Reflecting on the first half of my Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs experience, I can honestly say this journey has already changed me more than I expected. Looking back at the moment I arrived in Portugal compared to how I feel now, the difference is real and I can feel it in small things every day, in how I communicate, how I approach problems, how I start my mornings.
So far, the experience has been intense in the best possible way. Living and working in an international environment through POMAR Coliving has allowed me to meet entrepreneurs, freelancers and remote workers from many different countries and professional backgrounds. Every conversation, every collaboration, every shared meal has taught me something new, not only about business and communication, but about different ways of approaching life in general. Some of those conversations I’ll probably think about for a long time.
One of the most important things for me has been learning through direct experience rather than theory alone. Watching how projects are developed, how content and communication strategies are built day by day, how an entrepreneurial environment actually functions has helped me understand things I couldn’t have learned in a classroom. There’s a big difference between reading about something and seeing it happen in front of you.
At the same time, this experience has challenged me personally more than I expected. Adapting to a completely new environment, speaking English every day, managing responsibilities I wasn’t used to, all of it required a kind of flexibility I had to develop quickly. During the first weeks there were moments of real uncertainty, when everything felt unfamiliar at once, the place, the people, the routines, even my own expectations. But those moments gradually became something else. They became the parts I learned the most from.
Something that has genuinely surprised me is discovering how much balance matters. Before coming here, I think I unconsciously believed that productivity meant pressure, constant hustle, always being on. Here I started understanding that creativity and motivation actually improve when there is also space for human connection, movement, nature, silence. That shift in perspective sounds simple but it has been one of the most valuable things I’m taking home from this experience.
As for the objectives of the program, I feel they are being met in a very natural way. The Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs experience is helping me grow professionally, yes, but it’s also exposing me to a much broader international perspective. Adaptability, communication, cultural exchange, these things are not on a syllabus here. They just happen, every day, in the most ordinary moments.
At this stage I don’t feel major adjustments are needed for the second half. If anything, I want to keep going deeper into the practical side of things, participate in more collaborative projects and keep learning about entrepreneurial development and communication in an international context. I feel like I’m just starting to find my rhythm here, which is maybe the best sign.
Overall, this first half has confirmed something I suspected but wasn’t sure about: stepping outside familiar environments and immersing yourself in something completely new is one of the fastest ways to grow. It has already shaped me in ways I didn’t fully anticipate, and I’m genuinely curious to see what the second half will bring