Hi! My name is Hanna and this is my halfway update of my Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs Programme. My host entrepreneur’s name is Alexia and I am gaining experience in the field of an NGO focused on youthwork.
It took me a while to reflect on my EYE journey. It’s hard to believe it is already the halfway mark of the project and at the same time it feels like the project has lasted for a while! I arrived in Leiden (the Netherlands) in March but due to some problems I was able to start my project in September, and as it is already January of the next year- maybe it actually has been that long.
What I can tell you now from the perspective of arriving halfway, expect the unexpected. Nothing was like I imagined, not for better or worse, just different. I have managed to make friends in the office almost instantly so that is definitely the personal highlight of my project.
My biggest advice to the people who are considering trying this experience is – don’t be afraid to ask for what you want! I asked and I got additional mentoring on a subject of the perspective of a women in the NGO workplaces that I feel really enriched my experience. It might not be the exact subject of my exchange but it’s a subject that interests me personally as a psychologist by education and my host was more than willing to organise it for me on top of everything else I’m already learning.
I have lived abroad before but living in the Netherlands for such a long period of time turned out to be challenging but luckily my intermediary and host organizations were always willing to adjust the programme to my life situation so I have managed to take a long Christmas break that has left me reenergized and ready to jump back into the project.
I still feel like I have so much to learn here, even though it has been a while since I arrived, I wish my project could last even longer!
Already I have accumulated so much new knowledge, experiences and friends so I am looking forward to the other half.
I will for sure leave this country being a different person that I arrived here.