Denitsa Kuzeva (25) from Bulgaria was an exchange student, during Summer Semester 2015, majoring in International Business, and an Intern at the International Office of Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft Ludwigshafen, during Winter Semester 2015/2016.

“Coming to Germany was my dream for quite a long time, so when I was selected by my home university to come to Ludwigshafen, I was truly happy. I was sure that this is going to be an amazing adventure, but I never knew that it will be an experience, which will change my life.

When it comes to the formal details, everything was perfectly-organized – my German “buddy” picked me up from the bus station on coming and brought me to my flat (in a flat-sharing building with other exchange students), the Professors at the University were  helpful and the members of the International Office were kind and assisted me with different academic and non-academic matters. Therefore, I was more than happy to do an Internship at the IO, after finishing my first exchange semester at the university.

When it comes to personal experience - I lived, studied and interacted with people not only coming from a different country and background, but also people of different race, religion, culture. Regardless of our differences though, some of them quickly became my friends, we shared good and bad times together. Everything is better, when shared. And we shared those brief moments which turned out to be our memories for life.

And now, when my Erasmus time is over, I know for sure - the exchange might be temporary, but the friends and the awesome memories are here to stay! I cannot put into one sentence my best moment , memory or my overall opinion on the stay in Germany, but there is a German word, which describes them perfectly - “gemütlichkeit” – a space or state of warmth, friendliness, coziness, belonging, well being, and social acceptance.

Thank you Deutschland, for being my “Gemütlichkeit“!”