Erasmus Reunion

We gathered. It was one of those random evenings where nothing special happened, a random evening you used to take for granted and now you would give everything to live one of them again. Someone, I do not remember who, came up with an idea: “Guys, we could spend the next New Year’s Eve together!” And we could only reply: “Of course, all together, for the good old times.”

I have to admit that when I left Prague with my Erasmus completed in June 2013, it was like closing a chapter. In my experience, probably the most awesome and important chapter of my life so far. So when I took my flight back home to Spain I could not help but dwell on the thought that all those incredible months were over. I knew it was time to move on and to get back to a life where everything was the same apart from the protagonist. So as time passed, I (and we all) carried on with our separate lives.

The idea of the reunion was always there, hanging around. Just this time it was for real, we had to make it, for the “good old times”, for those who could afford it, for us… and where else would better than in Prague? We agreed to meet here for New Year’s Eve.

Talking about our reunion days and the new memories we made seems impossible to me, so I would prefer to leave a message for those who experienced and are yet to experience Erasmus in this amazing city and at Charles University.

Most of us could not make it. Of course, life goes on, and it is impossible to schedule people from all around the world and their different programs. Nonetheless, we were there. People from Spain, Greece, Poland, Kazakhstan, Germany, Lithuania or Slovenia, we could do it, we were back in our beloved Prague, sleeping in Hostivař (the hall of residence most of us had lived in last year), walking around the Old Town Square and sharing a beer in our favourite pubs.

The magic of Erasmus is exactly that. Over six months later (or even more in some cases), everything felt the same between all of us, even though the feeling about the city and those who could not be there was somehow hurtful. You will never have time to carry through all the plans you had been organising over the months and I think that is the best way. As life itself, the Prague you once felt as yours moves on but it is still as amazing as you remember it.

I will not lie to myself. It felt strange. As I have said, everything was over in June. The trips, the people, the random evenings and all that made Erasmus as special as it was, it is over, and it is true, it will never come back to you. But, to be honest, the reunion has been exactly what it had to be, an awesome experience some of us had the lucky chance to live.

Leaving again does not hurt as much as it did the first time. Actually, if I could give advice to you all, try your best to make it happen, no matter the effort. It is definitely worth it. It will never be the same, but it was as perfect as it could, because there is something for sure: Prague will always be our city.