This post could either be a guidebook to going through with your semester abroad or my own super condensed diary (bowties excluded) of five months spent away from my family and friends, living a whole new life in a whole new place. Either way, I want to share this experience with you and I want to have one specific point to look back to and instantly be taken back to the city of Utrecht in The Netherlands in the autumn of 2015.

Studying

Firstly, why I chose that place. To me, it was more about the programme, than the country itself, as it was important that I can study in English and take classes that excite me. When I was already there, I realised how little I had actually researched the country, the customs or the weather. My studies were indeed a lot different than what I'd done at home, so for the first time in my life, I had to put together a marketing plan, a content plan and design an in-flight magazine. Compared to the academic lectures that I was use to, it was nice to feel really excited about going to school and tackling projects before the deadline (or you know, the night before). Already I can tell that all those new skills will become very useful in then near (or far) future.

Socialising 

A big part of any studying abroad semester is the new people, new friends and sometimes, all the partying. I find it really frustrating that the general idea about an Erasmus semester seems to be that it's all about beers and partying, with some clubbing and a bit of travelling thrown into the mix. It so isn't! Maybe it's due to the fact that I've been to a club very few times in my life an I don't really enjoy the sticky floors and sweaty strangers, but to me, it was so much nicer to take the train to Amsterdam and go visit a museum or have a dinner night in with my new friends (which we did so much and ate all the hummus and I really miss these feasts!). Talking about world politics with people from at least three different continents is eye-opening, having discussions about cultural differences and social situations in Sweden, Australia or Germany made me feel instantly more intelligent. 

I met so many people, some nicer than others and some of them became good friends, which I didn't really hope or expect to happen. It's also important to admit, that the whole exchange semester was crazy scary for me. Jumping head first into the big unknown, having to cope all on my own, with no security blanket with me whatsoever and only myself to rely on to make the most of everything. By forcing myself to be more open, to talk to people who might "not be my kind of people", to say the first "Hi!", I became braver in socialising, so maybe my days as the shy wallflower are over? I've also realised that I've grown more tolerant and acceptable, which probably is the whole hidden meaning behind the programme.

Culture

That bit I was looking forward to so much! (Unlike the having to talk to strangers bit.) Museums and concerts in Estonia just don't compare to the ones in Central Europe. Hopping on a train to see Van Gogh? Check! My favourite band who probably hasn't even heard of Estonia performing in small Utrecht? Check! Everything is close, everything is tangible and everything is so exciting. I eventually went to three concerts - Chvrches, Satellite Stories and Twenty One Pilots - that were all gigs that wouldn't happen in Estonia and I bought a Museumcard to practically force myself to see all the gems before I have to leave. It goes without saying that it wasn't too difficult.

Being Alone

One huge goal I had for my abroad semester was to handle being on my own. I've always got homesick really easily and having been together with my boyfriend for over two years, it was so easy to include him in everything I do, so being alone and far from everything that I was used to, was at times, so incredibly hard. I cried more and more the closer the day of my departure came and don't even get me started on the anxiety and hysterical crying I had in the airport when I actually had to kiss my boyfriend goodbye and hug my dad for the last time in four months. The first few days in Utrecht were just as difficult. As long as I could keep myself busy, I was fine, exploring and excited, but as soon as I had more time to think, the large cloud of loneliness was so easy to come. 

Naturally I felt less alone and more comfortable in that new city, in that new situation of life, when I got closer with a few people and realised that new friends aren't that difficult to make. September was good in that sense and so was October, but come November and the culture shock hit. We were warned about it during introduction that once the excitement wears off and the routine settles in, you get in some weird limbo of not belonging anywhere, not being home nor away and the homesickness was real. I'm not even ashamed to admit that I managed to go through three whole seasons of the Great British Bake Off in less than one month, because it felt so much safer to be home alone, with tea, waffles and Mary Berry, than out in the unknown, with a glass of beer. 

What helped me immensely, was people visiting from home. Skype is the saviour of all modern exchange programmes and long-distance relationships, but nothing beats actually seeing your family or actually holding hands with your boyfriend. Again, I feel so so proud of myself for managing life on my own, and surprise-surprise, coming out of it alive and better than ever.

New Environment

Being a lover of pretty houses, parks and all things hipster, I chose my destination very wisely. Every single time I decided to hop on my bike and just go somewhere, I managed to find places more gorgeous, breathtaking and so classically Dutch than the time before. To me, nothing will ever beat walking along a canal anymore. Nor will I ever be satisfied with buying overexpensive flowers from a shop, when I have bought 50 tulips or 5 euros from a Saturday flower market (by a canal, nonetheless).
Another experience was Lombok, the immigrant neighbourhood in Utrecht, which hosts the cheapest fruit stalls, which I used to visit at least weekly. The shopkeepers were always smiling, always greeting me like they remembered me and my must-have shopping list of lemons, avocado and feta cheese. Cobblestone streets, beautiful people on bikes and cheap fruit stalls of Lombok, I miss you so much!

Money

If you want my advice on whether to go abroad or not, then you might probably guess that my answer is a big fat GO! Unless you come from a financially unstable background, in which case I suggest to work your ass off for half a year and then go. I knew that the scholarship won't cover everything, but realising that it barely covers the rent for five months, I started to count my cappuccinos and wines a bit more carefully. Maybe it's an excuse, but perhaps this also limited my going out and socialising (which often includes spending money on drinks or club admissions that I don't really need). I do feel thankful to my parents for supporting me, because that allowed me to take previously mentioned shopping trips to the next part of town and also... Paris, Antwerpen, Amsterdam and more of the Netherlands. 

Thinking back, I wish that I'd been a bit more active, introduced one more person to the group, taken one extra course, learnt one more word in Dutch, made one more good friend, seen one more city or gone out one more time, but none of that matters anymore. What matters is that I got to know myself a whole lot more than I expected and as trivial as it sounds, I have a somewhat new perspective on life, on my future and my goals. It's easy to comfortably settle into your routine, but it's really amazing what magic can happen, when you shake up that routine! 

Surprise Christmas Vlog!

On one fine day I just felt like vlogging and then there's was nothing else to do than just grab my camera and take it with me. I did intend to show you my school day too, but I only had one lecture, so that didn't turn out too well. However, the big event of the day was Christmas shopping! Among other things I sneaked in a room tour, a lunch break and my favourite smoothie. The vlog is in Estonian once again, so do take the chance to brush up your Estonian skills! 

Ühel heal päeval tuli mul vlogimistuju peale ja mis sa hing ikka peale hakkad siis! Võtsin aga kaamera kooli kaasa, et natukene oma koolipäeva jäädvustada (millest väga midagi välja ei tulnud), aga põhitegevus minu neljapäevas oli hoopis jõulukinkide ostmine! Muu hulgas leidis oma tee vlogi ka üks kiire toatuur, lõunapaus ja mu lemmiksmuuti. 
Kuulake mõnusat jõulust taustamuusikat ja vaadake seda Hollandi elukest. Julgelt võite ka kommenteerida, mida te minu vlogimisoskusest arvate või mida üldsegi paremini/teistmoodi teha. Ma ikka veel päris hästi ei saa aru, kas mulle meeldib see videote tegemine või mida üldsegi arvata (kuigi olen siiani lasknud Mirkol iga vlogi üle vaadata, aga ta ainus tagasiside on, et ma peaksin kõike lühemaks tegema...) ning siin saate ainult teie aidata!

My First Ever Vlog!

The title kind of says it all, no? This might not be as exciting for you English-speaking guys, but I decided to try my hand at vlogging and on Monday, took my camera to school with me, to show my friends, my family and my lovely blog readers a bit of my everyday life here in the Netherlands. So if you're feeling like hearing what Estonian sounds like, want to see a bit of gorgeous Utrecht or know  how I react when the neighbour's cat interrupts my vlog, go and click play below. And you might as well subscribe to my very new channel here, just in case there's a video in English there one day. 

Pealkiri tegelikult ütleb kõik olulise ära, aga esmaspäeval otsustasin, et on aeg vlogimisega kätt proovida ja võtsin kaamera kooli kaasa. Mõtlesin, et näitan õige pisut oma vahetusüliõpilase elu siin Hollandis ja näitan linna (kuigi see ei tulnud tänu minu algaja-vloggeri Movie Makeri oskustele väga hästi välja...). Ehk siis, vajutage play ja vaadake, kuidas mul see kaamerasse rääkimine välja tuleb, milline Utrecht (enam-vähem) välja näeb ja kuidas ma reageerin, kui naabri kass otsustab mu vlogi üle võtta. 

Ja mis kõige tähtsam, kirjutage kommentaar või kiri ja öelge, kuidas meeldis. Sest mulle meeldis väga ja lähiajal on nii mõnigi tore väljasõit ees ootamas ning pisut nagu kibelen kaamerat filmimiseks kaasa võtma. 

Instagram Update

I know you’re all eagerly waiting for the Dutch posts, but since I still have one Estonian outfit to show, then I’d like to finish all things on that front and then go all Dutch. But there is one way how to keep up with my Erasmus life in the Netherlands and that’s through Instagram! (Kind of a no-brainer, right?) I've already shared pretty architecture snaps and the occasional ice-cream picture, so if you're feeling like it, head over to my Instagram here @piiaounpuu and hit the follow button. 

Oh, and I just got to 400 followers today, which is so sweet and I'm so grateful that so many of you want to share my life!

Tean küll, et te ootate juba kannatamatult Hollandi postitusi, aga kuna mul on varuks veel ühed Eestis tehtud pildid, siis ma mõtlesin, et tahan nendega enne joone alla tõmmata ning alles siis täiesti välismaa blogiks muutuda. Aga on üks imenipp, kuidas te saate ikka mu Erasmuse elul siin Hollandis silma peal hoida ja see on läbi Instagrami! (Okei, mingeid imesid siin mängus ei ole...) Olen seal juba näidanud küllaga pilte ilusatest majadest ja sekka mõne jäätisepildi, seega kui teil on tuju, siis visake pilk peale mu Instagrami kontole siin @piiaounpuu ja hakake jälgijaks. 

Just eile täitus mul Instagramis ka ilus ümmargune 400, mis on nii armas ja tore ja mul on nii hea meel, et nii paljud teist tahavad minu elu jagada!

1. Wedding dress material the other day at H&M. Not that I need one, but still.. 

2. This is what stationery dreams are made of, those pretty notebooks came home with me from Tiger.

3. There's also a giveaway going on at my Instagram account, but it's only for those living in Estonia. Hope to treat you all internationals very soon!

4. When I'm not lazy with my breakfasts and go all out on the blueberries. 

1. Leidsin H&Mist selle vägagi abiellumiskõlbuliku kleidi. Mitte, et mul seda lähiajal vaja oleks, aga nagu tahaks osta ikka...

2. Kirjatarvete taevas näeb täpselt selline välja, need ägedad märkmikud tulid minuga koju Tigerist. 

3. Minu Instagrami kontol käib parajasti ka kingiloos! Tahad võita endale ja sõbrale 24 pudelit seda i-me-maits-vat Novelle vitamiinivett? Siis mine siia ja jäta kommentaar!

4. Kui ma ei ole hommikuti laisk ja viitsin lisaks müslile ja jogurtile ka mustikatega täispangale minna. 

This is what a bit of my school looks like. Why don't they have cool and Instagrammable led-signs in Estonia? Beats me... / Tükike mu kooli näeb täpselt selline välja. Miks küll Tartu Ülikoolis sellist täiuslikku Instagrami seina pole?

1. Blueberries again! They are after all my #1 favourite berries. 

2. Iced coffee and cake kind of date at the most iconic cafe in Tartu wearing my boyfriend's skull print shirt, because on the day before I accidentally got like five chocolate stains on my top. 

3. That one time that I was in a national paper, giving the readers a peek in my wardrobe.

4. Last snippets of summer... A memory from our road trip to picture perfect Southern Estonia. 

1. Jälle mustikad! Need on siiski mu kõige lemmikumad marjad.

2. Jääkohvi ja koogi kohting Tartu kõige legendaarsemas kohvikus, seljas poiss-sõbra pealuupildiga särk, sest eelmisel päeval suutsin enda pluusile umbes viis šokolaadiplekki peale ajada. 

3. See kord, kui ma Õhtulehes olin ja kõik lugejaid said piiluda mu riidekappi. 

4. Viimased tükikesed suve... Mälestus meie rattaretkest piltilusas Lõuna-Eestis. 

Last, but not least, who doesn't like flowers! I stumbled upon this huge flower market the other day and have a definite plan to go and buy a bouquet one day (you know, pretending that I'm a local..) / Viimaseks, aga mitte hapupiimaseks üks ilus lillepilt! Sattusin ükspäev kogemata lilleturule ja mõtlesin, et lähen sinna kindlasti tagasi, et endale tuppa üks kena kimp osta ja kohaliku nägu pähe teha.