Dispatches from Europe

Uniquely International In Scotland, we have been in lockdown for around 3 months. Despite widespread acknowledgment of lockdown’s necessity, of which I also agree, I can’t help but feel that the whole situation is a bit rubbish. As a form of...

Last months were definitely difficult and challenging for everyone, myself included. Since the beginning of the lockdown, I was living on my own and I would be lying if I said it was easy, but ironically, a lot of things happened during this time....

It feels like a lifetime ago thinking back on it now, but I still remember that afternoon on Tuesday 10 th March. After a normal day of university, I was at home, nervously checking e-mails, WhatsApp messages and online newspapers to see what the...

In the space of a few weeks the whole world has changed in ways none of us could ever have imagined. Most of the world has gone into lockdown as Covid-19 raged through every country and nation causing a global pandemic.  Normality has been...

On the 4th of May 2020, I woke up in a sort of Christmas-like atmosphere. When I was a child on Christmas morning, like most children in the world, I used to wake up very early with a dizzy feeling. It wasn’t just out of curiosity for the presents...

The first few weeks of lockdown were an especially anxious time for many people, myself included; consumed by concern for loved ones, feeling a sense of loss over life pre-COVID-19, and ruminating on questions with no immediate answers. As time had...

Italy was the first European country to be infected by COVID-19, and we could never have imagined how dangerous or contagious it would be...we weren't prepared. Everything was improvised due to poor information about the virus. The...

“Secret” life of a EuroPeer during the COVID-19 Inspired by stories of my other nice colleagues, Jessy from Germany and Ter (the familiar name for the Tereza) from Slovakia, I decided to add a small piece to the circle of EuroPeers. I am sitting...

It was just one second, and then the door got shut, the world was in lockdown. Staying away from loved ones, you get a chance to get closer to the most important person in the world, yourself, and having the biggest treasure in the world- time for...

First of all, this COVID 19 pandemic was highly needed for us human beings. The way people are treating our environment, the way people are treating each other, living without kindness, and trying to benefit from every situation is something that...

A slightly different Erasmus experience What is the best part of doing an Erasmus? Probably the fact of being in another country, meeting new people, travelling and just experience things you usually don’t do at home, right? Sometimes your life can...

Life in Finland, much like anywhere else in the world, has recently been defined by the profoundly strange situation we all find ourselves in. Schools have been shut down, people are working from home, trying to deal with the disruption to their...

As I complete my first month in lockdown and embrace the next 3 weeks that are coming, I feel like this lockdown was needed. It has helped not only me but everyone around the world to stop and re-evaluate their life.

There is a positive in every situation, and amidst the chaos that the world has been thrown into, we have all been blessed with something we never seem to get enough of time. Many people have asked how I’m doing here in Italy and if I plan on...

“All we have to do is decide what to do with the time that is given to us.”
(J. R. R. Tolkien )

It is a great time to delve deeper into ourselves and establish stronger connections with others. Now, the world is a vulnerable place and I invite everyone to embrace it. Let it be a time for self-reflection, re-adjusting our beliefs and relationships with other people and ourselves.

I decided to be productive – on my terms. What works for me is that I know I don’t ‘waste’ the day – I find joy in doing activities that fulfill me and make me even more curious about the world around me. That gives me inspiration too.

Think about when it will all be memories but normality will seem unexpected and beautiful gifts we will love everything that has so far seemed trivial

I am giving up my life temporarily so I can use my energy and skills to help save lives. At the moment I am trying my best to raise awareness so I choose this platform to raise my voice. Please, please stay home and in your surroundings, make your friends, your family aware of this and encourage them to stay inside.