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“Do I belong here?”  

You arrive in a new country with nothing but a suitcase, and an avalanche of such questions pops into your head. 

Who will you meet? What will you learn? How will you connect with the people?  A few days, weeks, or months later, you return carrying stories: late-night talks with friends from five different countries, unexpected sparks of romance, a community built around shared passions, maybe even a sense that “home” now spans across borders. For many young Europeans, mobility isn’t just studying abroad to get a degree, a project, or a volunteer placement. It becomes a doorway to entirely new lives, identities, and possibilities.

For many years now, mobility programmes like Erasmus+, DiscoverEU, volunteering, or other youth exchanges offer much more than a diploma or a holiday. They offer growth, connection, and self-discovery. And for some lucky ones who are willing to commit to having their whole studies in a new country, they offer a chance for a new homeland. European institutions often speak about mobility in terms of “skills,” “identity formation,” or “active citizenship.” These ideas only make sense when grounded in the lives of real people. In this article, you will explore stories of three Europeans (out of millions) who reflect on how mobility shaped their sense of self, their communities, and even their future careers, revealing why these programmes matter more than ever. 

Came for a degree, stayed for life

One of the most powerful benefits of mobility for young people is identity exploration. The chance to understand who you are when everything familiar is gone. This was the situation for Nicko Tsanev back in 2012 when he arrived from Bulgaria to study in the Netherlands. He remembers the feeling vividly:

“There’s a specific silence you hear the moment your plane lands in a new country – a silence filled with anticipation, uncertainty, and the faint thrill of possibility.”

Living with people from Taiwan, South America, Southern Europe, and the Balkans during his studies made him realise that who you are changes over the years. You adapt and absorb new cultures and habits from the people you admire: 

“I found myself studying people the same way we studied cultural frameworks in class: fascinated by how different backgrounds shape behaviour, expectations, even the way we solve problems. My dorm mate from Taiwan became a daily reminder of this. We were two people from two very distant cultures living in a shared space, each learning the other’s rhythm. How we communicate, how we study, how we deal with stress, and how we understand respect. In these small, ordinary moments, you discover something extraordinary.”

Living and working alongside people from many different countries makes new friendships form quickly. Shared dinners, group projects, and late-night talks become the new “normal,” and strangers become your support network. From those friendships came something deeper: love. He met his girlfriend while studying in the Netherlands, and since this year they have been happily married. 

“The Netherlands gave me stability, opportunity, and a cultural foundation that continues to shape my decisions – in my career, my relationships, and my future. Yet I carry Bulgaria with me everywhere, and together these two worlds form the lens through which I see my path forward. That, to me, is the true gift of studying abroad: you don’t just find a new country. You find a new version of yourself.”

From participant to оrganizer

Then there is Nedko Boyanov. A 27-year-old activist and entrepreneur from Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. He says that mobility wasn’t a one-time experience: it became his calling. For him and many other young people across Europe, mobility resonates strongly with their desire for meaningful engagement with others. His turning point came during a youth exchange in his early twenties:

“The group dynamic totally dropped… everyone felt disconnected. Instead of disengaging, I decided to step up. I immediately brought life back to the group and took the pressure off the facilitators. We actually made a deal that I would act as the ‘bridge,’ communicating the group’s needs to the team.”

Through 16 exchanges, two training courses, and one fully facilitated project, he discovered that mobility was not just shaping him. It was helping him shape others. He witnessed how young organizers in Spain ran flawless programmes and Italian facilitators who created a “true European family” through openness and hospitality. These experiences showed him that mobility is not only about crossing borders; it’s about crossing internal boundaries. Today, he is planning his first self-designed exchange. 

“My mission is to show that we are all the same people building bridges across Europe. For my first project, I am focusing on a very relevant topic: media consumption and ‘bad video patterns.’ My goal is to reach young people, especially those from rural areas, and help them understand how online content shapes their worldview. I want to shift their role from passive consumers to active creators who can look at media with a clear mind.”

Building bridges at scale

The goal of Nedko and others like him might come true if he develops a good project. European mobility has real support from the EU. The data shows that since 1987, Erasmus+ has provided opportunities to over 16 million people. In 2024 alone, Erasmus+ supported almost 1.5 million people. Those are European students, youth workers, volunteers, and trainees. They had a chance to learn abroad, collaborate internationally, or take part in cross-border youth projects. The current programming period (2021–2027) brings a total indicative budget of €26.2 billion, supporting thousands of organized projects and thousands of youth exchanges happening every year across Europe, enabling these connections to grow strong and sustainable. Our third story brings us to Zhivko Zhelev, one of the people running the organization “Academy of Success”. 

He recalls that in the exchanges under Erasmus+ and other youth programmes he and his team organized, structured non-formal education sessions are just half the story. The real magic happens during informal time – in the evenings, with shared dinners, cultural nights, and by simply relaxing together. Those moments, where participants share their cultures, foods, drinks, jokes, stories – those moments build real connections across languages and borders. 

“Friendships are a common outcome of our projects. One of the most significant friendships that happened in a project was one between Armenian and Azerbaijani participants, something very, very rare due to the tense relations between these countries. We had a couple created during the project as well. Two Italians met in one of our exchanges, they fell in love and later married!” 

These aren’t isolated cases. Across Europe, thousands of projects create micro-communities of young people learning together, building projects together, and staying connected for years. Over time, all these individual exchanges, friendships, projects, and stories begin to build a Europe lived by its people. А Europe made of trust, collaboration, and human bonds that go beyond policies, institutions, and borders. 

Get on board

I hope that these stories sparked your interest. If you are wondering where to start, just check if your university offers exchange programs for studying a semester abroad. You can also research local NGOs, such as the one mentioned above, that organize short-term exchanges. If you are 18 years old, you can take advantage of the DiscoverEU program and see if you will be one of the lucky ones who will get a free train ticket to explore Europe. 

Sometimes one trip is all it takes to change your life. So, pack your bags and make it.

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