get to do so many tasks while being creative, and most importantly, while being yourself! In short, every day I get to interact with Eliška, my coordinator, and with Raul, another volunteer of the organization. They both made me feel like home as soon as I arrived at the office! How great is that?
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Future goals
I still have a long time ahead of me before returning to Cyprus in September! Thanks to that, I can organize my weekly schedule perfectly, so I don’t waste any minute while here! Except from exploring more Brno and Czech Republic in general, I want to visit Austria and Slovakia (which are a few hours away from here) and surely Romania! Why Romania? Because I have my other half there, my beloved friend Sascha, who I met on an exchange program last year! Isn’t it great how easy it is travelling within Europe with very little money, when you’re living in the center of Europe? And all of that, thanks to the geographical position of the Czech Republic (and of course, Erasmus Traineeship)!
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What about you?
What are you waiting for? Don’t you think it’s time for you to explore Europe as well, while being paid? Europe has to offer you so many opportunities, either through Erasmus+ Placement or ESC! Don’t waste any minute, apply to as many positions as you can and who knows, you may end up here in Brno as well writing about your experience, too!
Take care everyone and live life to the fullest!
-Joseph, a lost traveler!
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