Lassen Sie sich nicht von der Angst zurückhalten!

Aleksandra took part in a cultural exchange program in Spain, and while she shared her impressions during her stay, she’s now back home in Serbia and ready to reflect on the experience from a distance. Here’s what she had to say:

Hi friends,

Not long ago, I was writing to you from Madrid—now I’m sending big hugs from Serbia. I recently returned from Spain, and I feel the need to share my thoughts now that I’ve had time to reflect. As you probably know, I participated in a cultural exchange program during the Covid-19 pandemic.

People often ask me things like: “What was it like?”, “How did you handle it?”, “It must’ve been hard?” And yes, of course it wasn’t always easy—but everything can be endured. I went to Spain with one main goal: to improve my Spanish, a language I absolutely love—and I did it. No pandemic should stand in the way of a dream you’re truly determined to turn into reality.

Madrid is a magical city, full of history, endless opportunities, and beauty waiting to be explored. Spain was my dream destination, and Madrid was the city I longed to live in. And I did. And I would again in a heartbeat.

The good news is that in the final weeks of my stay, things with the virus started improving, and we were able to go out more. I managed to visit the places I’d been dying to see.

I met people from all over the world, and perhaps the most meaningful part—I got to adopt Spanish like a second mother tongue. That kind of experience? Priceless.

To all current and future candidates—I know you’ve probably got a million questions spinning around in your head: Will everything be okay? Will things go to plan? Am I capable of this? The answers are: Yes. Yes. And absolutely yes. Even if things don’t go according to plan, they might just go the way they’re meant to—just like they did for me (haha).

Don’t let fear of the unknown hold you back. Give yourself the chance to live something new, something incredible.

Honestly, I could talk for days about my time in Spain—I have so much more to share—but I hope you’ll go and experience it for yourselves. Then you can be the one passing on your story.

Until next time, lots of love from me!

¡Hasta la vista, amigos!