In the Blink of an eye!

Flashback to island life in 2015!

When I look back on my Erasmus experience I can’t believe how lucky I was to have the opportunity. I had wanted to study abroad long before I started university so when it came around to choosing either to carry on to my third year or spending a year out, I didn’t hesitate! I made the most of my (quite possibly) once in a lifetime opportunity to study abroad and chose to split my year between two locations; Malta from September to January and the Netherlands from January to July.

Now when I write this it sounds like a long time away from home… I mean I only spent two months at home for that whole year. However it went so quickly when I was actually living it. That year went in a blink of an eye!

Malta was really beautiful… there were plenty of beaches; public transport was super cheap; and the food was incredible! I was only in University two days a week so the rest of my days were spent at the beach… what a life eh! I visited the small island of Gozo and also managed to sneak in a trip to Sicily at Christmas but my most favourite place I went to was Comino; a small island with the bluest water I have ever seen! My friends and I would also meet to go for food and a few drinks, go to the cinema, and experience the local festivities in nearby Valletta. It was a very relaxed 4 month holiday!

  

My life in the Netherlands was very different… I went to lots of parties (it was a real flashback to Fresher’s week!); made lots of new friends; travelled to Germany, France, Belgium, Republic of Ireland, and Switzerland; cycled literally everywhere… to Uni, to the supermarket, to the gym, and even to Germany!; had barbecues in the sun; and found my love for gin!

   

I can’t say that I enjoyed one place more than the other but at the time I did not appreciate how special Malta actually was. I started to feel claustrophobic and restless like I needed to move off this tiny island and explore somewhere else. Now, I know I can’t help how I felt but looking back I feel so silly; like how many times in your life do you get the chance to not have to get a job or have to do much uni work or have any responsibilities at all?? I was extremely fortunate!

I think what I’m trying to say in a long-winded kind o’ way is to always appreciate the amazing opportunities that are given to you because life flies by so fast! I look back at photos of a beautiful island and miss it so much!

Thanks for reading!

Follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!

Advertisements